Notepad++ is a free and open-source code editor created as a more advanced replacement for the standard Notepad. It supports numerous programming languages and runs efficiently on Microsoft Windows. The editor also allows users to define their own custom syntax highlighting and code folding rules, offering flexibility for any coding style or language.
The software significantly improves coding productivity by providing color-printed source code, making code structure and syntax easier to read and understand. Its multi-document editing system lets users handle multiple files simultaneously or edit one file in two synchronized split views for side-by-side comparison or parallel work.
Notepad++ features a fully customizable interface with complete drag-and-drop functionality. This makes it simple to organize tabs, rearrange panels, or open files directly by dragging them into the workspace. These features help streamline the coding workflow and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.
The project is built on the robust Scintilla editing component, written in C++ with the Win32 API and STL. This ensures a combination of high performance, efficiency, and low memory usage. Released under the GPL License, Notepad++ remains a lightweight yet powerful editor that continues to evolve through community contributions and open development.
The supported programming languages: ASP, Ada, ASCII artwork, Assembly, AutoIt, BAT, C, C#, C++, Caml, CSS, Doxygen, FORTRAN, HTML, Haskell, Java, javascript, KiXtart, Lisp, Lua, makefile, Matlab, Objective-C, Pascal, Perl, PHP, PostScript, Python, Ruby, Scheme, Unix Shell Script, Smalltalk, SQL, Tcl, TeX, Verilog, VHDL, VB/VBScript, XML.
Notepad++ Features
- Syntax Highlighting and Syntax Folding
- WYSIWYG
- User-Defined Syntax Highlighting
- Auto-completion
- Multi-Document
- Multi-View
- Regular Expression Search/Replace is supported
- Full Drag ‘N’ Drop supported
- Dynamic Place of Views
- File Status Auto-detection
- Zoom in and zoom out
- Multi-language environment supported
- Bookmark
- Brace and Indent guideline Highlighting
- Macro recording and playback
Changes in Notepad++ 8.8.6 :
- Add the capacity to paste multiple lines into Find/Replace fields.
- Improve the UAC in the app for seamless elevated operations.
- Improved the speed of Pin Tab functionality when handling many open documents.
- Add 2 new full-readonly modes via command line argument (-fullReadOnly & -fullReadOnlySavingForbidden).
- Add apply/remove read-only for all document commands.
- Column Editor enhancement: GUI input fields now support radix to match the output format.
- Add a “File Modified Time” sorting capacity to the Windows dialog.
- Fix the NPPN_CMDLINEPLUGINMSG not working issue & define the pluginMessage usage protocol.
- Addressed a bug preventing proper pasting from column mode to multi-selection due to EOL inconsistencies.
- Add NPPM_GETNPPSETTINGSDIRPATH message to get Notepad++ settings directory path.
- Enhance the SQL function list parser.
- Addressed a bug preventing the C# function list from functioning when comments existed.
- Add a function list ability for CSS.
- Added functionality for users to control the maximum number of characters auto-filled in the “Find what” field.
- Restore undo/redo behavior in Find/Replace fields after Copy/Paste or Ctrl-F.
- Fix the text corruption issue caused by selection within multibyte characters.
- Fix DOCTYPE styling in XML and HTML.
- Fix: double-clicking on the edit zone border creates a new tab issue.
- Update cURL in WinGUp (app updater) to fix the security issue CVE-2025-5399.
Compatible Operating Systems: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11 (32-bit and 64-bit).
