Notepad++

Notepad++ is a lightweight, free source code editor for Windows. It is famous for its low footprint and being written in C++.

When to Use

• Quick Edits: Editing config files, XML, or JSON on a Windows server.
• Log Analysis: Search and highlight in massive log files.
• Regex: Great "Find in Files" with regex substitution.

Core Concepts

Scintilla

The editing component engine behind N++.

Plugins

Managed via "Plugins Admin". XML Tools, Compare, NppExec.

Macros

Record and playback keystrokes. Very useful for repetitive text transformations.

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use "Compare": The Diff plugin is simple and effective.
• Use Dark Mode: Yes, even Notepad++ has dark mode now.
• Portable Version: Carry it on a USB stick (or cloud drive) with your toolkit.

Don't:

• Don't code full apps: It lacks LSP and modern IDE features. Use VS Code for dev, N++ for text munging.

References

• Notepad++ Website