8 Best Notepad++ Tricks, Hacks & Commands in 2023
Updated On January 5, 2023 | by Louise Simon
Plenty of text editors are available for programmers, but the most widely used is Notepad++. Most people choose this as an alternative to Notepad because it is user-friendly, feature-rich, and free.
Unfortunately, Notepad++ is only for Windows PC users. However, if you are working on a Mac, you can check out setapp.com to find the best alternative to Notepad++.
Now, read along to learn the tricks and hacks that can boost your experience using Notepad++ in 2021.
Notepad++ Enables Users to Perform Certain Acts Automatically
The most time-saving feature is that you can repeat a task multiple times without manually doing it. Record a Macro, and the action will be performed automatically.
Let’s say, for example, you wish to replace a specific text in different files and save the file in a particular format. Then, all you have to do is record the entire process and play it whenever you wish to perform the task in the future.
You can save as many macros as you want.
Head over to the Macro section in the navigation menu and start recording a Macro.
Launch Code in a Browser of Your Choice
Assuming that you have written a few lines of code in CSS and HTML, you would want to see how the page looks without applying it on a website that’s live. Then, you can do two things.
First, save the code with the respective extension and open it in a browser of your choice.
Second, launch the code in a browser of your choice. Write down your code and choose Run > Launch in Chrome/Firefox/IE/Safari.
The page is going to open in your chosen web browser directly.
Set Your Notepad++ Theme
Do you dislike the default theme of Notepad++? You can customize a theme according to your preference and set it as the default theme. Ensure to save the theme file with a .xml extension and don’t forget to place it in the C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\themes folder.
Also, remember to replace user_name with a username of your choice. After you’ve done this, click Settings > Style Configurator. The theme you’ve created will be inside the drop-down menu of Select Theme.
Quickly Open Recently Opened Files and Modify the Number
It might be that you have a folder filled with codes, and you require to open a specific file. If you have to navigate a long path, it’ll take time. In such situations, you can quickly click on File and see the recently opened files.
You will get up to fifteen files in the list, along with the actual path.
Do you think this feature is helpful? If so, you can increase the number of recently opened files. Go to Settings > Preferences. You’ll get the option of changing the number under the Recent Files History.
Open All Files in a Folder at the Same Time
Do you want to open all the files in a folder at the same time? You can open a folder, choose all the files and click Enter. Or, you can select File > Open Containing Folder > Explorer, select the files, and hit Enter.
Replace Text or Work in Multiple Files
To replace a specific text or word in multiple files, you need to open all the files, press Control + H, type the word you wish to replace and the new work, and click Replace All in All Opened Documents. Press Control + Shift + S to save all the files at once.
Modify Preferences
Do you find Notepad++’s default interface dull? Then, you can personalize it without the need of fusing a third-party plugin or software.
In Notepad++, you can change the font family, theme, font style, font size, font color, font-weight, background color, and so much more.
To customize the preferences, click on Settings > Style Configurator. A screen will pop up where you can change everything aforementioned. Once you have made all the changes, don’t forget to tick-mark the checkbox so that the changes are saved and take effect.
Open Files in a Tree View
Are you developing a theme? If so, you are probably working on more than one file. It might not be easy to close and open different files in the same folder. This problem can be solved by using a fantastic feature on Notepad++ called Folder as Workspace. The feature helps users to see all the folders and files in a tree view. You can open a folder by clicking File > Open Folder as Workspace and select the folder you want to see in a tree view.
Conclusion
The tips and hacks mentioned above will make it easier for you to work on Notepad++. Keep them in mind to streamline your work and have a great experience.
