While often overlooked in general catalogs of vital software tools, text editors are somewhere near the core of many professionals’ virtual arsenal. I use a simple text editor to organize my thoughts, stage articles, parse out client requests, review websites, and write code. My favorite tool for all these jobs is Notepad++.
Notepad++ is an open source solution based on the free code Scintilla framework. It has all the features you’d expect of an editor targeted to coders. These range from simple tools like code highlighting, with a variety of user selectable language templates, to advanced replacement routines. It also has fancy tricks like a macro recorder, collapsible sections, and advanced splitscreen functions. It even includes the little bits of polish missed on many open source tools, like the feature that automatically finds and highlights instances of whatever you select. I find that last bit particularly useful when changing parameters, like color, in my CSS. It doesn’t have anything truly unique, but it has everything right where I want it.
Notepad++ also pairs very well with my favorite FTP manager, Filezilla. When set as the default editor for common code files, such as .CSS and .PHP, it offers a seamless way to open text with appropriate highlighting and demarcation. I can find code references in Chrome’s element inspector, select to edit files in Filezilla, watch them open in a new tab in Notepad++, make the edits I need to, hit save, select Filezilla to have the automatically copy the new file, then return to Chrome to see the changes. I use this workpath quite a bit.
Of course, Notepad++ isn’t unique in this aspect. Most any editor can be set as default from Filezilla and many work reasonably well in this capacity. High end development suites have more direct integration between FTP and their editor, which saves a few clicks, but I personally prefer the Notepad++/Filezilla combination.
The features of both Filezilla and Notepad++ cover essentially every task I would want to undertake, but both are very lightweight. I like the ability to quickly open and close the applications, especially since I tend to work in short bursts and like to clear my workspace in between sessions. It’s also nice to use the same text editor to keep notes and code snippets, which I’ve always found difficult with development suites. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice. Being free helps too.
Notepad++ is worth a close look, especially if you do much in the way of code creation or review. It’s a free download from the author, Don Ho’s, site. If you decide to make it your new favorite editor, keep in mind that every version of windows offers a couple ways to set default applications for every filetype- including .txt. Oddly enough it seems that most everyone on the Notepad++ forums doesn’t know this and you’ll want to avoid their advice to edit the registry or replace your system’s default notepad.exe file. The simplest way to reset a file type is the right-click a sample file, select “Open With…”, select “Choose Default” from the bottom of the dropdown, choose the program you’d like to use going forward, and make sure the “Always Use…” option is checked before you hit “OK”.
Happy writing.
