notepad-plus-plus

# 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 - **Rapid Windows Log & File Inspection**: Opening multi-gigabyte log dumps and configuration files without memory thrashing. - **Advanced Regular Expression Replacements**: Executing multi-file regex find-and-replace across nested directories. - **Batch Text Manipulation**: Column/block editing, character set transcoding, and newline normalization (CRLF/LF). - **Lightweight Script Automation**: Running command-line compilers or linters via the NppExec plugin. ## Quick Start ### 1. Regex Find and Replace (Multiline & Capture Groups) - Open Find & Replace: `Ctrl + H` - Search Mode: Select **Regular expression** (check `. matches newline` if spanning lines) - Find What: `(\w+)\s*=\s*"(.*?)"` - Replace With: `{"key": "$1", "val": "$2"}` ### 2. Run from Command Line ```cmd notepad++.exe -multiInst -nosession "C:\path\to\large_logfile.log" ``` ## Core Concepts ### Multi-Line Regular Expression Find & Replace Matching, parsing, and cleaning enterprise log files using PCRE regex engine: ```regex # Find ISO timestamp followed by ERROR level and message: ^(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}\.\d+Z)\s+\[ERROR\]\s+(.*)$ # Replace with structured TSV for Excel/database import: $1\tERROR\t$2 # Find and eliminate empty or blank whitespace lines: ^[ \t]*$\r?\n # Replace with: (leave empty) ``` ### Column Mode (Block Selection) Editing - Hold **Alt + Shift + Arrow Keys** (or **Alt + Left Click Drag**) to select a rectangular block across multiple lines. - Type text or press **Edit -> Column Editor...** (`Alt+C`): - Insert running numbers: Initial value `1`, Increase by `1`, Format `Dec` / `Hex`. - Prepend leading prefixes (e.g. `export const VAR_`) simultaneously to 100+ lines. ### Automated Script Execution with NppExec Automating Python linting or compilation directly from Notepad++: ```text // NppExec Script: Run Python Lint & Test npp_save cd $(CURRENT_DIRECTORY) cmd /c "ruff check $(FILE_NAME) && pytest -q $(FILE_NAME)" ``` ## Common Patterns ### Regex Data Extraction and Transformation **Problem**: Parse unstructured server log entries into structured CSV or JSON. **Solution**: Apply capture groups in Notepad++ Regex Find & Replace (`Ctrl + H`). ```regex # Find Expression: ^(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})\s+(\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})\s+\[(\w+)\]\s+(.*)$ # Replace Expression: {"date": "$1", "time": "$2", "level": "$3", "message": "$4"} ``` ## Best Practices **Do**: - Set Default Directory to "Remember last used directory" and encoding to **UTF-8 without BOM**. - Use `Alt + Mouse Drag` for precise rectangular column editing across structured tabular files. - Leverage the **Document Map** (`View -> Document Map`) for rapid visual navigation of large source files. - Configure **Auto-Completion** for XML/HTML tags and word completion under **Settings -> Preferences -> Auto-Completion**. **Don't**: - Use standard Notepad++ for multi-gigabyte files without enabling Large File Mode or adjusting buffer sizes. - Save Windows CRLF line endings when collaborating on Linux/Docker container repositories; enforce LF via Status Bar. - Leave unsaved session snapshots enabled on shared or untrusted workstations. ## Troubleshooting | Error | Cause | Solution | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Notepad++ crashes when opening multi-gigabyte log file | 32-bit architecture memory limits or Scintilla buffer overflow | Use 64-bit Notepad++ build, or install `LargeFiles` plugin; disable syntax styling for `.log` files. | | Regex search matches unexpectedly across unintended blocks | Greedy quantifier `.*` used instead of lazy `.*?` | Change quantifier from `.*` to non-greedy `.*?` or restrict character classes `[^"]*`. | | Plugins Admin menu missing | Enterprise deployment or outdated portable installation | Download latest 64-bit release from notepad-plus-plus.org; ensure `plugins` directory has write permissions. | ## References - [Notepad++ Website](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/)