Notepad ++: the best extensions and plugins
Notepad ++ is not exactly low on its own, but with extensions and plugins you can improve the popular editor. This practical tip presents three extensions that will help you in everyday life.
Find the right color with the Colorpicker
If you want to edit HTML and CSS documents, a built-in color picker will help you a lot. You can download it here.
- With three different color pickers you can choose colors as usual.
- The hex, delphi and decimal codes are displayed directly.
- You can use the checkboxes on the left to choose other options: In this form, the color code is inserted into the document after clicking "OK".
Access files faster with the Explorer plugin
An Explorer plugin can never hurt, especially if you want to open and edit multiple files in different directories. By the way: There is also an FTP Explorer plugin. You can install both plugins using the plugin manager ("Extensions" -> "Plugin Manager").
- The hard disk or partition can be selected in the upper window.
- You can open any file with a double click - regardless of the format.
- The buttons above can be used to create new files or new folders, and you can also search the current folder.
On the safe side with the AutoSave plugin
If Notepad ++ or the entire PC crashes, the work of the last hour may be gone. The Autosave plug-in is available so that you don't have to constantly remember to save data temporarily. This can also be installed via the plugin manager.
- After the settings have been set correctly, the program either temporarily saves all or only the current file - either regularly after a specified time or when the file loses focus.
- You can also configure the plugin so that certain files are neglected. This can include files that are new or too large.
- An alternative ("Auto Save 2") creates a copy for each autosave instead of overwriting the old file.
Other useful plugins for Notepad ++
- Multi-Clipboard: Facilitates copy-paste with up to ten buffers.
- TextFX helps you to clean up and sort texts.
All plugins work stably under Notepad ++ 6.4.5. A complete list of all plugins can be found in the Notepad ++ wiki. We explain how to install Notepad ++ extensions here.