Nodepad++ is not an IDE, it is a text editor. Notepad++ is a free source** editor and notepad alternative that supports multiple languages.
While it does offer some features that are common in IDEs, such as syntax highlighting for various programming languages and the ability to open multiple files at the same time, it lacks many of the advanced features typically associated with IDEs.
IDEs are specifically designed to support software development, providing completion, debugging capabilities, version control integration, project management, and more.
An integrated development environment provides a comprehensive environment for coding, testing, and deploying applications.
Notepad++ has become a popular text editor for Windows users because of its lightweight and flexibility.
It is highly customizable and supports a variety of programming languages, making it a top choice for quick editing and scripting tasks.
However, for a wider range of software development projects, developers often opt for specialized IDEs, such as Visual Studio, Eclipse, Intellij Idea, PyCharm, or Visual Studio Code, which offer a more robust feature set to simplify the development process.
If you're using Notepad++ to edit sources** and don't have an IDE, you'll typically use separate command-line tools in the console terminal window to compile, link, debug, analyze, and so on.
While Notepad++ is primarily a text editor rather than an IDE, you can certainly enhance its functionality to make it more like an IDE for some programming languages.
Notepad++ is highly customizable, and with a variety of plugins, you can add features that are commonly found in IDEs.
Here are some steps you can take to make Notepad++ more like an IDE:
Install plugins: from 3Starting with version 1, Notepad++ supports a variety of plug-ins to extend its functionality.
Enable syntax highlighting: Notepad++ already has built-in support for syntax highlighting for many programming languages. You can enable this feature to make it more readable and highlight different elements such as variables, functions, and comments.
Custom shortcuts: Notepad++ allows you to customize keyboard shortcuts to streamline your workflow. You can set up shortcuts for tasks such as running scripts, compiling**, or searching in a project.
Project management: While Notepad++ doesn't have native project management features like typical IDEs, you can use folders to create your own project structure and organize related files together.
Integrate external tools: Notepad++ allows you to integrate external tools or compilers to perform operations such as compiling, running scripts, or linting.
While these steps can make Notepad++ more like an IDE, it's important to understand that NotePad++ is not an IDE and still lacks some of the more advanced features found in a dedicated IDE.
For complex software development projects, it's often recommended to use a dedicated IDE with powerful features and built-in support for your programming language.
For simple source editing tasks, you can use Notepad++, but for more complex projects, you should use a dedicated IDE such as Visual Studio, Eclipse, Intellij Idea, PyCharm, and so on.