Notepad++

Notepad++ is a free source code and text editor for Windows that supports a very wide range of programming languages and is built on the Win32 API and the C++ Standard Template Library. Its long-standing popularity rests on a combination that is genuinely difficult to find: it launches almost instantly, consumes very little memory, handles files far larger than most editors tolerate, and yet provides the syntax highlighting, folding and editing features that make working with code practical. For developers, system administrators and analysts who need to open a log file, edit a configuration, inspect a data export or make a quick change to a script, it occupies the space between a bare text editor and a full development environment.

Syntax highlighting and folding cover dozens of languages out of the box, with user-defined language support for anything unusual, and auto-completion assists with words, functions and parameters. Multi-document editing uses a tabbed interface with split-view comparison, and multi-line and column editing with multiple simultaneous cursors handles the repetitive structural edits that occur constantly in real work. Search and replace supports regular expressions across open files or entire directory trees, which is frequently the fastest route to a bulk change. Encoding and line-ending conversion between ANSI, UTF-8 and UTF-16 and between Windows, Unix and Mac conventions resolves a recurring source of cross-platform problems. Macro recording and playback automates repeated sequences. A substantial plugin ecosystem extends the editor into file comparison, XML and JSON formatting, FTP editing, spell checking and much else. The editor is open-source software released under the GPL, developed over many years with frequent releases, and is entirely free for any use including commercial — there is no paid tier, no licence to purchase and no trial period, since the full product is simply available to download. It remains one of the most widely installed developer utilities on Windows.