How to Use Notepad++

This updated guide examines How to Use Notepad++ and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Part 1

Installing

1. Open the Notepad++ website. Go to https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ in your browser.
2. Clickdownload. This tab is on the upper-left side of the page.
3. ClickDOWNLOAD. It's a green button in the middle of the page. The Notepad++ installer will begin downloading.
   • Depending on your browser settings, you may have to select a save location or confirm the download before continuing.
4. Double-click the setup file. It resembles a green frog.
5. ClickYeswhen prompted. The installation window will open.
6. Select a language. Click the language drop-down box, then click the language that you want to use.
7. ClickOK. It's at the bottom of the Language window.
8. Follow the on-screen prompts. Do the following:
   • Click Next
   • Click I Agree
   • Click Next
   • Click Next
   • Check advanced options, then click Install
9. ClickFinish. As long as you leave the "Run Notepad++" option checked, doing so will both close the installation window and open Notepad++.

Part 2

Setting up Notepad++

1. Open Notepad++ if it isn't open. Double-click the Notepad++ app icon, which resembles a white pad with a green frog on it.
2. Delete any text currently in Notepad++. You'll usually see some developer notes here, so just highlight and delete them.
3. ClickSettings. This tab is at the top of the Notepad++ window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
4. ClickPreferences…. It's in the Settings drop-down menu. Doing so opens the Preferences window.
5. Review your Notepad++ settings. Look over the settings in the middle of the window, or click a tab on the left side of the Preferences window to change the category of settings that you're viewing.
   • You can change these settings to your liking, but be careful not to change anything that you don't understand.
6. ClickClose. It's at the bottom of the Preferences window. Doing so saves any changes and closes the window.
7. Review the menu buttons. Near the top of the Notepad++ window, you'll see a row of colored buttons. Hovering your mouse over each of the buttons will show you what each button does.
   • For example, the purple floppy disk-shaped icon in the upper-left side of the window saves your progress on a project when clicked.
8. Decide on a language. This article covers examples for C++, Batch, and HTML coding, but you can use almost any language that you want to with Notepad++. Once you have a language picked out, you can proceed with actually using Notepad++ to create a program.

Part 3

Creating a Simple C++ Program

1. Click theLanguagetab. It's at the top of the window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
2. SelectC. You'll find this option in the Language drop-down menu. A pop-out menu will appear.
3. ClickC++. It's in the pop-out menu. Most programmers' first experiences with C++ involve creating a program that says "Hello, World!" when run, so that's what you'll do here.^{[1]XResearch source}
4. Add a title to your program. Type in//followed by your program's title (e.g., "My first program"), then press?Enter.
   • Any text in a line that's typed after two slash marks won't be read as code.
   • For example: to entitle your program "Hi Earth", you'd type//Hi Earthinto Notepad++.
5. Enter the preprocessor command. Type#includeinto Notepad++, then press?Enter. This command instructs C++ to run the following lines of code as a program.
6. Declare the program's function. Typeint main ()into Notepad++, then press?Enter.
7. Add an open bracket. Type{into Notepad++, then press?Enter. Your program's main code will go between this open bracket and a closed bracket later.
8. Enter your program's execution code. Typestd::cout<< "Hello World!";into Notepad++ and press?Enter.
9. Add a closed bracket. Type}into Notepad++. This closes the program's execution phase.
10. Review your program. It should look something like this:
    • //Hi Earth
    • #include
    • int main ()
    • {
    • std::cout<< "Hello World!";
    • }
11. Save your program. Click File , then click Save As... in the drop-down menu, enter a name for your program, select a save location, and click Save .
    • If you have a program on your computer that can run C++, you should be able to open your Hello World program in it.

Part 4

Creating a Simple Batch Program

1. Click theLanguagetab. It's at the top of the window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
2. SelectB. You'll find this option in the Language drop-down menu. A pop-out menu will appear.
3. ClickBatch. It's in the pop-out menu. Batch is a modified version of the commands that you use in Command Prompt, so any Batch file will open in Command Prompt.^{[2]XResearch source}
4. Enter the "echo" command. Type@echo offinto Notepad++ and press?Enter.
5. Add a title for your program. Type inTitle textand press?Enter, making sure to replace "text" with your preferred title.
   • When you run the program, the title text is what will display at the top of the Command Prompt window.
6. Enter display text. Type inecho textand press?Enter. Replace "text" with whatever you want Command Prompt to display.
   • For example, if you want Command Prompt to say "Humans are superior!", you'd typeecho Humans are superior!into Notepad++.
7. Halt the program. Typepauseinto Notepad++ to indicate the end of the program.
8. Review your code. It should look something like this:
   • @echo off
   • Title Improved Command Prompt
   • echo Humans are superior!
   • pause
9. Save your program. Click File , then click Save As... in the drop-down menu, enter a name for your program, select a save location, and click Save .
   • If you want to run your program, simply find it in its save location and double-click it to do so.

Part 5

Creating a Simple HTML Program

1. Click theLanguagetab. It's at the top of the window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
2. SelectH. You'll find this option in the Language drop-down menu. A pop-out menu will appear.
3. ClickHTML. It's in the pop-out menu. HTML is commonly used for website pages, so you'll be creating a basic webpage heading and subheading.^{[3]XResearch source}
4. Enter your document header. Typeinto Notepad++, then press?Enter.
5. Add the "html" tag. Typeinto Notepad++ and press?Enter.
6. Add the "body" tag. Typeinto Notepad++ and press?Enter. This indicates that you'll be entering a section of text or other body information.
7. Enter your page's heading. Type in and press?Enter, making sure to replace the "text" section with your preferred page heading.
   • For example: to set your heading as "Welcome to my Swamp", you would type into Notepad++.
8. Add text below the heading. Type inand press?Enter. You'll replace "text" with your preferred text (e.g., "Make yourself right at home!").
9. Close the "html" and "body" tags. Type inand press?Enter, then type in.
10. Review your code. It should look like this:
    • Make yourself right at home!
11. Save your program. Click File , then click Save As... in the drop-down menu, enter a name for your program, select a save location, and click Save .
    • As long as you select your language before saving, Notepad++ will choose the correct file format for you.
    • You should be able to open your HTML file in any web browser.