Notepad++

Notepad++ is a powerful, feature-packed text editor that more or less has everything Notepad needs but lacks (it can replace Notepad in Windows). It supports 27 programming languages, searches regular expressions, and supports syntax highlighting and folding, synchronized edits and views, and much more.

Pros

Loads of options: Behind a clean face and busy but efficient toolbar, Notepad++ is a wonder of features and options. One favorite: Default Directory has two choices, Follow current document and Remember last directory. Another: The “old, obsolete” desktop icon is a setup option.

Options to load: We could set Notepad++ not to use %APPDATA% but rather to load or write config files from the installation directory; this is handy when running Notepad++ from a USB device.

Plug-ins, too: Notepad++ comes loaded with useful plug-ins plus a Plug-in Manager. But we could also select a startup option to load plug-ins from AppData — a potential security issue that Notepad++ only recommends for experienced users.

Cons

None, really: There’s nothing we tried that we didn’t like.

If you just want a better text editor to replace Notepad, try Notepad++. If you want a powerful, versatile code editor, try Notepad++. In any role, it excels.