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Notepad++ Review ; Spell Checker for Windows Notepad

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c627627

c(n*199780) Senior Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2002
Sometimes I use overclockers forums as Cloud storage for things like this, so I wrote this for myself. Over the years, I was weary of Notepad replacements because I was worried they might be buggy or be slower alternatives. I still think Notepad should be left alone on older systems but time has come to ditch it and replace it on modern systems, because it has no squiggly red lines telling us we've misspelled words.

Sure, Windows 8 has a universal spell checker - but all people want is a Notepad which would underline misspelled words as they type them, when for whatever reason a real word processor is not accessible or is too slow. So I set out to see if I could replace Notepad and have everything stay the same as if using Windows Notepad, right down to the icon in the Task Bar.

If there is a better alternative to Notepad++, please post what it is:
http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/

EDIT: Finally an alternative. Initial Alpha version, hopefully it will be perfected: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...ith-Spell-Checker-already-added-in!?p=7757954


The main down side of Notepad++ is that it is not user friendly. For example, if somebody said to me, make changing default font in Notepad as difficult as possible, if that was the task, I could not have come up with a more difficult process than the author did. :(


INSTRUCTIONS:
-------------------
First copy contents of Notepad++ folder View attachment Notepad++.zip to
C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++
replacing existing files. For Windows XP, the directory is
C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Notepad++\

Then:

Plugins > Plugin Manager > Show Plugin Manager > Available TAB > CHECK: Customize Toolbar > Install > Yes > Yes.

Then

Plugins> DSpellCheck > Settings... > Download Dictionaries > English (United States) > Install Selected > Yes > OK > OK

Right click on .txt file > Open With > Choose Default Program > Browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
CHECK: Always use the selected program to open this kind of file

To get this:

Notepad++.png


Included settings were setup like this:

[Before using Notepad++ to print, disable DSpellChecker (and re-enable after printing) otherwise red wavy lines under misspelled words will show up on printouts.]

Double click on Setup.exe to install the program.

UNCHECK: Auto-Updater

To transfer settings:
First copy contents of Notepad++ folder to
C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++
replacing existing files. For Windows XP, the directory is
C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Notepad++\

Then:

Plugins > Plugin Manager > Show Plugin Manager > Available TAB > CHECK: Customize Toolbar and Zoom Disabler > Install > Yes > Yes.

Then

Right click on .txt file > Open With > Choose Default Program > Browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
CHECK: Always use the selected program to open this kind of file

* * *

Included settings were setup like this:

Plugins > DSpellCheck > Change Current Language > English (United States) > (You can also Remove Unneeded Languages... here)

Plugins> DSpellCheck > Settings... > Hunspell Dictionaries Path > set folder where file en_US.usr will be saved which stores all user-added spelling dictionary entries.
[Set it for both Current User and All Users] > Be sure to Download Dictionaries...

Settings > Style Configurator > Font name: Verdana > Font Size: 14
Background Colour > More Colours... >
28 255
240 243
221 215
Make sure all nine color numbers stay as entered before clicking on
Add to Custom Colors > Select the color you just added > OK
CHECK: Enable global background color >
CHECK: Enable global font
CHECK: Enable global font style

Select Brace highlight style [under Global override] > Click on Foreground color and select Black > UNCHECK: Bold >

Select Smart Highlighting > Background color: orange [second column from left, fourth row]

> Save & Close


View > Show Symbol > UNCHECK: Show Indent Guide
View > CHECK: Word wrap


Settings > Preferences >
General > Tool Bar > Big icons > Tap Bar > CHECK: Hide > UNCHECK: Show status bar
Editing > Folder Margin Style > None > Line Wrap > Default > UNCHECK: Display line number
Default Directory > Remember last used directory
Recent Files History > Only File Name

File Association > .txt .log .ini .nfo
Print > Delete all Header and Footer entries
Backup > Recommended to leave UNCHECKED but if you CHECK: Remember current session for next launch,
Notepad++ will restore last session entirely. On startup Notepad++ does not only open the saved opened files, but also restores the unsaved file and unsaved untitled document of last session. (User won't be asked to save unsaved file as he quits Notepad++, it will be automatically saved in a temporary file to be opened automatically in next launch.)
Enable session snapshot and periodic backup can only be selected if you CHECK: Remember current session for next launch

Backup on save: None None [because backup .bak files are never deleted by the program, they are permanently saved.]

Auto-Completion > UNCHECK: Enable Auto-Completion on each input

Multi-Instance > Always in multi-instance mode
MISC. > CHECK: Show only file name in title bar > Close


Customize Toolbar: Plugins > Plugin Manager > Show Plugin Manager > Available TAB > CHECK: Customize Toolbar > Install > Yes > Yes.
Plugins > Customize Toolbar > Customize:
| Save | Copy Paste Cut | Undo | Replace... | Word wrap

Close Notepad++ then use Resource Hacker
http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/
to open C:\Windows\notepad.exe
Click on + next to icon > click on + next to 9 [for Windows Vista/7/8] or 7 [for Windows XP] > Right click on 1033 > Save [Icon] resources... > Save

Close Notepad++ then use Resource Hacker
to open C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Click on + next to Icon Group > click on + next to 100 > Right click on 1033 > Replace Resource... >
Open file with new icon... > Browse to .ico file saved from Notepad.exe in previous step > Open > Replace > File > Save


Notepad++ configuration files are stored in folder:
C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++
or
C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Notepad++\


config.xml
stores GUI and MISC settings.
langs.xml
stores all the keywords of supported languages to be highlighted.
stylers.xml
stores all the syntax highlighting (colors, fonts, etc...).


Optional configuration files:

contextMenu.xml
context menu configuration.
session.xml
stores lists of file paths of previous session files.
shortcuts.xml
stores recorded macros, user defined commands and remapped shortcuts.
userDefineLang.xml
stores user defined languages to be highlighted.
doLocalConf.xml
a zero length file which is used to determinate where Notepad++ loads the configuration xml files.
allowAppDataPlugins.xml
a zero length file which, if present, will allow plugins installed in %APPDATA\Notepad++\plugins to be loaded as well as "local" plugins.
asNotepad.xml
a zero length file which is used to make Notepad++ behavior similar to MS Notepad
toolbarIcons.xml
this file will enable you to customize the icons on your Toolbar - but not the set of buttons.
nativeLang.xml
When using a localization from Settings > Preferences > Global, the corresponding file from the Localizations subfolder is copied to nativeLang.xml and elements of the user interface are translated.

[ doLocalConf.xml and asNotepad.xml should always be in Notepad++ installation folder. langs.xml should be in %APPDATA%\Notepad++\ folder under Windows Vista/7/8. Other xml files are loaded from %AppData%\Notepad++ or Notepad++.exe's own folder, depending on the absence or presence of doLocalConf.xml file in Notepad++.exe's folder. ]


* * *


To remove all lines that do not contain YourSearchTerm:

Search > Find > Mark TAB > in the Find what box, type Your Search Term
CHECK: Bookmark line
SELECT: Regular expression
> Mark All (next to your search term) > OK > Close

Search Menu > Bookmark > Remove Unmarked Lines


If you change your mind and wish to remove Context Menu Entry from right click menu:
delete the following registry key to remove Notepad++ from right click menu:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\ANotepad++

Default locations for Plugins > DSpellCheck > Settings... > Hunspell Dictionaries Path >
For Current User:
C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\plugins\Config\Hunspell
For All Users:
.\plugins\config\Hunspell
 
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Ah, notepad++. I've been using it to keep notes in the computer games I play for a while now. I love it dearly, but I've never run into the zoom problem. At least now I know what to do when it finally happens :p
 
On the topic of the OP: Generally speaking, Notepad++ is geared towards programming. For most users, a native spell checker would be a feature that would be a nuisance when on. The beauty of plugins, of course, is that users can customize to their particular use case, just thought I'd give my $0.02 on why it wasn't included by default. :)
 
I have modified Notepad++ pinned to my taskbar and use it virtually all the time for text only, not programming.
I am an avid user of WordPerfect word processor and have to use Word because everyone else does but for simple text, there is no reason for me or anyone running any computer in the family to use anything other than Notepad++ and the absolute ONLY reason is the spell checker immediately indicating with red squiggly lines that a word was misspelled.

As you can see above, it was a gigantic pain to make Notepad++ look like simple Notepad.


If I knew how, I would make an exactly clone of Notepad but only include a spellchecker in it and it would be freeware quickly gathering millions of users. In my humble opinion. ;)
 
Not sure if you have ever tried it yet, but Sublime Text 2 is an amazing Notepad replacement also. Check it out sometime!
 
I tried every other freeware.
After the painfully long process of getting Notepad++ to look like Notepad, there is one really big bonus.: Notepad++ is a programming tool. It is really useful for that, the down side being, that default version of Notepad++ is pretty horrible for simple text usage. But the modified version is great.

I realized how good Notepad++ is after I programmed this skin:
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...deo-player-DAUM-PotPlayer-skin-customizations

Try opening this attached xml code file for it in Notepad++ and then try opening it in anything else and you'll see why programmers LOVE Notepad++. So I think the modified version allows me to use it for text and also for infrequent programming. I would have much preferred to have had a simple Notepad with spell checker clone from the get-go instead of wasting so much time to finally get Notepad++ to be 100% useable for text.
 

Attachments

  • VideoSkin.zip
    3.9 KB · Views: 45
I have both installed, but I fail to see what is better in the notepad++ rendering of that xml file?
 
OK. Yea, here we go:

SublimeTextVsNotepad++.png



By the way where is the default font setting in Sublime? Just like in Notepad++, I can't seem to find it without spending a lot of time looking for it. I also cannot figure out how to remove line numbers in Sublime. How do you do that?

I like Sublime's default black background and colors are eye-pleasing. I like how it has an entire document thumbnailed on the rite side for quick and easy access to different parts of the document, I wonder if Notepad++ has that option:

SublimeThumbnail.png



I do like Notepad++ highlighting the paragraph you are working on, notice in first screenshot above the last paragraph where it says <Static Align='Right' State=
See how it's kind of highlighted so you can easily see you are working on it in Notepad++.

I think I would still make it look like a Windows Notepad clone for text,
so editing xml code like in the first screen shot above would be the only difference looks wise between them.
 
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I've had a chance to further review Sublime Text.

I've used it for a bit and it starts nagging for payment... seventy bucks... a lot more than Notepad++ freeware. :(

• There is no setting to disable line numbers. You can only do it through complicated code.
• There is no setting to set custom font or custom font size. You can only do it through complicated code.
• There is no way to add a standard custom secondary dictionary file. Notepad++ allows custom location of custom dictionary word file which can then be used by all operating systems from the same file.
• If you accidentally hide the menu, View > Hide Menu in Sublime Text... then you are screwed ... unless you accidentally press Alt to see the Menu again. :screwy:
• You cannot set custom background color other than through (very) complicated code.
• For some reason, Sublime Text does not use Windows system scroll bar width (!) It is tiny with no way to adjust it, I am still looking for code on how to do it. Can this be done on Sublime Text 2?


Having said all that, here's what I figured out about Sublime text. Basic stuff, so unnecessarily complicated:

View > Spell Check should be CHECKED

Some settings can only be added through code.
Make sure to place bracket symbol { before code and closed bracket symbol } after code.
Make sure to place comma symbol , between different code entries.

Preferences > Settings - User >

// Disable line number display:
{ "line_numbers": false
,

// Custom Font:
"font_face": "Verdana",
"font_size": 13.5
,

// Custom dictionary words:
"ignored_words":
[
"OfficeDepot",
"OfficeMax"
]
}

File > Save


If you accidentally View > Hide Menu,
Press Alt to see Menu again.

Custom Dictionary words are entered through code:

[
"OfficeDepot",
"OfficeMax"
]

Note the absence of comma after the last custom dictionary word entry.


Preferences > Color Scheme > Monokai is the default color scheme. Setting up Color Schemes is done by using any of the files found in the following directory as a template and editing them as .xml files:
For portable version:
\Data\Packages\Color Scheme - Default
For installed version:
C:\Users\[user name]Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Sublime Text 2\Packages
or
C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Application Data\Sublime Text 2\Packages


To disable Mouse+Scroll Zoom:
Search for file: Default (Windows).sublime-mousemap
then edit the line:

// Change font size with ctrl+scroll wheel
{ "button": "scroll_down", "modifiers": ["ctrl"], "command": "decrease_font_size" },
{ "button": "scroll_up", "modifiers": ["ctrl"], "command": "increase_font_size" },

so that it says:

// Change font size with ctrl+scroll wheel
{ "button": "scroll_down", "modifiers": ["ctrl"], "command": "null" },
{ "button": "scroll_up", "modifiers": ["ctrl"], "command": "null" },
 
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I too like its default appearance, I find it easier to work with that Notepad++...

That 'Please Buy!' screen is a bit annoying indeed :( And 70 bucks! That is super steep I agree, especially compared to free :)

The scroll bar size I never noticed! I will check that out!

I didn't mean to jack your thread also, sorry I forgot to mention that. I originally just wanted to give you an alternative because it seemed like you had to do a ton of configuration with Notepad++ to get it the way you wanted it.

Your reviews of both were very thorough! :)
 
Help me figure out how to increase the width of the scroll bar.
Notepad++ is a keeper on my main Windows 8 partition but your suggestion is an excellent alternative to be used on my Windows XP partition where Notepad++ cannot be used due to a massive Windows XP only memory bug caused by conflicting add-ons.
 
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