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What is NotePad++?
Don Ho released Notepad ++ in 2003, and it is free and open source. The sophisticated Scintilla editing component is at the heart of this C++ application. In addition to error flags, line numbering in the margin, and line markers as code breakpoints, this free and open source library includes a slew of features to simplify code editing. For example, it supports a wide range of scripting languages including Python and PHP as well as the more well-known C and C++.
There aren’t many text editors available for Windows that are as lightweight, speedy, and feature-rich as Notepad++. Despite the lack of a Mac-specific version, we’ll go over the best Notepad ++ alternatives in this post. Despite the tool’s worldwide popularity, it is not supported on macOS. For now, you may not see the commercial version of Notepad ++ in Apple products.
More than 34% of the 26,086 people who used Stack Overflow’s poll said they use Notepad ++ every day because it has a large range of functions, 84 languages, and is completely free. Even more notable accolades include Lifehacker’s “Best Programming Text Editor for Windows 2011 and 2014” awards.
Why Is Notepad++ Mac Not Available?
Notepad++ isn’t available on Mac, which means you can’t use it. Notepad++ Mac isn’t available because you can’t get Notepad for Mac, but that isn’t the main reason for the lack of Notepad++ for Mac.
Modern versions of Windows use the Win32 API, a 32-bit programming interface, which Notepad++ heavily relies on. File systems, devices, processes, threads, and error handling are just a few of the many parts that make up the Win32 API.
For many long-time Windows users, this is also the reason for the instantly familiar Windows look and feel. There is no Notepad++ without the Win32 API. That is, until the application is completely rewritten.
This could be possible if the project were a commercial one, but it’s free and open source, so there’s not much of a reason to do so. Notepad++’s compatibility with most plugins would be severely disrupted if it were ported to another operating system.
17 Best NotePad Alternatives For Mac OS
Notepad++ can be run on macOS via Wine or VMware, but both have their drawbacks, which is why so many people are looking for Notepad++ replacements for Mac PCs. Because the solutions we’ve chosen are fully-fledged Mac applications, you can count on their dependability.
1. TextMate
Coders and web designers can’t go wrong with TextMate. It’s a devoted effort. Open source general purpose text editor TextMate supports numerous languages, markup systems and processes in addition to the standard text editor. Text replacement, automatic indentation, clipboard history, working with several files at once, file tabs while working with projects and collapsible code blocks are just a few of its numerous features. Features like regex-based search, collapsible code sections and clipboard history are popular in programming editors.
Macro functions and a vast plugin library are also available to help users avoid doing the same thing over and over again. Textmate has a lot of features, yet it’s still easy to use for those who simply need to modify text every now and then. When it comes to advanced capabilities not found even in a language-specific IDE, Textmate’s snippets, macros, and unique scoping mechanism are unmatched.
The number of the row and column may be found in the bottom panel, making it simple to locate and troubleshoot problems. It has an elegant scoping mechanism and a minimalistic GUI, allowing you to focus on coding and testing. You can use visual markers to locate the code and get to the appropriate point in a file.
2. Ultra Edit
Although we disagree with UltraEdit’s self-proclaimed position as the world’s best text editor, it is one of the best text editors available. C, Objective C, Javascript, XML, PHP, Perl, and Python are just a few of the many languages that UltraEdit supports, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Code highlighting, folding, disk-based text editing, themes, retina display support, spell-checking, drag-and-drop editing, and block mode editing are just some of the additional features that come with the new version.
The UltraEdit Suite includes UltraEdit, UltraFinder, UltraComparison, UltraEdit, and IDM All Access. As a result, bundles offer a variety of features. UltraCompare, for example, allows you to see the history of all your projects and documents and to compare your files at any time.
3. Sublime Text
Like millions of other users, you’ll love Sublime Text if you’re looking for an all-around text editor that can handle everything from coding to web design. Mac users can rest easy knowing that there is now a version for Windows users as well.
This editor’s adaptability and efficiency can be attributed to a number of thoughtful features. You can open a file by giving a portion of the file name using the Goto Anything option. Symbols, line numbers, and words in a file can all be accessed.
Class, method, and function definitions are saved in Sublime Text. Use the GoTo option to find the definition you’re looking for in the dictionary With a single query, you can search and replace several words.
Add-ons can be installed using a built-in Python API provided by Sublime Text. Splitting a single file into numerous windows for more efficient editing is a useful feature.
Additionally, you get the most out of the cross-platform UI toolkit with this editor. The syntax highlighting engine aids in the quick and easy identification of the code fragments.
4. SlickEdit
An excellent alternative to Notepad++, SlickEdit is a strong editor with coloured statements on a dark background. The horizontal and vertical tabbed interface allows you to handle projects, classes, symbols, and many files. XCode, Android JVM/NDK, and most programming languages of today are supported.
Debugging a file is as simple as compiling it. The location of the error can be accessed by clicking on the error. Breaking into the code and analysing variables and the call stack is a simple task to perform. In addition to being compatible with a wide range of operating systems, it also supports more than 60 distinct languages and various encodings. However, you will have to pay a one-time fee to make use of this powerful and flexible editor.
Code blocks and syntax can be indented and expanded with ease thanks to intuitive automated indentation and expansion. Numerous selections and multiple cursors are all supported by this application. Keystroke emulation is also supported.
5. Textastic
Look no further than Textastic if you’re seeking for an affordable yet capable text editor for the Macintosh. If you’re looking for the lowest paid text-editor on this list, this is it. More than 80 source code and markup languages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, C, and Objective-C, are supported by this software. Because it makes use of native macOS APIs like Core Text, the programme loads extremely quickly.
This app’s support for iCloud sync ensures that your work is automatically synced between devices, which is a huge plus. Texastic has an iOS app that works on both iPhones and iPads in addition to its Mac app. Textastic, on the other hand, has much of the capabilities of expensive text editors for a fraction of the cost.
6. Visual Studio Code
Another useful editor is available for use on any platform. It’s completely free and works with any language. It’s a small editor with a user-friendly integrated development environment.
Visual Studio Code’s Intellisense function elevates it to entirely new levels of excellence as an editor. Syntax highlighting and auto-completion using the definitions of declared variables, functions, and imported modules are the primary functions of this tool.
The most useful characteristic of this editor is that it meets the debugging requirements of programmers and coders. Breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console are all part of this editor’s debugging capabilities, as are other Microsoft Visual Development Tools.
Due to its interface with Git and other SCM providers, managing projects is made more simpler. Never before has it been so simple to work in groups. As an added bonus, you can customize and modify it to meet your specific coding requirements. Make use of many languages, features, debuggers, and web themes by downloading and installing plug-ins and extensions for your online browser.
7. Komodo Edit
The most remarkable aspect of Komodo Edit is its intuitive user interface, which includes a left-side project browser. The toolbar contains all of the most commonly used editing tools.
Komodo Edit may be used on any platform, not just MacOS, and it’s completely free of charge. It’s multilingual friendly. It’s possible to write the code, compile it, and run it in this editor.
By adding the necessary plug-ins and extensions, sophisticated functionalities can be readily configured. In addition to auto-completion of definitions, syntax checking, and coloring, searching within a code file is as simple as using any other tool.
Because too many extensions can conflict with one another, Komodo Edit only supports a limited number of extensions at a time. However, this one is a nimble editor that you’ll feel right at home with from the get-go.
8. Vim
This is a Unix- and Mac-compatible text editor. You can use it to modify a wide range of file formats, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, and more. Vim’s powerful Plug-in system makes it possible to enhance its capabilities using third-party extensions and plug-ins.
Vim has a lot of sturdiness. Better versions of Vim are being developed by the devoted Vim developers. Programmers can rely on the undo tree’s multiple levels of resiliency. Search and replace, with its simple commands and settings, is a convenient way to expedite editing tasks.
You can use this single editor to programme in a variety of computer languages. It accepts just about any type of file format, including everything from code to web pages.
9. Lighttable
Since 2012, it has been widely used as an open-source text editor. Even as it has matured and grown significantly, it has become a simple yet powerful text and code editor. As a result, it has been an excellent example of how a community-supported tool may be produced.
Because of its real-time watch function, it is ridiculously easy to keep track of the value of an expression or a variable. Another virtue of inline evaluation is that it allows you to evaluate the code as you write it.
IDE can be tailored to suit the user’s needs. Using its powerful plug-in manager, you can keep track of all the plug-ins you’ll need to complete your development tasks while saving time and effort.
10. jEdit
Many programmers have come to rely on jEdit, which is the third open-source editor to receive such widespread acceptance. In Java, it can run on any operating system, not only Mac. Many plug-ins are available to make coding easier than ever with jEdit, which is developed and maintained by programmers around the world.
Using plug-ins and macros is a breeze because to the integrated macro language. You can get plug-ins to help you with your coding and design tasks. Indentation and syntax highlighting eliminate syntactic errors and development time because it is the only editor that supports more than 200 languages.
Character encoding is also supported. It’s a popular editor since it can be tailored to meet specific coding requirements. The ability to expand and hide code blocks is one of its most popular and useful features.
11. CodeRunner 4
CodeRunner 4 is a Mac-targeted text editor that is both inexpensive and easy to use. It’s a Mac text editor that’s powerful, customizable, and simple to use. Code completion at the IDE level is included for the majority of the supported programming languages. The programme is also available in twenty-five languages, including AppleScript, C, C++, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and many more. ‘
Some more capabilities include error checking and linting; customized key bindings; file navigation; automatic indentation support; intelligent bracket matching; live run statistics; multiple selection and more. With this subscription, you’ll also get features such as dark mode support and a documentation sidebar. The CodeRunner 4 Mac text editor is an excellent choice if you’re seeking for an economical yet sophisticated text editor.
12. BBEdit
Mac OS X’s BBEdit is a professional text editor with features for finding, editing, and altering text and source code. A majority of web and software developers utilize it. HTML markup tools are included in the software, and it is compatible with a wide range of programming languages. Custom modules can be created for different languages.
Faster projects are made possible by the tool’s user-friendly design, which makes it easier to get started. TextWrangler was its original name, but it’s now a component of BBEdit. Even though many developers still use TextWrangler, it does not work on Mac Sierra. BBEdit, on the other hand, is a more preferred editor. You can use BBEdit for free for 30 days before you have to buy a license to enjoy all of its features.
Text manipulation, programming, web development, and file management are all possible with BBEdit, an excellent text editor for the Mac. It’s used primarily by web developers, and it makes it quicker and faster to write code. After a 30-day trial period, BBEdit requires users to purchase a license. BBEditor, a text, code, and HTML editor for Mac OS X, was developed by Barebones.
13. Atom
In Mac OS X, Atom is the only substitute for Notepad that is truly superior. First and foremost, Atom is a free and open-source programme. It’s up-to-date and user-friendly, but it can still be penetrated. It’s no surprise that Atom is a sophisticated text editor, as it was developed by the GitHub team.
You can customize Atom to your heart’s content, and that’s the finest part. CSS/Less may be used to fine-tune the look and feel of your UI, and HTML and JavaScript can be used to add important features that better suit your workflow.
HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and Node.js integration are at the heart of Atom, which runs on Electron. You can add additional features and capabilities to the software by installing any of the thousands of open-source packages that are available.
More advanced capabilities such as Git conflict management, a customized clock in the status bar and more may be found in some of these well-known applications. Finally, you can rest assured that Atom will continue to receive maintenance and upgrades for the foreseeable future because it was built by the GitHub team.
14. Nova 3
Panic, the company behind the now-defunct Coda 2, has released a new native Mac code editor called Nova 3. Nova 3 is the only cross-platform app on our list that was specifically designed with the macOS operating system. Essential features like smart autocomplete, multiple cursors and a Minimap are all included in the app’s editor. Tag pairs, brackets and editor overscroll are all included.
For those interested, Nova 3 provides native support for CoffeeScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Diff, ERB, Haml, html, INI, JavaScript, JSX and a host of other languages. The extension browser can also be used to increase the functionality.
Additionally, Nova adds the ability to create and execute tasks for your projects, which was previously unavailable in Coda. Git source control tools can also be accessed easily from a convenient sidebar.
15. Brackets
Bracket is the open-source text editor you’ve been waiting for if you’re a dedicated web designer. For front-end developers and HTML coders, it offers the necessary visual tools and a preprocessor to speed up the output.
Using Brackets’ inline editor, you may just click on a file name in the code to open that file. It’s ideal for checking over your website’s CSS files and selectors. There’s no need to switch back and forth between separate project files.
Brackets connect to the browser so that you can see the changes in real time as you work on the files. It is an excellent HTML, CSS, and other web-related code editor.
16. Coda
Coda is a one-stop shop for everything you need to create a website from scratch. An indentation guide and code folding are included as well as quick comments and the ability to switch between different programming languages using the keyboard. MacBook Pro models with the Touch Bar can also use it. A color picker on the bar lets you quickly move between a preview and a pixel-perfect editor as well as activate the web inspector.
Other text editors don’t have some of these useful options. Colors and gradients can be quickly created using the ‘Coda Pops’ keyboard shortcut. Find and Replace has a ‘wildcard’ token that simplifies the regex with a single click.
Coda’s most popular code folding feature, which allows you to enter portions of code that take up screen space, greets its users. Autocompletion of custom variables and function names is also supported. To activate Coda, you must pay a one-time fee.
17. Coda 2
Coda 2’s main feature for programmers and coders is the ability to manage local and remote files. In addition to being a fast and convenient text editor, it is also capable of providing a high-quality visual representation of your source code. You can see a preview of your document in the editor’s lower half.
With the help of syntax coloring and indentation and column guides, projects can be completed quickly. Because of the visual tabs, coding files can be more easily managed and switched between open ones.
Helpful: The function names, method names, and variables are auto-completed. The plug-ins and extensions that can be added to this editor can greatly enhance its usefulness.. Files that have been edited are simple to keep track of and post to a live website.
How to Run Notepad++ On Mac?
To install Wine on macOS, you must have macOS 10.8 or higher, and Gatekeeper must be set to NOT block unsigned packages. If you meet these requirements, you can proceed by following the instructions below:
- Download the Wine Stable installer.
- Double-click the installer to launch it.
- Enter “winecfg” into the terminal to create a bogus C: drive where your Windows apps will be installed.
- Notepad++ can be downloaded from the official website.
- Put it in whatever directory you choose.
- Open the terminal and use Notepad++ to go to the directory.
- Enter “wine the-name-of-the-file.exe” into the terminal to launch the Notepad++ installation.exe file.
- To start Notepad++, go to its folder in the virtual Windows directory and type “wine the-name-of-the-file.exe” into the terminal.
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