Work

AutoSave Adds Reassurance To Notepad++ Editing

Windows: Notepad++, a light but reliable text editor we included in our 2009 Lifehacker Pack of essential Windows downloads, gets even more reliable with a free, configurable auto-saving plug-in.

AutoSave, one of many Notepad++ plug-ins developed by Franco Stellari, simply adds an option and menu to have Notepad++ save whatever files you’re working on every minute. Through its sub-menu, accessible at the Plug-Ins menu bar list, you can set AutoSave to save only the files you’ve named and already saved, save everything, and specifically save your files whenever you click away from Notepad++ to another app.

That’s all it does, really, but that’s a great feature for a notepad app that’s already convenient as a lightweight, open-source, multi-format editor for people looking to get things done. The developer and commenters note some compatibility issues between AutoSave and certain Notepad++ versions, but it seemed to work fine for me on Notepad++ 5.1.

AutoSave is a free download for Windows systems, requires Notepad++ to use.

Notepad++ plugins [Franco Stellari's Home Page via gHacks]

Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)

  • daddydave

    @daddydave:

    If you want to keep a todo list in a text file, one who way to do it would be to put [ ] in front of every line and then to check it off, just change the space to an X.

  • daddydave

    @asl4u: Notepad type programs (text editors) are character based, and by definition won't have formatting. There are no characters that look like striked through versions of a, b, c, etc.

  • asl4u

    does anyone know a way to make strike out letters in notepad? I want to use it as a todo list, and show the items I've done in strike out... (I also want to save it as basic a text file as possible)...
    any ideas? is there a plug in?

    asl4u

  • motang

    Notepad++ is excellent software, glad to see it get this addition, I can sure use it at work.

    motang

  • Ookseer

    @norman_b_robinson: Yup, I know about that one, which is why I have the "robust" in there.

    I've used it a bit, it's pretty much just for commits. Handy for some, not for me.

  • norman_b_robinson

    @[www.switchonthecode.com]

    norman_b_robinson

  • jimejim

    @NickBomb:

    I'm with you on that. I actually think it's a much better habit to get into to remember to ctrl+s when working every so often, since not every application has autosave.

    It's saved my butt a few times.

    jimejim

  • Ookseer

    The only two keys on my keyboard that show any noticeable wear are Ctl and S, which are nearly worn off. I'm glad to see people adding on to my favorite text editor, but it'll take more than a plugin to break me out of decades old habits.

    What I really need is a robust SVN plugin.

  • NickBomb

    I literally press ctrl+s once every 10 seconds, but I guess this is useful for some. Just gotta add that I love the ftp-plugin.

    NickBomb

  • lifeCoder

    I used to use N++ before my switch to a Mac. That would have been a really cool feature. I wonder if my smultron has anything like that. Also, I always 'work off the server' (like opening the file directly off the server instead of downloading and uploading) so when i hit save it auto uploads. I wonder if the auto save would still trigger the auto upload? Bad habit I know :D

  • atomicrabbit

    What about ConTEXT [www.contexteditor.org] I prefer it over Notepad++. It also has an auto-backup feature.

    atomicrabbit

  • rafib

    I'd love to hear more here about Notepad++ and maybe some cool plugins I'm unaware of. Notepad++ is one a kind !

    rafib

  • AndiC

    Does anyone know of a reindent/tidy plugin that is more suitable to PHP (as dream weaver does it)? .. i know there is a c++ one

    and HTML, CCS

    AndiC

  • ericesque

    Been using Notepad++ for quite some time. I'm surprised I never noticed the lack of auto-save. Too bad I've always found N++ plugins to be unstable.

    ericesque

  • jtj

    Ah, thanks for this. I was just thinking about this earlier today, after I had a BSOD and lost a notepad document I had open...

    Hope this works with the latest version...

  • Nosgoroth

    As a victim of frequent BSODs, thank you for the tip.

  • OptionalJoystick

    I recommend using NotePad++'s built-in automatic Backup feature along side this. Life saver.

    Ctrl+S,Alt+Tab is a key combo burned in to the very muscles of my fingers, but perhaps this could be a handy plugin if it stops me accidentally trying to save webpages on the return journey.

    OptionalJoystick

  • michaelawill

    I use Notepad++ at work when it's necessary to manipulate large text files in production. For me, autosave would probably be bad because the files I edit can't be "in-flux".

    michaelawill

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