Notepad++ [Windows 10 Review]: Ready to code, falls short of its origin

Notepad++ has earned a proper noun for itself among coders. It'southward a gratis slice of software for editing code with a number of features that get in easier to lawmaking and at present, an unofficial version has arrived on the Microsoft Store. The unofficial version brings the majority of the aforementioned features to coders, though limitations from the Microsoft Store prevent some cardinal features.

The app is bachelor for complimentary on Windows 10 PCs. I'm reviewing the unofficial version of Notepad++ that'southward bachelor through the Microsoft Store rather than the official version, so unless otherwise specified I'll be referring to the unofficial Microsoft Store version in this review.

See in Microsoft Shop

Features for coders

Notepad++ has a basic interface that's packed with features to help make coding more elementary. It'due south very versatile with support for dozens of coding languages ranging from the most pop and mutual to the more obscure. It has a long feature list simply some that stick out are syntax highlighting and syntax folding. The app also has a tabbed interface and support for multiview. Being able to hide entire segments of lawmaking and highlight parts with unlike colors make information technology a lot easier to jump around larger coding sets.

Limitations

I admit that I'thousand not a coder, but my brother-in-law James, a physics student and coder, helped me review this app. 1 of the main things that we noticed is that it has some notable restrictions when compared to the official version of Notepad++.

Because the app is bachelor through the Microsoft Store, it has to follow certain policies. This stops the app from being able to perform certain file associations and run options. Furthermore, Notepad++ has multiple restrictions on Windows 10 S devices, including not existence able to download custom plugins or removing or updating default plugins.

These limitations will be large issues for some users. For example, James is coding at university and the code he's currently working on has a large number of moving parts that need to collide with each other and other elements inside axes. The Microsoft Store version of Notepad++ doesn't support his required dependencies, and thus couldn't run his lawmaking. That'southward a bargain billow. But for more basic codes, this might not be much of an issue.

Even with these limitations, information technology's nice to see an app like this in the Microsoft Shop. It brings a fork of a pop coding software to a number of devices and improves discoverability.

Overall thoughts

If you can download the official version of Notepad++, then that'southward the choice you should go for. It'due south just as free as the Microsoft Store version, only offers better features. But if you're restricted to Microsoft Store apps, either by security policies or considering you lot're running Windows 10 S, then this unofficial version tin can still provide a lot of utility.

The limitations in the Microsoft Store version of Notepad++ are limitations on all Microsoft Shop apps. Whether or not these handicaps will stand in your way depends largely on how you program to utilize the app. For some it might not be a big deal, and for them Notepad++ makes a prissy addition to the Microsoft Store. Everybody else should simply get the official version direct from the web instead.

Pros

Allows you to hide entire segments of lawmaking
Multi-tab interface
Lets you use color to make coding easier

Cons

Can't execute some key tasks
Restrictions on plugins

See in Microsoft Store

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