# Notepad++

> Markdown version of https://brajeshwar.com/2024/notepad-plus-plus/ — 2024-11-25

<a href="https://notepad-plus-plus.org/"><img class="small right" src="/static/2024/notepad++.svg" alt="Notepad++"></a>

[Notepad++](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/) is a free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Based on the powerful editing component [Scintilla](https://www.scintilla.org), Notepad++ is written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL which ensures a higher execution speed and smaller program size.

Notepad++ development began, in September 2003, by Don Ho, a former Paris Diderot University computer science student. Notepad++ was built as a Microsoft Windows application; the author considered, but rejected, the idea of using wxWidgets to port it to the Mac OS X and Unix platforms.

[Notepad++](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notepad%2B%2B) was first released on SourceForge on 25 November 2003, as a Windows-only application.

Notepad++ is simple for those who need a straightforward, no-nonsense text editor, yet it offers complex features for hardcore developers who demand syntax highlighting, multi-document tabbing, and support for dozens of programming languages.