Notepad++ 7.0 is the latest version of the popular plain text and source code editor for devices running the Microsoft Windows operating system.
The new version of the popular program ships with a long list of new features and improvements over previous versions of Notepad++.
Notepad++ 7.0 is available as a 64-bit build which you can download as a portable version or installer from project website.
While that improves the program in several ways on 64-bit systems, it needs to be noted that plugins may not be available when a 64-bit version of Notepad++ is run.
The author has made some plugins 64-bit ready though, and it seems likely that popular plugins will be updated so that they are compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the application.
Notepad++ 7.0
The new program version features several under the hood improvements. The DLL hijacking vulnerability of previous program versions has been fixed for one in the new version.
The Notepad++ installer checks for running program instances and prompts you to close them before continuing. This is a welcome addition as it may resolve updating issues that were caused by program instances being open during setup.
Last but not least, the auto-updater features a new option that allows you to disable it via the prompt that it displays.
As far as new features are concerned, there are quite a few as well. You may configure Notepad++ 7.0 to terminate itself if you close the last tab for instance.
You find it under Settings > Preferences > General > Exit on close the last tab.
There is also a new option under Editing in the preference that enables scrolling past the last line of a document (enable scrolling beyond last line).
Other features that are new include support for Ruby in the functions list, an option to run Internet searches on selected words in text content, and new change case variants (title case, sentence case, invert case and random case).
The new version of Notepad++ ships with a handful of fixes that resolve crash issues mostly. One fix resolves HDPI issues for some components, and another fixes auto-completion on XML comments.
You can check out the full change log on this page on the official Notepad++ website.
Closing Words
There is no telling before you update whether all plugins that you use are compatible with the 64-bit version if you plan to switch to it. It is likely that some are not, and one way to test whether this is the case is to download the portable version of Notepad++ 7.0 and copy all plugins that you use to the program’s plugin folder to find out if that is the case.
The release of a 64-bit version is a good thing however. Plugins will become compatible, at least popular ones will, and a 64-bit version should improve stability and security of the program.
Now You: Which plain text editor is your favorite, and why?