Way 1: Install Notepad++ on Mac Using Wine

We’ve already explained why the former is unlikely to happen anytime soon, but the latter is already possible using virtual machines and emulators. How to Run Notepad++ On Mac?īecause of extensively Notepad++ relies on Win32 API, there are two possible ways how to run it on macOS: rewrite it so that it doesn’t rely on Win32 API anymore, or provide it the necessary API. Porting Notepad++ to another operating system would also break the compatibility with most plugins, essentially fragmenting the Notepad++ community. If Notepad++ were a commercial project, there’s a chance that it would make a sense to develop and maintain a separate version for macOS (and Linux), but it’s free and open source, so the motivation is limited. At least not without a major rewriting of the application. In short, without Win32 API, there’s no Notepad++. It’s also responsible for that instantly recognizable Windows look and feel that many long-term users of the operating system find so appealing. Win32 API consists of many components, including things like file systems, devices, processes, threads, and error handling. Notepad++ relies extensively on Win32 API, the 32-bit application programming interface for modern versions of Windows. You might think that Notepad++ Mac isn’t available because it’s also not possible to download Notepad for Mac, but that’s not the real reason why.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to download Notepad++ for Mac. It has also won a number of prestigious awards including the “Best Programming Text Editor for Windows” award from Lifehacker in 20. This free open source library supports many features to make code editing easier in addition to error indicators, line numbering in the margin, as well as line markers such as code breakpoints.īecause of its extensive features, support for 84 languages, and free price, Notepad++ was voted as the most used text editor worldwide with 34.7 percent of 26,086 respondents on Stack Overflow claiming to use it daily. It’s written in C++ and based on powerful editing component Scintilla. Notepad++ is free and open source, first released in 2003 by Don Ho. It supports several programming languages and features syntax highlighting, syntax folding, PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expression) search/replace, auto-completion, multi-document editing, WYSIWYG printing, zoom in and zoom out, bookmarks, macro recording and playback, and more.

Notepad++ is basically what would happen if you were to inject Notepad with steroids and forced it to work out. Naturally, many Mac users sooner or later look for an alternative, and they often stumble upon Notepad++. TextEdit is the default text editor in macOS, and it’s just as barebones as the default text editor in Windows, Notepad.

Best notepad++ alternative for mac