Often when I don’t have access to Visual Studio, I use Notepad++ to edit code – particularly HTML and CSS files.
Today I found a fantastic plugin called ‘Compare’ that allows me to compare the differences between two files in Notepad++ without having to use an external program.
This can be downloaded here: Download Notepad++ Compare Plugin
If you’re looking to download Notepad++ (it’s free!), you can visit their website here:
http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm
It’s a great tool that loads quickly and is infinitely better than using regular old MS Notepad!
Edit: Thanks for the comments about installation. I should add:
To install the plugin, download the file, unzip and copy the .dll into the Notepad++ Plugins folder.
To use, simply open the two files you wish to compare, click Plugins > Compare > Compare. The differences between the two files will then be highlighted. Note: You may need to close Notepad++ and reopen it before the menu option will appear.
Thanks for the link to the compare plug-in. I was hoping that there would be this function for Notepad ++ so that I would not have to purchase something like Ulta Edit. For anyone else finding this page (it’s one of the top results on Google) if this is your first plug-in, just drag the DLL into the Notepad++/plugins directory and it will be there the next time you launch the program.
Thanks John, I should have mentioned that.
Thanks, I just downloaded this plugin via your blog. I would also mention that once you place the .dll file in your plugins directory, you will need to restart the Notepad++ program (if you already have it open) in order to select the new ‘Compare’ plugin.
Awesome, just what i needed :D