Notepad replacement

What to use when Windows Notepad is not enough (Dec 1, 2006)

Some time before I decided to stop using standard windows notepad even for simple text tasks, because it lacks some really needed functionality like unix text support, multiple undo/redo, stay on top ...
I decided to search for some interesting program that can replace notepad once forever on my computer. This program must fulfill some requirements such as to be fast, small and free.
Programs meeting this criteria can be divided to two categories: lightweight multi-window editors and heavyweight single-window editors

Multi-window notepads (real notepad replacements)

All of them looks very similar to notepad, but add missing functionality as:

• Recent file history
• Unix text support (LF vs CR/LF line-ends)
• Stay on top of all windows

Programs in this category are all quite simple. They do not need installation and all of them need just one executable to work.

	version	file size	multiple undo/redo	big files	very big files	binary files	utf8	rectangular selection	regexp search	syntax highlight	my rating
notepad	XP	69120	N	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	4
metapad	3.51	95744	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	5
notepad2	1.0.12	552960	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	1
ted notepad	5.2.1beta	122880	N	Y	Y	N*	Y	N	N	N	2
win32pad	1.5.10.1	53248	Y	N	N	Y	Y*	N	N	N	3
edxor	1.65	30720	N	N	N	Y	Y*	N	N	N	3

* Ted notepad can open file with binary content, but changes some binary characters.
* Utf-8 support was correct, but Unicode (Utf-16) was not.
* rating: lower is better

Single-window editors

Most of them are near to complete development environment and so cannot be directly compared to previous category.
They have some common functions:

• Tabbed interface


• Unix text support

	version	size	multiple undo/redo	big files	very big files	binary files	utf8	rectangular selection	regexp search	syntax highlight	my rating
notepad++	3.9	2,2 MB	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	1
gridinsoft notepad lite	3.2.1.4	3,7 MB	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y*	Y	N	Y	3
PSPad	4.5.2002	3,8 MB	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	1
programmer's notepad 2	2.0.6.1	3,6 MB	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	2
NoteTab Light	4.95	3,4 MB	N	Y	N	N	Y	N	Y	N	4

* Only Gridinsoft notepad lite and PSPad can be used as standalone executable.
* In PSPad I cannot find any history of recent files.
* In PSPad and Programmers's notepad is no possibility to to make window always on top.
* Gridinsoft notepad light cannot open Utf-16 files correctly.

Conclusion

For me the winner is clear: notepad2.

Update (July 12, 2007)

After some time of real use of notepad2, there was two big issues for me:

• notepad2 does not have detection if same file is already opened in another window


• notepad2 has problems to work with larger files on slower computers (at least version 1.0.12)

Then I changed my default editor to ted notepad, which has only one bigger issue for me and that is single step undo.

Update (September 10, 2007)

Single step undo was so big issue, I had to start my search for good notepad replacement again. What I found is AkelPad, which is perfect: small with all functions I ever need.