mirror of
https://github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3.git
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213 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
213 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
# Notepad3
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**A fast, lightweight, Scintilla-based text editor for Windows**
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[](https://opensource.org/licenses/BSD-3-Clause)
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[](https://github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3/actions/workflows/build.yml)
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[](https://rizonesoft.com/downloads/notepad3/)
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[](https://github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3/releases)
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[Website](https://rizonesoft.com/downloads/notepad3/) · [Downloads](https://github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3/releases) · [Documentation](https://rizonesoft.com/documents/notepad3/) · [FAQ](readme/faq/FAQ.md) · [Changelog](https://rizonesoft.com/downloads/notepad3/update) · [Sponsor](https://github.com/sponsors/rizonesoft)
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---
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Notepad3 is a free, open-source text editor with syntax highlighting for Windows. Built on the [Scintilla](https://www.scintilla.org/) editing component and [Lexilla](https://www.scintilla.org/Lexilla.html) lexer library, it has a small memory footprint while being powerful enough for professional programming and everyday text editing.
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> Notepad3 is based on code from Florian Balmer's [Notepad2](https://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html) and XhmikosR's [Notepad2-mod](https://xhmikosr.github.io/notepad2-mod/). MiniPath is based on Florian Balmer's metapath.
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<!-- TODO: Add a screenshot of the Notepad3 main window here.
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Save the image as doc/screenshot.png and uncomment the line below:
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-->
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## Features
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### Editing
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- **Code folding** with toggle-all support
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- **Bookmarks** for quick navigation within files
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- **Word auto-completion** with configurable fill-up characters
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- **Mark all occurrences** of a selected word with occurrence count display
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- **Find and Replace** with [PCRE2](https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2) regular expression engine
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- **[Focused View](readme/focusedview/FocusedView.md)** — filter display to show only lines matching the current word/selection (Ctrl+Alt+V), with fold, bookmark, and highlight modes
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- **[TinyExpr++](https://blake-madden.github.io/tinyexpr-plusplus/)** — inline math expression evaluation with 80+ functions (type `expression=?` to evaluate in-place, use `${expr}` in line numbering). See the [Expression Engine Guide](readme/tinyexprcpp/TinyExprPP.md) for details.
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- **Undo/Redo** that preserves selection state
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- **Visual Studio–style** copy/paste of the current line (when nothing is selected)
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- **Virtual space** rectangular selection (Alt+Drag)
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- **Accelerated word navigation** with configurable delimiters
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- **Insert GUIDs** directly into your document
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- **Clipboard monitoring mode** (`/b` command-line switch) — automatically appends every clipboard change as a new entry at the end of the document; stop at any time via **Edit → Stop Clipboard Monitoring** without closing the editor.
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### Syntax Highlighting
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Over 55 languages supported, including:
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> ANSI Art, Apache Config, Assembly, AutoHotkey, AutoIt3, AviSynth, Awk, Batch, C/C++, C#, CMake, CoffeeScript, CSS, CSV, D, Dart, Diff, F77/Fortran, Go, HTML/XML, Java, JavaScript, JSON, Julia, Kotlin, KiXtart, LaTeX, Lua, Makefiles, Markdown, MATLAB, Nim, NSIS, Pascal, Perl, PHP, PowerShell, Python, R/S-Plus, Registry, Resource Script, Ruby, Rust, Shell Script, SQL, SystemVerilog, Tcl, TOML, VBScript, VHDL, Verilog, Visual Basic, YAML, and more.
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### File Handling
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- **[AES-256 Rijndael](readme/encryption/Encryption.md)** encryption/decryption (in-app and command-line batch tool)
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- **[Encoding detection](readme/uchardet/EncodingDetection.md)** powered by [uchardet](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/uchardet/)
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- **File change monitoring** with configurable check intervals
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- **[`.LOG` auto-timestamp](readme/config/FileContentFlags.md#log-auto-timestamp)** — files whose first line is `.LOG` get a fresh date + time appended on open, matching classic Notepad behaviour
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- **[Emacs file variables](readme/config/FileContentFlags.md#emacs-file-variables)** support (encoding, mode, tab-width, etc.)
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- **File history** that preserves caret position and encoding
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- **Portable design** — runs from USB drives with relative path storage
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### Search
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- **grepWin** — integrated search-in-files tool with regex support (**Ctrl+Shift+F**)
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- **Hyperlink hotspot highlighting** — Ctrl+Click to open in browser, Alt+Click to load in editor
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### User Interface
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- **High-DPI aware** with high-definition toolbar icons
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- **Dark mode** support with customizable colors
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- **Customizable status bar** with 16 configurable fields (line, column, encoding, [TinyExpr++](readme/tinyexprcpp/TinyExprPP.md) evaluation, Unicode code point, and more)
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- **Customizable toolbar labels** — display function names next to icons
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- **Zoom** from 10% to 1000% (Ctrl+Scroll or toolbar buttons)
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- **Transparent window mode** with configurable opacity
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### Localization
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26 language translations:
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> Afrikaans, Belarusian, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Dutch, English (US & UK), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil & Portugal), Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese
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### Companion Tools
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- **[MiniPath](minipath/)** — fast file browser plugin (Ctrl+M)
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- **[grepWin](grepWin/)** — powerful search-and-replace across files
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## System Requirements
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- **OS:** Windows 8.1, 10, or 11
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- **Architectures:** x86 (Win32), x64, x64 with AVX2, ARM64
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## Download & Install
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| Channel | Link |
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| **Stable Release** | [rizonesoft.com/downloads/notepad3](https://rizonesoft.com/downloads/notepad3/) |
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| **GitHub Releases** | [github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3/releases](https://github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3/releases) |
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| **Nightly Builds** | [Pre-releases on GitHub](https://github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3/releases) |
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Notepad3 is fully **portable** — no installation required. Extract the archive and run `Notepad3.exe`. Settings are stored in `Notepad3.ini` alongside the executable. See [Replacing Windows Notepad](https://rizonesoft.com/documents/notepad3/) for system-wide integration.
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## Building from Source
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Notepad3 is built with **Visual Studio 2022** (toolset v143) targeting the Windows SDK.
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```powershell
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# Restore NuGet packages (required once)
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nuget restore Notepad3.sln
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# Build a specific platform
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Build\Build_x64.cmd Release
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# Build all platforms (Win32, x64, x64_AVX2, ARM64)
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Build\BuildAll.cmd Release
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# Or use MSBuild directly
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msbuild Notepad3.sln /m /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x64
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```
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Run `Version.ps1` before building to generate version headers from templates in `Versions\`.
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## Configuration
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Notepad3 uses a portable INI file for all settings. Press **Ctrl+F7** to open it directly in the editor.
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- **UI settings** (`[Settings]`) — managed through Menu → Settings
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- **Advanced settings** (`[Settings2]`) — edit manually; most require a restart
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- **Status bar** (`[Statusbar Settings]`) — customize field layout, order, and width
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- **Toolbar labels** (`[Toolbar Labels]`) — show function names next to icons
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📖 **Full configuration reference:** [readme/config/Configuration.md](readme/config/Configuration.md)
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🎨 **Schemas, styles & themes:** [readme/schema/CustomSchema.md](readme/schema/CustomSchema.md) — the layered override model, the style mini-language, `View → Customize Schemes` (**F12**), and how to export / import / collect custom themes.
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📄 **File content flags** (`.LOG`, Emacs file variables, encoding tags, shebang lexer hint): [readme/config/FileContentFlags.md](readme/config/FileContentFlags.md) — markers you can put inside a file to control how Notepad3 opens or styles it.
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## Command-Line Options
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Notepad3 accepts a rich set of command-line switches inherited from Notepad2 / Notepad2-mod, plus several Notepad3-specific extensions. All switches are case-insensitive and may be prefixed with either `/` or `-`.
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```bat
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Notepad3.exe /utf8sig /crlf d:\temp\Test.txt :: Open as UTF-8 BOM + CRLF
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Notepad3.exe /g 250,5 src\Notepad3.c :: Jump to line 250, column 5
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Notepad3.exe /m TODO main.c :: Open and find first "TODO"
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Notepad3.exe /b /i :: Pasteboard mode, start in tray
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:: (hold Ctrl during the brief
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:: pre-minimize window to keep
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:: the editor visible)
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Notepad3.exe /v report.log :: Print silently and exit
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Notepad3.exe /? :: Built-in help dialog
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```
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Coverage at a glance:
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- **File arguments & multi-file** — positional paths, `+`, `-`, `/y`, `/z`
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- **Encoding** — `/ansi`, `/unicode`, `/unicodebe`, `/utf8`, `/utf8sig`, `/e <name>`
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- **Line endings** — `/crlf`, `/cr`, `/lf`
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- **Navigation & search** — `/g`, `/m` with regex / case / backslash modifiers
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- **File watching** — `/l`, `/l0`, `/l1`
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- **New documents** — `/q`, `/qs`, `/c`
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- **Pasteboard / clipboard collector** — `/b` (with deferred-minimize and Ctrl-skip when combined with `/i`)
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- **Lexers** — `/s`, `/d`, `/h`, `/x`
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- **Window placement & behaviour** — `/p` (with presets), `/t`, `/i`, `/o`
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- **Window reuse / single-instance** — `/n`, `/ns`, `/r`, `/rs`, `/rp`
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- **Printing** — `/v`, `/vd`
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- **INI & elevation** — `/f`, `/f0`, `/u`
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- **Shell integration** — `appid=`, `sysmru=`
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⌨️ **Full reference:** [readme/cmdln/CmdLnOptions.md](readme/cmdln/CmdLnOptions.md) — every switch with arguments, examples, persistence notes, and Notepad2/Notepad2-mod compatibility.
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## Keyboard Shortcuts
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Every key combination Notepad3 understands — file, editing, view, search, customization — grouped by menu, with Notepad2 → Notepad3 reassignments flagged.
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⌨️ **Notepad3 shortcuts:** [readme/KeyboardShortcuts.md](readme/KeyboardShortcuts.md)
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🗂️ **MiniPath shortcuts:** [readme/minipath/KeyboardShortcuts.md](readme/minipath/KeyboardShortcuts.md)
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## FAQ
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Common questions inherited from Notepad2 / Notepad2-mod, updated for Notepad3 — installation, portable settings, regex (PCRE2), encoding, file change notification, `.LOG` and Emacs file variables, replacing Windows Notepad, and more.
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❓ **Frequently Asked Questions:** [readme/faq/FAQ.md](readme/faq/FAQ.md)
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## Contributing
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Contributions are welcome! Here's how to help:
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1. **Report bugs** — [Open an issue](https://github.com/rizonesoft/Notepad3/issues) with steps to reproduce
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2. **Submit pull requests** — Fork the repo, create a feature branch, and submit a PR against `master`
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3. **Translate** — Add or improve translations in the `language\` directory
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4. **Spread the word** — Star the repo and share with others
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For support, visit [rizonesoft.com/contact-us](https://rizonesoft.com/contact-us).
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## Credits
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Notepad3 builds upon the work of:
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| Project | Author | Role |
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|---------|--------|------|
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| [Notepad2](https://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html) | Florian Balmer | Original editor |
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| [Notepad2-mod](https://xhmikosr.github.io/notepad2-mod/) | XhmikosR | Extended fork |
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| [Scintilla](https://www.scintilla.org/) 5.5.8 | Neil Hodgson | Editing component |
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| [Lexilla](https://www.scintilla.org/Lexilla.html) 5.4.6 | Neil Hodgson | Syntax highlighting |
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| [PCRE2](https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2) 10.47 | PCRE2 Project | Regex engine |
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| [TinyExpr++](https://blake-madden.github.io/tinyexpr-plusplus/) | Blake Madden | Expression evaluator |
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| [uchardet](https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/uchardet/) | Mozilla / freedesktop | Encoding detection |
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| Fugue Icons | Yusuke Kamiyamane | Toolbar icons |
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## Reviews
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- [Notepad3 is an advanced text editor that supports many programming languages](https://www.ghacks.net/2020/08/11/notepad3-is-an-advanced-text-editor-that-supports-many-programming-languages/) — gHacks
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- [Notepad3 review on Nsane Forums](https://www.nsaneforums.com/topic/382910-guidereview-notepad3-is-an-advanced-text-editor-that-supports-many-programming-languages/) — Nsane Forums
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## License
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Notepad3 is licensed under the [BSD 3-Clause License](License.txt).
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Copyright © 2008–2026 [Rizonesoft](https://rizonesoft.com). All rights reserved.
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---
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[](https://github.com/sponsors/rizonesoft)
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[](https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=7UGGCSDUZJPFE)
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