Using Arduino IDE with Notepad++, my approach

[ijm51000]

Hi,

Just thought I would share my method of using an external editor with the Arduino IDE, I am sure many of you old hands have your own method and I acknowledge this is unlikely to be new to many here.  However for those new to Arduino and are looking for a middle ground, this may be useful.

Most of the hard work was done by user Riva on these forums

This will only work on Windows, but there are many cross platform editors available that have much the same options that could probably be adapted sublime text 2 and if someone had the know how Komodo-edit with a user defined language would be a great, hint, hint.

To avoid a long post I have attached my method as a text file.

Best regards

Ian

[dpschwehr]

Thank you for the input!  I would like to try this method but I'm lost at steps 15 and 16 from your text file.  Are the changes being made while in the "run" menu?  Is the arduino executable being renamed?

[codlink]

Just went through your tutorial and the only problem I am having is after saving a sketch in NPP, and select run>Arduino, it doesn't import anything into the Arduino IDE.

[Blueglide]

First ijm51000 - Thanks!  I'm the guy you targeted.  New to Areuino and tools pertinent to it.  I just made up my mind to try NPP as a substitute editor to the Arduino IDE two days ago.   

I had a problem similar to the two postings above related to steps 15 & 16, and I'll think the fix will work for them also.  You have to use quotes. 

I re-wrote your step 16 in my records as:

16 add the following to the end of the line $(FULL_CURRENT_PATH), so it should look something like this (Don't forget the QUOTES"!) "C:\arduino-1.0.4\arduino.exe" "$(FULL_CURRENT_PATH)"

Another hiccup I had was to enter .ino in step 3.  But I should not have entered the leading ".", just ino.  Your instructions were correct, my error! 


NPP is working great now.  Thanks for the posting!

[Blueglide]

1nme - No the Arduino executable is not being renamed.  What you are doing is setting up a command string to be executed later when you have finished your editing and then want to try to compile the program.  In your NPP session, after saving your recent modifications you would select Run>ArduinoIDE, the Arduino IDE would start up with the ino file you have been editing loaded.  You hit CTRL-R and hopefully the compile operation is successful!  

To make my installation work properly, I had to add quotes like this:
"C:\arduino-1.0.4\arduino.exe" "$(FULL_CURRENT_PATH)"

The first string enclosed by quotes is of course the full path reference to your Arduino IDE.  So when executed, it causes the Arduino IDE to run.  The second string enclosed by quotes is a variable loaded by NPP and contains the full path to the .ino file you are editing. On my system a typical value of $(FULL_CURRENT_PATH) might be: "D:\Arduino\Sketches\Blink\Blink.ino".

You can get more information in NPP on use of the Run menu item by selecting ?>Help Contents>Command.

Good Luck!

[codlink]

Thanks, the quotes are needed.

[ninja2]

very good info ijm51000. thanks

[ssprasad2010]

ijm51000 thanks for such a nice procedure for NPP for Arduino IDE. I am trying it and have problem in configuring NPP. Every thing went well till step 9. After Installing the addon from Sourcecookifire (Sourcecookifire.dll I am lost. I did NPP restart don't find Plugins - SourceCookifier in Plugin. Plugin shows only

Converter

Mime Tools

NPP Export

Mime tools drop down also does not mention sourcecookifire.

I am trying this for the first time. I always used NPP as a text editor.

Please help
Thanks

[PA1TAS]

Dear ssprasad2010

The Sourcecookifire.dll must be in the plugin folder. In other words it must be installed or extracted to the following

c:\*\Notepad++\plugins\

That said the files from the http://sourceforge.net/projects/sourcecookifier/ have to be extracted to where I typed.

I do hope that that helped in any way. It is a year ago about when last this was edited I think so if I made a mistake of twice sorry

[walshrd]

Is this a joke?  All I want to do is load a txt file into the IDE and upload.  Yet to use NotePad++ I have to go thru this monumental maze of less than detailed instructions???  Nothing worked from step 9 onward.
Cookifier never got plugged in.  And I'll be damned if I'll ever understand why not. This has been a disgustingly unnecessary experience.  Why cant IDE developers create a simple hook to readily link txt editors?  This cutesy IDE editor has annoyed many for far too long.  And now I guess Im going to having to put up with the damned thing once again.

[PaulS]

And now I guess Im going to having to put up with the damned thing once again.

The entire IDE is open source. If YOU think it is so simple to "create a simple hook to readily link txt editors", quit your bitching and DO IT.

When you discover that it maybe isn't so simple, then you can come back here and apologize.

[Robin2]

All I want to do is load a txt file into the IDE and upload.  Yet to use NotePad++

That makes no sense at all.

If you want to load a file into the IDE why would you need NotePad++ ?

...R

[PaulS]

That makes no sense at all.

If you want to load a file into the IDE why would you need NotePad++ ?

...R

OP wants to use an external editor, just like you do. Only he/she wants to use Notepad++ instead of Geary. At least, that what I think he/she wants. Looks like English is not his/her native language.

[Robin2]

OP wants to use an external editor, just like you do. Only he/she wants to use Notepad++ instead of Geary. At least, that what I think he/she wants. Looks like English is not his/her native language.

Sp  Geany


I have not used Notepad++ but AFAIK using an external editor alongside the IDE is as simple checking the box in Preferences and then using your preferred editor to edit the .ino file. When you click Verify or Upload it uses the latest version of the edited file.

Geany works with Windows as well as Linux.

...R

[westfw]

using an external editor alongside the IDE is as simple checking the box in Preferences and then using your preferred editor to edit the .ino file.

Yep.  I'm surprisingly pleased with the way that works...
The original post is NOT about customizing the Arduino IDE to use NPP as an external editor (which is easy, as described by Robin2) - it's about customizing Notepad++ to recognize all the arduino keywords and stuff.  If that's too tough, complain to the Notepad people (but ... fancy editors tend to require complex configuration to utilize all their features.  At least they don't seem to require you to learn LisP. :-) )
(The original message is also from 2013.  I'd be surprised if the rising popularity of Arduino hasn't resulted in an easier customization process for NPP.  Um, maybe https://sourceforge.net/projects/narduinoplugin/ ?)