View source for Using Notepad Plus Plus as a script editor

Notepad++ is a powerful text editor based on Scintilla (which is where UniSciTE is also based from). It is available only in Windows.

Advantages:
* it can manage more than ten text files opened simultaneously
* customizable color scheme

[[Image:unitynotepadpp2.jpg|thumb|alt=Notepad++ editing a Unityscript file|Notepad++ editing a Unityscript file.]]

== Directions ==
# Notepad++ can be found in http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm. Download and install.
# Change your External Script Editor to Notepad++ (In Unity, Edit> Preferences > General)
# Unity should now open Notepad++ whenever you double-click a script (or any text file actually).



== How to add searching of Unity Documentation within Notepad++ ==
# Download the Language Help Plugin via the Plugin Manager: Plugins > Plugin Manager > Show Plugin Manager. Then choose "Language Help" from the list, and click Install.
# Go to Plugins > Language Help > Options...
# Click Add and put these values
:Name: Unity
:Extension List: "js" (and/or "cs" if you're using C#)
:Extended help file path: http://unity3d.com/support/documentation/ScriptReference/30_search.html?q=$word$
Now whenever you press ctrl+f1 while your cursor is on a word, it will search that word in the Unity documentation. (You can change the key binding via Settings > Shortcut Mapper)



== How to enable highlighting of unity "keywords" within N++ ==
# Open "C:\Program Files\Unity\Editor\Data\Tools\UniSciTE\unitykeywords.properties" This text file contains all the unity keywords.
# In Notepad++ go to Settings > Style Configurator...
# In the "Language:" list, select your appropriate language.
# In the "Style:" list, select Keyword (or Instruction Word).
# Add the keywords from the unitykeywords.properties file (the big block of text) into the "User-Defined Keywords" box.
# Save & Close. Close and open Notepad++. Voila.



== How to enable highlighting of unity "keywords" manually ==
# Open "C:\Program Files\Unity\Editor\Data\Tools\UniSciTE\unitykeywords.properties" This text file contains all the unity keywords.
# Open "C:\Program Files\Notepad++\stylers.xml" (If you're using a custom theme, open C:\Program Files\Notepad++\themes and open the theme XML file you are using instead.) NOTE:  For Windows 7 the file is located in \users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\stylers.xml
# In stylers.xml (or your theme's XML file), find: <LexerType name="javascript" desc="Javascript" ext="">
# Find the coressponding: <WordsStyle name="KEYWORD" styleID="47" fgColor="000080" bgColor="F2F4FF" fontName="" fontStyle="3" fontSize="" keywordClass="instre1">
# Insert all the unity keywords (found from the unitykeywords.properties you opened earlier) inside that <WordsStyle name="KEYWORD"> tag
# Save it. Close and open Notepad++. It should highlight the Unity keywords now.



== How to add Intellisense (called Auto-Completion in Notepad++) for Unityscript ==
# Turn on Auto-Completion by going to: Settings > Preferences > Backup/Auto-Completion. Check "Function parameters hint on input"
# Open "C:\Program Files\Notepad++\plugins\APIs\javascript.xml" (As of version 3.3, the Javascript and C# API are the same, therefore editing "cs.xml" should also work.)
# Copy and paste contents of http://unity.igorrafael.com/home/UnityAPI_JS.xml to anywhere inside the <AutoComplete> tags of the "javascript.xml" file. If you have trouble saving try running Notepad++ as an administrator.
# Close and open Notepad++. A function tooltip should now appear whenever you type in an open parenthesis after a Unity function.

Note: UnityAPI_JS.xml is created from the file found as "C:\Program Files\Unity\Editor\Data\Tools\UniSciTE\UnityJS.api", using a program made by [[User:AnomalousUnderdog|AnomalousUnderdog]] (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25260770/Unity-Notepad%2B%2B/UnityJSapi_to_Npp.py). If ever the UnityJS.api changes again (in case of a Unity update), just run the python script.

== How to make Notepad++ jump to the correct line number from the error console ==
# Download the Unity External Script Editor Helper (Located at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25260770/Unity-Notepad%2B%2B/UnityExternalScriptEditorHelper-1.0.7z)
# Extract the files and follow the instructions in the README.txt