using NotePad++ to edit and compile

Thanks for sharing

You're very wellcome

Thanks for sharing. Where were you pre build 600 !   The MT4 editor back then was truly primitive, I used to write code in NotePad++ and copy and paste into Metaeditor to compile. 

Have you tried working your magic on Scintilla? 

 

 

 

ED 

Probably yes, as Scintilla is only a component and the front page of Notepad++ site reads

Based on the powerful editing component Scintilla, Notepad++ is written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL which ensures a higher execution speed and smaller program size. 

i don't use Scintilla even though I have heard about it.

What might be interesting could be Geany - but I don't know whether you can define a mql4 highlighting or not

Not a troll, just curiosity. I developed hundred of codes with MetaEditor and never feel the need to use an other editor for mql4/5. Though it's far from perfect of course.

For example I use mql5 storage, the debugger and the profiler, which are integrated.

Can you made a short description of what are the advantages (disadvantages) to use Notepad++ (which I also use but not to code mql4/5 except when I need the "Compare" plugin) ?

Thank you.

angevoyageur:

Not a troll, just curiosity. I developed hundred of codes with MetaEditor and never feel the need to use an other editor for mql4/5. Though it's far from perfect of course.

For example I use mql5 storage, the debugger and the profiler, which are integrated.

Can you made a short description of what are the advantages (disadvantages) to use Notepad++ (which I also use but not to code mql4/5 except when I need the "Compare" plugin) ?

Thank you.

1) I started to like Notepad++ as soon as the mt4 compiler claims a  bracket is missing. Npp can count the brackets and so I can find a lot faster the missing thing.

2) Npp compares code - as you said.

3) fold code (mt4 still can't do that)

4) I can sort source code like sort this on Column 23

This:
extern string Sym1 = "EURUSD";
extern string Sym2 = "GBPUSD";
extern string Sym3 = "USDJPY";
extern string Sym4 = "USDCHF";
extern string Sym5 = "USDCAD";
extern string Sym6 = "AUDUSD";
extern string Sym7 = "NZDUSD";
extern string Sym8 = "EURJPY";
extern string Sym9 = "EURGBP";

becomes:

extern string Sym6 = "AUDUSD";
extern string Sym9 = "EURGBP";
extern string Sym8 = "EURJPY";
extern string Sym1 = "EURUSD";
extern string Sym2 = "GBPUSD";
extern string Sym7 = "NZDUSD";
extern string Sym5 = "USDCAD";
extern string Sym4 = "USDCHF";
extern string Sym3 = "USDJPY";

and back sorting again on column 1:

extern string Sym1 = "EURUSD";
extern string Sym2 = "GBPUSD";
extern string Sym3 = "USDJPY";
extern string Sym4 = "USDCHF";
extern string Sym5 = "USDCAD";
extern string Sym6 = "AUDUSD";
extern string Sym7 = "NZDUSD";
extern string Sym8 = "EURJPY";
extern string Sym9 = "EURGBP";
5) There is a plugin for code snippets.
6) If a file is changed by another file Notepad++ asks me: Load the changed version or not? Mt4 just ignores it.
7) The editor has a lot more option to manipulate the text/code.
8) I can have two windows to work/compare/use two different files/versions.
9) Many more options to search in files not just one.
10) Clipboard History
11) Unfortunately it seems that Translate-Plugin is not working but this would be really a great thing as many don't speak English or Russian very well. 
    Go and complain, they might fix it?
12) RegEx for search (and replace)
 ...
Npp is nothing but a very good editor, while Metatrader is financial software (server and client) that has as well an editor, not bad but not as rich as Npp.

 

Thank you for this "short" explanation.

Let me add that you can get a function list of your own functions quite easily:

1) (in Win7) load C:\Users\...\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\functionList.xml

2) add this:  <association userDefinedLangName="mql4" id="mql4_sytax"/>

    here:

<NotepadPlus>
        <functionList>
                <associationMap>
....
                     <association userDefinedLangName="mql4" id="mql4_sytax"/>
                </associationMap>

3) add this in the next section:

      <parsers>
         <parser id="mql4_sytax" commentExpr="((/\*.*?\*)/|(//.*?$))">
            <function
                mainExpr="^[\t ]*[\w:]+([\s]+[\w]+)?([\s]+|\*[\s]+|[\s]+\*|[\s]+\*[\s]+)([\w_]+[\s]*::)?(?!(if|while|for))[\w_]+[\s]*\([^\)\(]*\)([\s]*const[\s]*)?[\n\s]*\{"
                displayMode="$functionName">
                <functionName>
                    <nameExpr expr="(?!(if|while|for))[\w_~]+[\s]*\("/>
                    <nameExpr expr="(?!(if|while|for))[\w_~]+"/>
                </functionName>
            </function>
         </parser>

(I just copied them from c further below and there is as well one for c++ - may be valid for mql5.)

I f you now click on the Function List button (or in menu => View => Function List) you see a window with the list of all your functions of the actual mql4 or mqh file.

A click on a function and you are there!

Here the example of Statistics.mqh:

You can sort the functions alphabetically :)

Thanks Gooly... A very convincing post in favour of NotePad++. Just like to add that I find it hard to go past WinMerge for comparing source files, even though it is not integrated with any particular editor.