Text Editors

PSPad

5  /  254 Reviews
2,612,264 Downloads
Mar 18, 2023 Last updated

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# Change Log

NEWS:

Added missing HTML tags: portal, slot, template

ChatGPT (menu tools) improved. If request isn't returned from v35, it's automatically send to v30 ChatGPT version. Improved string handling

Search in files - optimization open all result files

List of FTP connection in popup menu - break after each 15 connections

Integrated ChatGPT (menu Tools). Is necessary to insert your API key, links for requesting and inserting API key are on ChatGPT dialog

Program settings / Colors - Current tab changes top highlight color of the current file tab

Program settings / Direct edit - HighlughtCurrentFileTab=0 switches off top highlight of the current file tab

HTML highlighter highlights new pairs FIELDSET, LEGEND

OpenSSL libraries updated to 3.0.8 version

JavaScript Code explorer - added CLASS support

G-Code user highlighter definition (Arman Hayots)

Optimized application start with previous files, optimized open few files from command line

File tab context menu now contain 2 items for copy file name and file name including path

User Highlighter keyword lists extended of indication "Start with". If definition is followed by numbers, keyword is highlighted.

OpenSSL libraries updated to 3.0.7 from Sept. 1st 2022

New Italian spell check disctionary version (Giovanni Maroncelli)

HTML export generates inline CSS for selected text (HTML fragment), for non selected generates whole HTML page with CSS definition and references

ASCII chart - added control chars

Char ^Z (1A) removed from binary file detection

OpenSSL libraries update

General highlighter supports user defined regions using #REGION ... #ENDREGION in code

Left guttter track changes colors are adapting to dark/light background

Autohotkey Code explorer shows hotkey labels too (#char::)

Automatic unicode composition (Special settings) is made with clipboard paste and save file too.

User convertors allows you to define delimiter character for lists. In the section [Settings] as DelimiterChar=|. Pipe is used as default, even variable isn't present.

possibility to disable triple and quadruple click behavior in program settings / Direct edit button as TripleClick=0

Run under DEP (Data Execution Prevention) enabled

Cobol highlighter - extended Code Folding capabilities

Modified lines indication

Copy formated text - new function in the Edit menu or editor context menu allows you copy highlighted text into richtext format editor, e.g. Word

New function in File tab context menu - Open file folder in Explorer

Program settings / Direct edit button (Special settings) - added new option UseClearType = 0/1, what allows you to disable cleartype in the editor window. The settings take effect when the program is restarted

FTP - possibility to set default FTP connection. Put asterisk on the end of FTP connection name.

Editor component - reworked UNOD/REDO

File list from menu window redesigned - you can sort by file name, folders, ...

PHP highlighter - added "mixed" type

PHP code completion - added magic constants

Check and automatic fix of the recent.ini file

Ruby - multiline string support

Compiled in new Delphi 11

ASCII chart changes encoding acording to used code page of window (not for unicode encodings) when you click on the status bar

When Save file state is enabled, user changed highlighter has priority over HTML multihighlighter.E.g. PHP file is open in HTML multihighlighter, user changes highlighter to PHP. Next time PSpad will open file as PHP, not as HTML multihighlighter

Added mechanism what fix corrupted PSpad.INI file

In splitted window bookmarks are synchronized

Active file tab highlight when Tab style is selected

Statusbar icons are high DPI ready and light/dark theme ready

TextDiff drop panel was moved from top right to the top left corner

In Filetab context menu you can open file in new PSPad instance as admin

Reverse apostrophe in user highlighter isn't autocompleted if isn't set is as string delimiter

JavaScript - added missing keywords

Split same window horizontally/vertically set second window into same position as the first one

Code folding can't be used together with Wordwrap. Wordwrap activating will disable Code folding for current file. Wordwrap deactivating will enable Code folding back (if supported for this file)

Scripting - new functions mainWindowHandle(): HWND, editorWindowHandle(): HWND

File tabs symbols are High DPI optimized, light/dark optimized

Unix Shell Script - added keywords, added support for backtick expressions, improved highlighting

Program start drawing optimalizations

PSPad is able to open file with broken UTF-8 encoding. After warning and confirmation.

Code folding - settings is part of the Program settings under editor

HEX edit - added history into Find/Replace

Ruby user highlighter - improved strings highlighting

Rewritten statusbar handling information, cleaned-up code from state, when statusbar was part of each window

Code folding manipulation is under the View menu, in the editor context menu, under toolbar button

Updated communication library Synapse

Implemented new OpenSSL version for FTP connection. Now libcrypto-1_1.dll and libssl-1_1.dll libraries are used (or their 64b versions) instead of the old libeay.dll and ssleay.dll what can be deleted.

Code folding support for SQL (Oracle and MySql dialects, rest is supported partially)

Automatic synchronization of File explorer after file save in case when Program settings / Files and dirs is set directory as Active file and File explorer is active.

Search in files results were extended of char position. Click on results line send you to exact file position

StatusBar - dark themes icons support

PSPad informs, if file contains char #0

CompactLineNumbers option in Program settings / Direct edit (0/1) allows change line numbering to compact form

Code folding support added to VB Script and Visual Basic, FoxPro

Close file(s) from whole application was united. Please report any problem joined with editor window close

Code folding support for User highlighters. For now languages based on curly brackets are supported, in rest of languages added support lines. Is necessary to set tcfCurlyBracket for Codefolding type in the User highlighter definition. if you make modification, let me know or send me definition file, I will include it in the next build.

Updated editor component. Report please anything "strange".

CodeFolding support introduced - for now supported languages: JavaScript, Java, C#, C++, Perl, PHP, Pascal

CodeFolding support is possible to switch off in Program settings / Special settings: CodeFolding=0

Editor - tripple click select line, quadruple click whole text

Config backup - before each version update started from PSpad config files are automatically backed up into subfolder backup_cfg of config files placement.

Default limits (Program settings / Special settings) for Multihighlighter, Highlighting and Code explorer were increased to 750 000 bytes

SQL highlighter - added several SQL dialects (Nexus, Postgres, Informix)

Updater - unattended run appends log instead of rewrite it

Updater - added support for updater update. Run PSPUpdRun.exe instead of the direct updater run. More info in .\Updater\Readme.txt

FTP - click on the current path label fill in path into quick change dir

Highlight all occurrences of highlighted text - new option in (Program settings / Editor 1) allows you set highlighting case sensitive

SpellCheck dialog - for visually impaired people the label with original word was replaced for edit (readers support)

Memory manager was returned to default one

Autocomplete (Program settings / Editor 2) - New option Autocomplete replaces rest of the word. When Autocomplete is called from the middle of word it replaces/let the rest behind the cursor

Color dialog - first 6 custom colors are remembered between sessions

Updater was integrated into PSPad. From the automatic check or from menu Help you can decide to download update manually or run updater. Updater can be started from command line too - see included ReadMe file in Updater folder.

HTML preview - it's possible to use WebView2 based on Chromium engine - in the HTML Preview switch engine using first icon in the top left. There is necessary to install WebView2 runtime from MS: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/#download-section, or small MS installer what will do it automatically for you: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=2124703

Changed library for handling INI files. Please report any problem with configuration files

InnoSetup Script highlighter - improoved highlighting

MS SQL highlighter - added new data types

Session - list in the save session dialog is sorted alphabetically

Ruby - added code explorer support

REMOVED:

RSS highlighter, cause it duplicates XML highlighter

Set PSPad as IE source viewer

FIXES:

Code explorer for PowerPro - variable occurences

Sessions - current session mark after open

Sessions - restore files with active Code explorer

Exception when file close

PSPad.INI - saving problem

Spell settings - switch dictionary in 64b version

Fixes joined with OpenPClose file redraw

Open favourite panel from the File menu

SpellCheck - load/release dictionary

Program settings / KeyMap - save problem

Perl highlighter - q-function highlighting fix

Close file by mouse wheel doesn't redraw file tabs names

New project from folder - save button wasn't active

Updater - appear in the screen center instead of desktop center

Handled exception when Recent.ini content was damaged

Write system parameters, e.g. Splash screen

Reduced flickering when program starts

Autocorrect in splitted editor window

Open more files at once from OpenDialog

Close numbered file tabs with mouse wheel doesn't update numbers

Remove nonexisting recent files when none recent files left

Drop binary file into TextDif box

Drag/Drop editing - copy selected text with CTRL key

Names of few highlighters and attributs was different in the new editor component what looks like a "lost" configuration

Highlight all occurences of highlighted text - Case sensitive option wasn't written into config

Toolbar background with dark skin

UNDO and modified file indication

Close file tabs to right, Close file tabs to left - sometimes left free tab row

Better difference between enable/disabled UNDO and REDO icon

Duplicate line functionality

Clipboard monitor

Close last file using file tab context menu / Close doesn't hide file panel

Load file containing #0 char ends with End of memory message

Reformat paragraph (menu format) removes blank lines

Highlight selected text occurences - when scrolling, sometimes part of the line was highlighted

Words at cursor doesn't return word when cursor was just behind the word

Corrupted PSPad.INI - if file contains char #0, rest of the file was ignored and it looked like lost of config

Exceptions joined with CodeFolding when window is closed

Play recorded macro was slow

Speed up Undo/Redo command - please report any problem

FTP - handled exception when can't write config file

Macro save/load problem

Word under cursor - case when word was the last on the line and cursor was behind the word

Ctrl+Del doesn't delete spaces before start of next word

Fixed load sections from "non standard" ini like TiDyCFG, Convertors, e.t.c.

Find/Replace with new lines in replace expression

OldSpecialChars in [Special settings] - Program settings / Direct edit

TextDiff - last line was marked as missing

Search/Replace - usage of empty pattern only like ^ or $

HexEdit - Search/Replace witout confirmation doesn't mark file as modified

Split window, synchronize moving and unsplit window caused exception

Activation of last selected window after close current one

Ruby highlighter - embeded expression in string and other reported fixes

Save function is available always, tool button icon depends of the modified state

PHP highlighter - highlight matching bracket in case of multiline string

File plugin fix

TextDiff - file names size with High DPI screen resolution

Print with dark background

Block selection by keys doesn't start on the position where you write last letter

Block selection with F8 + F8 didn't work

Duplicate lines, swap with line above/bellow

MacroRecorder - macros and AutoIndent

Fixed UNDO with active autoindent on the last editor line with real tabs

Fixed combination of Real tabs and smart tabs with Autoindent - unwanted spaces insertion

Fix of potential configuration corruption

Closing of nonactive window using mouse on FileTab - focus in editor

if file is locked by another process, binnary file test raised exception

TextDiff window artefacts after splitter move

Search/Replace or Reload doesn't refresh symbol on the file tab

Copy/Paste in text without highlighter

Undo/Redo - assigning shortcut directly to editor command instead of application action when no Undo/Redo was available caused editor freeze

Coment/Uncomment block (Shift+Ctrl+A) doesn't include last selected line in case the line contains 1 char only

Autocorrect doesn't work for files open with PSpad start

Copy to clipboard always added HTML format

SmartTabs

Active tab after open file from "outside" of PSPad

Select word with dblclick broke on accented chars

Handled exception when decoding invalid string from BASE64

Filetabs visibility after open project or open session

Drag/Drop text with mouse in column or line mode selection

FileTabs visibility when you close all files and open several files using OpenDialog

Windows shell script - variable %~xx highlighting

Paste the copied text into Excel

Autorefresh symbol on file tab

Activate window when file was already open

UserHighlighter - some keywords wasn't highlighted

Call 2x Clear history in Program settings / Files

After Find/Replace save icon wasn't highlighted

Active tab after open file from left panel

Active file tab

Save icon wasn't highlighted after Search/Replace

Save user highlighter definition

Code explorer parsing (if active) when file is open

HTML/XHTML highlighter settings - compiler, applications, ...

Ruller content after program start

Code clips activation after file load

Find dialog - COPY button doesn't open new document when used more times

Assignment of external application when you open file using Open Dialog (Ctrl+O)

Internal WWW preview take care of DPI when you use size presets

Text operation in splitted window

Find in Files - click in result - activate file if file is already open

Find in Files - after double click the line was white font on light gray background

TextDiff window - goto source (dblclick)

Recorded Macro play - reduced problems with clipboard

User highlighter - possibility to save definition witht none string highlight

Reduced flickering when window switching

TextDiff - fixed Window redraw when switching tabs

TextDiff - fixed Ctrl+Mouse wheel behavior

TextDiff - fixed unwanted block selection after dblclick

Reopen modified file

SpellCheck - fix for cyrilic languages, improved similar words search

In some cases closed file wasn't written into recent files list

Clipboard monitor

Fixed behavior of commands Delete last word (Ctrl+BkSpace) and Delete word (Ctrl+Del)

System icons in FTP (if enabled in Program Settings)

Highlight of the selection occurences wasn't repainted after change of the selection

Matching token highlight with missing matching token

Create menu Help content based on the Online.ini file

CrLf was always added when file was saved

Shift+Down, Shift+PgDown on the last line will include last line into selection

Unwanted Autoindent after Enter when cursor was on the first column

Change char case in the selected column block

Windows shell script highlighter

Parameter /F doesn't start from the begin but from cursor position

Restore files doesn't restore last active file tab

Wordwrap with Right Edge

Cursor edge line

Autocorrections and user highlighter

Main menu glitch in some cases after file open

File explorer - fixed form resize or show/hide log behavior

Search/replace recent strings was trimmed of initial spaces

Reload file in splitted window

Refuse open big file dialog with PSPad start caused exception

Open file from FTP with path longer than 260 chars - handled exception

Perl highlighter caused app freeze if file contains #00 char

Find / Copy or List - redraw slows down whole process

Macro - play macro with clipboard handling

Project tree - missing last letter of the project name

File tam context menu - copy file name doesn't include path

Bookmark drawing wren you scroll with arrows

File tabs - file change indication doesn't appear in some cases

Recent storage is saved on program close

TextDiff with running PSpad and registry integration to the Windows explorer context menu

Search/Replace - load profile trims quotes from expressions

Switch to HEX mode and back mark file as modified

Ruby strings %/.../

When SpellCeck was active, it doesn't work for new open files in some cases

Fixed many problems in 64b build

Previous open files was open with C++ highlighter

Open project opens project file for editing as well

User highlighter - keywords start with option fixed for negative numbers e.t.c.

Code pages settings - arrows doesn't stay on the bottom when window was resized

User convertor added additional line to the line end if no text was selected

Problem with open big file and NO answer

Group UNDO problem

Highlighter settings - wasn't possible to switch off Unix shell script highlighter

PowerShell highlighter - problem with multiline comments

PSPad start with undocked window (e.g. OpenFiles) caused exception

Text inserted with Macro wasn't visible immediately

Help - search tab doesn't work

Other fixes reported by users

Description

PSPad is a well-known freeware editor among Microsoft® Windows® users. It was released for the first time in 2001 by Mr. Jan Fiala. Ever since new features were added with each new release. Nowadays, PSPad is one of the best choices when it comes down to many features and the variety of syntax highlighting profiles.

Since the number of features is overwhelming, those are just a couple of them: full HEX editor, support for Unicode, ANSI, ISO, OEM, auto correction, spell checking, undo-redo operations, and unlimited length. Save desktop session (resume your work) and work on several documents at the same time. Built-in FTP client, macro recorder and active scripting for automation purposes, integrated TiDy library, code explorer, export to RTF, HTML, TeX formats. Advanced search and replace function that will work in all open files, folders, and projects. View differences between data, presenting them using color highlighting with print preview, column block and Rectangular block selection, advanced line sorting and many other features. The editor is available in two formats: as a setup file (installer) and a portable version (zip archive). Please keep in mind that no version comes with spell check dictionaries and you have to download them separately from here.

Trademark Note 1: Microsoft®, Windows®, and other product names are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States or other countries.

PSPad Review

Important: Starting with 1st March 2015, PSPad is 100% clean, free of bundles, free of anything else that can be flagged as adware - so please give this editor a chance! Please support the author with a donation for his courage to stop using bundles. Even a small donation matters - please use the "Donate" button.

The installation process is fast, and you can run PSPad in a matter of seconds. As soon as you run PSPad for the first time, you might feel intimidated by the massive amount of features. Don't be; this editor has excellent support if you want to learn more about a feature check the HELP or FAQ sections. You can find almost everything you need to know about PSPad (including screenshots) such as entire chapters split on: necessary information, working with PSPad, menu description, customization and once again an FAQ section.

If you're a programmer, you will also discover that besides of a comprehensive text and code editor, PSPad is also an easy and excellent IDE which allows you to edit and parse compiler output, not to mention that it's a better alternative to many, similar commercial programs. I can't cover all program features in a short review. Also, the help and FAQ sections that I mentioned does a much better job.

Regular users might not know why they should use such an editor. Just a couple of tips that I can think of: as a much better alternative to the standard, plain text editors and even several Word-based applications. Think about the following features: multiple undo-redo, auto-correction, spell-checking, work with large files, save a desktop session and start from where you left off, and those are just a few of my favorites. As a conclusion, PSPad is one of the best, free editors for programmers, web developers and even for regular users that look for the perfect text and code editor. Please support it with a donation!

Found this software useful? Please consider a donation to the author.