I would like to split the Notepad++ window so that I can edit two files side by side.
How can I do this in Notepad++?
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9 Answers
In Notepad++ 5.7 you can right-click on a tab and select "Move to Other View". You can also select "Clone to Other View" if you want to have the same file open more than once and see different parts of it. You can right-click the divider line and rotate the views to be either side-by-side or top-and-bottom.
answered Nov 28, 2010 at 16:52
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1That is cool - I started using Notepad++, but haven't really looked closely at what it can do.– John CCommented Nov 28, 2010 at 23:25
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2@Rob I don't know about the recent Notepad++s, but I had to 'manually' install the
Compareplugin viaPlugin Manager. (I'm an 'old'Notepad++'er.) Commented Sep 24, 2011 at 4:14 -
4+1 for right click on the divider & rotate. Was looking for this for ages thanks– DavosCommented Feb 18, 2016 at 22:56
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1For more information on so-called "Multi-View" and how to close the second view, see docs.notepad-plus-plus.org/index.php/Multiple_Views– finchCommented Apr 5, 2019 at 9:17
As mentioned in the comments, there's a very handy compare plugin for Notepad++, that allows side-by-side comparison, indicating discrepancies.
(Click image to enlarge)
answered Oct 7, 2012 at 9:35
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8Beware that on large files (5000 lines +), using this plugin and then modifying the files can lead to some severe file corruption. Not sure of the exact conditions that causes it, but this cost me to redo a lot of work recently– neelsgCommented Sep 12, 2014 at 10:46
As well as moving or cloning the document to a separate view pane, you might want them to scroll together too, in a truly "side by side" manner. This makes it much easier to perform line-by-line comparison, for instance.
To achieve this, go to View -> Synchronize Vertical Scrolling (or Synchronize Horizontal Scrolling).
This may be sufficient for many, without requiring the need for the Compare plugin others have mentioned.
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I saw several people answered, but no one answered the way I do it.
All I do is I grab the tab I want to drag to the other view and I literally click, hold, and drag the tab off the tab bar.
You will see this (background dimmed for emphasis):
Now Release Your Mouse Cursor anywhere in the window and you will see a dialog window pop up.
When you do this, it opens up a small dialog which gives you the option to "Move to the other view" or "Clone to other view", as below (background dimmed for emphasis):
So now choose that, and voila, it pops over to the other view!
You can do this same thing to move tabs between views from left-to-right or right-to-left as well.
answered Nov 15, 2016 at 12:07
It is pretty straightforward, just go to: View → Move/Clone Current Document → Clone to Other View.
Source: http://aneeska.com/2010/06/09/how-to-add-split-view-to-notepad
You can even compare two files side by side (without changing the view) using COMPARE plugin, as long as you have two files at the end of the tab. Here is an example.
The keyboard shortcut for comparing is ALT+D. To Clear comparison, CTRL+ALT+D.
I use this far too often to use anything other than a keyboard shortcut.
Settings -> Shortcut mapper -> line_146 -"Move to Other View". Click 'Modify' and create your own shortcut.
Mine is 'Alt' + Right (aka right arrow) shortcut mapper
To use it, select the tab you want to move to the other view and type your shortcut. To move it back to a single view again, type the same shortcut on that tab again.
To view docs side by side on Notepad ++ v7.5.6
Open both documents in Notepad ++, whichever document you are viewing:
- Click on View Tab at the top
- Move/Clone Current Document
- Move to Other View
All the replies above and the picture in the post before me, don't really answer it.
The picture shows it exactly though.
What (I think) the original poster initially wanted to know, was how to open 2 or more Notepad++ files next to each other. Without the requirement thay must "touch" each other.
As shown in the above picture, there is a greyed out option to move or clone to a new instance.
In the past I used to open it as User account, and next to that as Admin as a workaround.
The simple answer for the button being greyed-out, are having Unsaved Changes in the current Tab.
CTRL+S (save) the file, and then you can separate tabs into new windows like the old days again. Also you are able to drag a saved Tab into a new window as well.
EXAMPLE: File that has unsaved changes. Or is not saved at all
EXAMPLE: Saved file can be moved, or drag & dropped with mouse
EXAMPLE: Having multiple instances
Notepadd++ v8.4.8 (Dec 2022)
