Can I get split screen in Notepad++ like Emacs?

Question

One of the good points with Emacs is that you can have split the screen so you get two or more views of the same file which allows you to browse around and have a clearer overview of the file. Are there are some plugins or is the same functionality already is built into Notepad++?

possible duplicate of [How can I view two files side by side in Notepad++](http://superuser.com/q/215917/241386) — phuclv, Jul 29 '15 at 06:31

score 137 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 07 '18 at 09:09

137

It is built into Notepad++. All you have to do is right-click the tab of the file and say "Clone to Other View" and it will split the workspace into two scrollable views of the file, similar to how Emacs does multiple windows. You can also open up two different files in the different views.

edited Jun 07 '18 at 09:09

Peter Mortensen

12,090
23
70
90

answered Sep 05 '11 at 17:26

Ben Richards

12,697
11
55
72

1

can I make so it only scrolls when I scroll one of the side? As of now they will scroll at the same time when I do so. – starcorn Sep 05 '11 at 19:13
8

Under the View menu, you can check/uncheck "Synchronize vertical scrolling" and "Synchronize horizontal scrolling" and that should get it doing the behavior you want. – Ben Richards Sep 05 '11 at 19:30
Currently NP++ seems limited to two windows. In previous versions of there was the possibility to have a real tile-oriented GUI, but it disappeared. – Druvision May 02 '13 at 06:43
Having two windows showing with the same content works ok, but the double-click highlighting only works for the window you do the double-clicking in. The other window will not have the highlighting applied. – galmok Aug 31 '18 at 13:03

user232301 · Answer 2 · 2013-06-20T08:10:12.267

83

You can also "rotate" your split view from vertical to horizontal by making :

a right click on the separation line (cursor will change to a double arrow)
and choose from "Rotate to the left" or "Rotate to the right"

edited Jun 20 '13 at 08:10

answered Jun 19 '13 at 13:50

user232301

831
6
3

5

Good one to mention -- this is one of the least discoverable features! – Guido Domenici Mar 30 '16 at 13:32
Some programs do mention features which are not useable, but Notepad++ hides the best features. What a noble reserve :) Thank You for the mention, user232301! – Hartmut Pfarr Feb 28 '20 at 08:58

score 13 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 22 '14 at 12:34

Just as @Ben Richards as mentioned you should right-click the tab of the file and click "clone to other view". Initially this would be vertical, you can rotate or "flip" it horizontal by right clicking the dotted line and choose then click "Rotate to the left" or "Rotate to the right"

A point of note it that you can do this for multiple windows

bug a bug i found is that if you originally have multiple tabs open, say A B C. and you cloned A say to AA, if you click tab B or C, AA would still be shown for all of the tabs without a clone. I find this inconvenient.

If you however clone B and or C, you will also have multiple tabs in the cloned windows

notepad++ multiple tabs

score 4 · Answer 4 · edited Jun 07 '18 at 09:10

Just to point out, there is a detailed description of the built in functionality on the Notepad++ website with pictures and steps for newbies: http://docs.notepad-plus-plus.org/index.php/Multiple_Views

For more than two views the only current option seems to be two instances each with split views (perhaps one snapped to the left side and the other snapped to the right). Would be good if this could be expanded to allow Emacs like functionality... embedded command-line running python on the right, source code on the left.

score 3 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 05 '11 at 17:28

3

If you right-click on the current tab, or go to View > Move/Clone Current Document, then click "Clone to Other View", it will clone it to the other half of the screen.

answered Sep 05 '11 at 17:28

Hello71

8,397
5
40
44

Can I get split screen in Notepad++ like Emacs?

5 Answers5