Although most software developers use a fancy-schmancy IDE for coding, we all rely on text editors from time to time. Indeed, I doubt that I ever go through a working day without using a text editor for something: examining log files, opening e-mail attachments that Outlook doesn’t recognize, studying raw HTML pages for hidden fragments of ingenuity (or idiocy), or copying text to a temporary scratch pad. Most developers probably do these things without even thinking about it, which explains why most developers that I know still use Notepad.
It pains me to watch someone format text manually, repeatedly, mindlessly, time after time. Or to watch someone bring up 2 copies of Notepad and try to compare their contents: manually aligning them and trying to scroll them line-by-line. Or squint at the ASCII representation of some binary sequence and try to remember exactly which value that funny squiggly thing represents. It pains me to watch them, and it pains me to remember that not so long ago, I was one of them.
If you’re a developer or anyone else who frequently uses text files, and you still use Notepad, drop whatever you are doing and immediately get yourself a replacement like Notepad++. (PSPad is also well thought of, but Notepad++ is my personal tool of choice). Figure out how to do Search and Replace using regular expressions, how to switch to hex editing mode, how to split the window and do synchronized scrolling of the 2 panes.
Admittedly you’ll have to invest a bit of time and a lot of experimentation to master these features, since documentation is not Notepad++’s strongest feature. If you aren’t already familiar with regular expressions, then you’ll find a wealth of articles and even books out there to help you tackle this complex but extremely powerful feature. But trust me, the time you spend learning the basic toolset of Notepad++ will be well worth the effort.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, do your best to forget that there was once a time that you struggled by without these features. Be magnanimous and try to educate your friends. But be prepared to wince at the sight of those who don’t get it, who still turn to Notepad to edit text. Time after time. Without even thinking about it.