Using Notepad++ as the editor for Arduino Sketches

I’ve started using Notepad++ again after a long break from programming my Arduinos and Jeenodes and found that you can use NPP to edit the .ino files and then use the NPPexec script to run the Arduino IDE and load the sketch, then you can just compile and upload.
To set this up follow the video below: –

YouTube Video

Once you have the script
D:\My Documents\Downloads\arduino-1.0\arduino.exe “$(FULL_CURRENT_PATH)”

You can add it as a macro by pressing F6 and pasting it into the execute dialog and saving it.

>Jeenodes are here

>At last my Jeenodes arrived and I started to programme them with some of the code I was using on the Arduino UNO to display temperatures from a DS18B20 on the LCD.

I was now using the I2C LCD interface from Jeelabs (LCD Plug) so I used the Demo LCD sketch from Jeelabs and modified it using the Dallas temperature library to read a DS18B20 conected to port 4.

Jeenode V6 with DS18B20 and I2C LCD

I have the Graphic board on order so I can use a large display and, using the code from Jeelabs, create a remote temp. sensing and control unit for my central heating control project.

The built in 868MHz Transciever will allow comm’.s back to the control unit in the airing cupboard.

Hopefully with the efforts made by Jeelabs to extend battery life I hope to get months of usage from a couple of AA batteries.

>Using Notepad++ with Arduino sketches

>After using both the Arduino IDE and VB express I’m always a little disappointed at the lack of helper features in the Arduino IDE, of course it is a little unfair to compare the two when you consider the differences in available resource! the Arduino IDE is still pretty good.



Functions contracted

I have used Notepad++ for some time as a general text editor on my PC and I thought I’d give it a try as an editor for my pde files.

Well I think it’s brilliant, you can get it to group things like functions and ‘if’ statements and, more importantly, the comments.

This makes it much easier to navigate and edit your sketch as you can view it as a list of minimised comments and functions and expand each one for editing as required.

There are shortcuts which allow you to expand all, at different levels.

Another good feature is the automated colouring of key words and you can even add your own key words.

With Arduino set to external editor this gives a much more user friendly interface I realise there are other options to get a more professional UI, like Eclipse etc but this is a lot easier to set up.

Download Notepad++