How To Auto-Format / Indent XML/HTML in Notepad++

674
votes

Is there a way to re-indent a block of code? I'm looking for something similar to Ctrl+Shift+F in Eclipse (Auto-Format/Indent).

To be clear,

  • I already know how to format XML outside of Notepad++ (Eclipse works fine, as mentioned) so I don't need a bunch of links to other XML-formatting tools.
  • I'm specifically working with XML and HTML.
  • Ideally, there's a keybinding as convenient as the one in Eclipse, so I don't have to break my workflow.

I already know about NppAutoIndent - it won't work, as I'm working with XML, HTML and CSS.

9
htmlxmlnotepad++auto-indentautoformatting
Asked and answered on SoftwareRecs.SE – feetwet

9 Answers

908
votes

Since I upgraded to 6.3.2, I use XML Tools.

  • install XML Tools via the Plugin Admin (Plugins → Plugins Admin... Then search for "XML Tools", check its box and click the "Install" button).
  • use the shortcut Ctrl+Alt+Shift+B (or menu → Plugins → XML Tools → Pretty Print)

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In older versions: menu → TextFX → HTML Tidy → Tidy: Reindent XML.

55
votes

Install Tidy2 plugin. I have Notepad++ v6.2.2, and Tidy2 works fine so far.

36
votes

For those who don't know, npp has a lot of support from plugins and other projects. You can download those plugins from SourceForge.

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You need XML Tools to format your text in n++

After you have downloaded XML Tools ..

Exit Notepad++

Go To C:\Program File\Notepad++ .... Your N++ installed folder.

  1. Place below files from xml tools which you downloaded in the npp root folder by copy replace

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  1. Go To ..\Plugins subfolder and place below downloaded file

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Restart and enjoy!!!

Ctrl + Alt + Shft + B to format.

15
votes

It's been the third time that I install Windows and npp and after some time I realize the tidy function no longer work. So I google for a solution, come to this thread, then with the help of few more so threads I finally fix it. I'll put a summary of all my actions once and for all.

  1. Install TextFX plugin: Plugins -> Plugin Manager -> Show Plugin Manager. Select TextFX Characters and install. After a restart of npp, the menu 'TextFX' should be visible. (credits: @remipod).

  2. Install libtidy.dll by pasting the Config folder from an old npp package: Follow instructions in this answer.

  3. After having a Config folder in your latest npp installation destination (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\plugins), npp needs write access to that folder. Right click Config folder -> Properties -> Security tab -> select Users, click Edit -> check Full control to allow read/write access. Note that you need administrator privileges to do that.

  4. Restart npp and verify TextFX -> TextFX HTML Tidy -> Tidy: Reindent XML works.

10
votes

Not exactly a solution but a workaround.

Notepad ++ doesn't provide any such feature by default. But you can use some online tools to autoformat text like https://www.freeformatter.com/xml-formatter.html.

8
votes

I had to update the proxy settings under Plugins -> Plugin Manager -> Show Plugin Manager -> Settings to see any PlugIns in the "Available" list.

After that, installing "XML Tools" was easy and did the requested job as described above.

6
votes

To directly answer the OP, take a look at this guy's site: Thomas Hunter Notepad++ Tidy for XML. Simple steps to follow and you get very nice formatting of your XML right inside NPP. So far the only anomaly I've found is with nested self closing elements EG: 

<OuterTag>Text for outer element<SelfClosingTag/></OuterTag>

Will be tidied up to: 

<OuterTag>Text for outer element
<SelfClosingTag/></OuterTag>

There may be a way to fix this, but for the time being, it's managed to reduce the number of lines in my document by 300k and this particular anomaly can be worked around.

3
votes

Just install the latest notepad++ and install indent By fold. On the menu bar select Plugins -> Plugins Admin and selct indent By fold and the install. Works finest

1
votes

I'm using Notepad 7.6 with "Plugin Admin" and I could not find XML Tools.
I had to install it manually like @some-java-guy did in his answer except that my plugins folder was located here: C:\Users\<my username>\AppData\Local\Notepad++\plugins
In that directory I created a new directory (named XmlTools) and copied XMLTools.dll there. (And I copied all dependencies to the Notepad++ directory in Program files.)