Notepad++ : Custom Syntax Highlighting for .txt files

Question

I keep code samples that I find useful as text files on my computer. I store them as txt files as opposed to the language in which they are written, so that they will open in Notepad++ instead of the editor (i.e. I don't want my c++ examples to open in an IDE, just Notepad).

Is there a way I can have Notepad++ apply appropriate syntax highlighting to the text file by reading a special code in the text file itself?

For example if I had some sql, the first line of the text file could read like this:

##Language=SQL 

... my sql code properly highlighted as sql ...

Thanks in advance. I realize I could just choose the language after opening the file (i.e. Language > SQL), but it would be much more convenient if it could do it automatically.

Answer 1

I ended up writing it myself:

1. You need the Python plugin

2. Add the code below to your startup.py file

3. Switch your Python Initialization setting from "LAZY" to "ATSTARTUP"

#if found determine the menu command and switch language in NPP
def switch_language_view(args):
    notepad.activateBufferID(args["bufferID"])
    lineone = editor.getLine(0)
    if '##' in lineone:
        lineone = lineone[lineone.rfind('##'):].replace('##', '')
        lineone = "MENUCOMMAND." + lineone.upper()
        try:
            notepad.menuCommand( eval(lineone) )
        except:
            pass

#command to link notification
notepad.callback(switch_language_view, [NOTIFICATION.FILEOPENED])