Automatic Notepad++ formatting for writing scripts

Question

I'm wondering if anyone had techniques/tips for using Notepad++ for writing scripts. I know real IDE programs I've used for say, python, have a lot of built-in autoformatting. When I write an IF statement or LOOP it will create some of the bracketing needed. I use Notepad++ for writing AutoHotKey and it works really really well, but would love if it had some auto-formatting capability.

Something like; I type if and gets turned into...

if ()
  {

  }

or typing functions such as RegExMatch into... RegExMatch(,,,)

If Notepad++ is not the best editor for AHK then what is?

Answer 1

For typing AHK commands and functions in Editors I use context-sensitive Hotstrings with a special ending char in my main script:

        ; === auto-execute section ===  (top of the script)

; create a group of those editors:  
GroupAdd, myEditors, ahk_class Notepad
GroupAdd, myEditors, ahk_class Notepad++
; ...

            RETURN   ; === end of auto-execute section ===

; Hotstring-Options:    
; C0: Case-insensitive
; O: Omit the ending character
; T: Send the replacement text raw
; EndChar: < 
#Hotstring T O C0
#Hotstring EndChars <    

#IfWinActive ahk_group myEditors

::if:: ; type if< to send 
Send {Text}
(
if ()
  {

  }
)
return

; type rexm< or RegExMatch< to send RegExMatch(,,,)
::rexm::RegExMatch(,,,)
::RegExMatch::RegExMatch(,,,)

; ...



 #IfWinActive ; turn off context-sensitivity