@mhdd_24/notepadpp-mcp

MCP server for Notepad++ on Windows. Use it from Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code Copilot, or any MCP-compatible client to open files, check editor status, and save/load session snapshots.

Full documentation: docs/WIKI.md

How it works (30 seconds)

You (chat) → MCP client → notepadpp-mcp → notepad++.exe / session.xml

1. Status — resolves NOTEPADPP_EXE, checks if the process is running
2. Open / new — launches Notepad++ with file paths or a fresh buffer
3. Sessions — reads live session.xml; save/load named snapshots via -openSession

Prerequisites

| Requirement | Notes | |-------------|--------| | Node.js 18+ | Required for MCP server | | Notepad++ 8+ | Default: C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe | | Windows | CLI + session.xml (no Python) |

Install

Option A — npm (recommended after publish)

npm install -g @mhdd_24/notepadpp-mcp

Option B — npx (no global install)

npx @mhdd_24/notepadpp-mcp

Option C — clone and build (contributors)

git clone https://github.com/Mhdd-24/NotePadpp-MCP.git
cd NotePadpp-MCP
npm install
npm run build
node dist/index.js

Configure your MCP client

Cursor

Edit Cursor Settings → MCP or ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "notepadpp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mhdd_24/notepadpp-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "NOTEPADPP_EXE": "C:/Program Files/Notepad++/notepad++.exe",
        "NOTEPADPP_WORKDIR": "C:/Users/You/Documents/NotepadPP-Notes"
      }
    }
  }
}

After global install, you can use:

"command": "notepadpp-mcp"

Local development:

"command": "node",
"args": ["C:/path/to/notepadpp-mcp/dist/index.js"]

Restart Cursor (or toggle the MCP server off/on) after saving.

Environment variables

| Variable | Required | Default | Purpose | |----------|----------|---------|---------| | NOTEPADPP_EXE | No | Program Files path | Path to notepad++.exe | | NOTEPADPP_WORKDIR | No | %USERPROFILE%\Documents\NotepadPP-Notes | Base for relative paths | | NOTEPADPP_SESSION_XML | No | %APPDATA%\Notepad++\session.xml | Live session file | | NOTEPADPP_SESSION_STORAGE_DIR | No | %APPDATA%\Notepad++\notepadpp-mcp-sessions | Named snapshots |

Never commit machine-specific paths that identify private orgs. Put local overrides only in MCP env or a gitignored .env.

Tools

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | npp_status | Exe path, process running, session/workdir | | npp_open | Open file(s) in Notepad++ | | npp_new | New empty buffer or create+open a file | | npp_list_session | List paths from live session.xml | | npp_save_session | Snapshot live session under a name | | npp_load_session | Load named session via -openSession | | npp_run | Escape hatch with custom CLI args |

What happens after npm install?

1. Package files land in node_modules/@mhdd_24/notepadpp-mcp/ (or global prefix if -g).
2. prepack / publish includes compiled dist/ — no local build needed for end users.
3. The notepadpp-mcp bin points to dist/index.js.
4. Your MCP client runs that entry over stdio.
5. Tools are registered; the server waits for CallTool requests from the AI.

After publishing to npm (maintainers)

1. Bump version in package.json and src/config/notepadpp.config.ts (NPP.SERVER.VERSION).
2. Build and test: npm run build then test with local mcp.json.
3. Publish: npm publish --access public (logged in as package owner).
4. Users update by restarting MCP — npx picks up the new version automatically.

Current package version: 1.0.1.

See WIKI — Publishing for the checklist.

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Fix | |---------|-----| | Exe not found | Set NOTEPADPP_EXE | | Empty session list | Open saved files in Notepad++, then retry | | Session load opens new window | Check Notepad++ multi-instance preferences |

License

ISC