Documentation
MacPad++ is a fast, tabbed code and text editor for macOS, built for people who moved from Windows and miss a powerful, familiar editor.
Getting started
- Open files with
⌘O, by dragging them onto the window, or with Open With › MacPad++ in Finder. - New tab:
⌘N. Unsaved tabs are named “new 1”, “new 2” and so on, and are kept across restarts. - Language: MacPad++ detects the language from the file name. Change it from the Language menu or by clicking the document type in the status bar.
- Encoding and line endings: shown in the status bar. Change them from the Encoding menu or Edit › EOL Conversion.
Essential shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Find / Replace | ⌘F / ⌥⌘F |
| Find in Files | ⇧⌘F |
| Find Next | ⌘G or F3 |
| Go to line | ⌘L |
| Duplicate line | ⌘D |
| Move line up / down | ⌃⌘↑ / ⌃⌘↓ |
| Toggle comment | ⌘K / ⇧⌘K |
| Column editor | ⌥⌘C |
| Column (rectangular) selection | ⌥-drag |
| Add a cursor | ⌘-click |
| Switch documents | ⌃Tab (hold ⌃) |
| Record / play macro | ⇧⌘R / ⇧⌘P |
You can change every shortcut in Settings › Shortcut Mapper….
Tabs and split view
Right-click a tab, or use View › Move/Clone Current Document, to show a document in a second view next to the first. A cloned document is the same text in both views, so edits appear in both at once. Drag tabs to reorder them or to move them between views and windows.
Searching
- The Find window has Find, Replace, Find in Files and Mark tabs, and three modes: Normal, Extended (
\n,\t,\x41…) and Regular expression. - Find All lists every match in the Search Results window (
F7). Double-click a result to jump to it. - Mark highlights matches in one of five styles and can bookmark their lines.
Panels
- Function List shows the functions and classes of the current file.
- Folder as Workspace shows a folder tree. Add folders with File › Open Folder as Workspace….
- Document Map shows a miniature of the whole document for quick navigation.
- Document List, Clipboard History and Character Panel are in the View and Edit menus.
Macros
Choose Macro › Start Recording, do your edits (including searches and replacements), then Stop Recording. Play the macro back once, or with Run a Macro Multiple Times… until the end of the file. Save it to give it a name and a shortcut.
Appearance
Choose a theme and adjust colours and fonts per language in Settings › Style Configurator…. MacPad++ includes Default, Classic and two dark themes, and follows the system’s Dark Mode if you like.
Your work is safe
MacPad++ remembers your open tabs, including unsaved ones, and restores them after you quit or if the app crashes. Saving never damages the original file if something goes wrong, for example when the disk is full.
Mac App Store limits
- Plugins cannot be installed. Popular plugin features are built in under the Plugins and Tools menus.
- The Run menu opens web pages and browsers rather than running shell commands.
- Find in Files and Folder as Workspace work on folders you have chosen.
Need more help? See Support.