@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

Status — resolves NOTEPADPP_EXE, checks if the process is running
Open / new — launches Notepad++ with file paths or a fresh buffer
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`?

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

After publishing to npm (maintainers)

Bump version in package.json and src/config/notepadpp.config.ts (NPP.SERVER.VERSION).
Build and test: npm run build then test with local mcp.json.
Publish: npm publish --access public (logged in as package owner).
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

@mhdd_24/notepadpp-mcp