Home technology software windows Notepad to join the family of Unix, Linux, macOS Line Endings

Windows Notepad to join the family of Unix, Linux, macOS Line Endings

Software

CIO Bulletin
2018-05-09

After more than three decades, Microsoft updated Notepad app for Windows. This new change will aid you view text files created in Unix, Linux, and macOS on the notepad application. This app is part of the present Windows 10 Insider; the updated software will probably release on the next windows public release.

Previously Windows Notepad was supporting only those text documents which had Windows End of Line (EOL) characters, particularly Carriage Return (CR \r, 0x0d) and Line Feed (LF, \n, 0x0a). This did not mean that Notepad users could not open text files created on a Unix, Linux, or macOS machine, it opened but in an incorrect format.

Microsoft rectified this vex by providing additional support for Unix/Linux line endings (LF) and Macintosh line endings (CR) along with the present Windows line ending (CRLF). This development permits Windows Notepad users to view, edit, and print their present text files, proper maintenance of their current line ending format. The status bar on Notepad also starts indicating the detected line ending format of the currently open file. However, new files created within Notepad will continue to use the default CRLF format.