NotePad++ as a replacement for Stata's Do-File Editor

NEWS (1/13/2008): Apparently Notepad++ just keeps updating their software and it gets better and better. Although this software works great, there are added advantages to upgrading to a new version of NotePad++, yet you do sacrifice some of the beautiful simplicity of a basic text editor as you ask it to do more and more of your dirty work for you. The "rundo.exe" and "rundolines.exe" files still should work and the setup should be the same as before, but you need to go download a new version of NotePad++ and then follow the same instructions as below.

I would like to thank Friedrich Huebler for his Guide to integrating Stata and external text editors where he describes the programs which I customized for the Grad Lab.

NEWS (2/7/2008): The MIT Grad Lab recently installed Stata/SE 10.0, so I updated the script which performs the "do" and "do-lines" commands. Enjoy!

Here are the latest two updates that I've processed (both are also untested, but should still work if installed in the same manner as the old version below):

  • NotePad++ Version 4.8.2 integrated with Stata/SE 10.0 do and do-lines commands
  • NotePad++ Version 4.73 integrated with Stata/SE 8.2 and 9.2 do and do-lines commands

    • The only caveat is that Stata/SE 10.0 has to be located here:
    "C:\Program Files\Stata10\wsestata.exe"
    And must be named: "Stata/SE 10.0"
    for the hotkeys (F8-F9) to work properly.*
    Use the Ctrl- and Alt- keys to run older versions of Stata if they're still on your machine.

    P.S. I said before that this should be the last time you need to download this from me. Well, I goofed up and zipped up v.3.9 instead of 4.7.3 which had the automatic updater. So, anyway, here's version 4.8.2 which has the updater as well as a new version of the Stata code mark-ups. It looks much better than it did before for highlighting. I love well-done open-source code. Happy coding!

    All of you MIT Econ Grad students that are tired of Stata's lame text editor can feel free to download a version of NotePad++ where you can use the "do" and "dolines" features for Stata 9.2 by hitting F8 and F9, respectively. Or, if you still are using Stata 8.2, you can use F10 and F11, for "do" and "dolines".

    The only caveat is that Stata 8.2 has to be located here:
    "C:\Stata8\wsestata.exe"
    And must be named: "Stata/SE 8.2"
    And Stata 9.2 has to be located here:
    "C:\Program Files\Stata9\wsestata.exe"
    And must be named: "Stata/SE 9.2"
    for the hotkeys (F8-F11) to work properly.*

    NotePad++ v4.73 with Stata Do and Do-lines:
    Stata/SE 10.0 DOWNLOAD NOW

    Older (~v3.6) NotePad++ with Stata Do and Do-lines:
    Stata 8.2 and 9.2 DOWNLOAD NOW

    Direct any questions or complaints you might have to Randall Lewis, ID: randallL.

    * These are the locations where Stata is currently installed on the computers in the lab in E52 (Sloan Building) @ MIT.

    ** For anybody who wants to use this on other computers, the only requirement is that your Stata be located where this version of NotePad++ has been compiled for them to be located. So, you can either move Stata (or maybe create an *.exe which forwards to where you actually have it), or learn how to compile NotePad++ on your own: Instructions.