Scripting Notepad: Automating Table and Snippet Workflows for Devs

Pipe CSV into this script and paste the output into your editor. Bind it to a hotkey using your OS’s hotkey manager or a lightweight launcher (Alfred, Raycast, Rofi).

Practical pattern #3 — Notepad++: PythonScript plugin for table alignment and PlantUML snippets

Notepad++ is scriptable via the PythonScript plugin. Below is a concise script that aligns a selected Markdown table and can insert a PlantUML skeleton at the cursor.

# Align selected markdown table (Notepad++ PythonScript)
from Npp import notepad, editor
import re
sel = editor.getSelText()
if not sel:
    notepad.messageBox('Select a table first')
else:
    lines = [l for l in sel.splitlines() if l.strip()]
    cols = [re.split(r'\s*\|\s*', l.strip('| ')) for l in lines]
    maxc = max(len(c) for c in cols)
    widths = [0]*maxc
    for row in cols:
        for i, cell in enumerate(row):
            widths[i] = max(widths[i], len(cell))
    out = []
    for i, row in enumerate(cols):
        rowcells = []
        for j in range(maxc):
            val = row[j] if j < len(row) else ''
            rowcells.append(val.ljust(widths[j]))
        out.append('| ' + ' | '.join(rowcells) + ' |')
    editor.replaceSel('\n'.join(out))

To insert a PlantUML snippet automatically, create a small snippet file and bind it to a menu item or macro.

Practical pattern #4 — Neovim (Lua): table formatting + luasnip for diagrams

Neovim users often want fast table alignment and snippet expansion. Use a compact Lua function plus luasnip for PlantUML/Mermaid templates.

-- init.lua snippet
local api = vim.api
function AlignMarkdownTable()
  local s = api.nvim_buf_get_mark(0, '<')[1]
  local e = api.nvim_buf_get_mark(0, '>')[1]
  local lines = api.nvim_buf_get_lines(0, s-1, e, false)
  local cols = {}
  for _, l in ipairs(lines) do
    local cells = {}
    for cell in l:gmatch('[^|]+') do
      table.insert(cells, vim.trim(cell))
    end
    table.insert(cols, cells)
  end
  local maxc = 0
  for _, row in ipairs(cols) do maxc = math.max(maxc, #row) end
  local widths = {}
  for i=1,maxc do widths[i] = 0 end
  for _, row in ipairs(cols) do
    for i=1,#row do widths[i] = math.max(widths[i], #row[i]) end
  end
  local out = {}
  for _, row in ipairs(cols) do
    local parts = {}
    for i=1,maxc do
      local v = row[i] or ''
      table.insert(parts, v .. string.rep(' ', widths[i]-#v))
    end
    table.insert(out, '| ' .. table.concat(parts, ' | ') .. ' |')
  end
  api.nvim_buf_set_lines(0, s-1, e, false, out)
end

vim.api.nvim_set_keymap('v', 't', ':lua AlignMarkdownTable()', { noremap = true })

Combine with Neovim and luasnip templates for PlantUML or Mermaid snippets and trigger them with a short key.

Practical pattern #5 — Rendering diagrams from snippets (PlantUML / Mermaid / Graphviz)

Automate diagram generation with small CLIs. Keep the snippet in your editor, run a command to render, and insert the image path or base64 into your documentation. Below is a minimal Makefile target and a bash helper.

# render.sh
# Usage: ./render.sh diagram.puml diagram.png
IN=$1
OUT=$2
if [[ $IN == *.puml || $IN == *.uml ]]; then
  plantuml -tpng -o $(dirname "$OUT") "$IN"
elif [[ $IN == *.mmd ]]; then
  npx @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli -i "$IN" -o "$OUT"
else
  echo "Unknown diagram type"
fi

Bind this to an editor command or use a simple watcher that re‑renders whenever the snippet file changes. In 2026 many teams run this in CI to ensure rendered diagrams are part of documentation builds, keeping the editor lightweight but the output reproducible.

Snippets strategy: structure, versioning, and sync

Store snippets, macros, and small utilities in a dedicated Git repo. Use a clear folder layout so scripts can be sourced easily:

dotfiles/snippets/
  notepad/          # AutoHotkey, clipboard scripts
  npp/               # PythonScript macros for Notepad++
  neovim/            # luasnips + lua utils
  templates/         # plantuml, mermaid templates
  tools/             # small CLIs or wrappers (bash, python)

Commit changes with a semantic message and tag when you update a template used by multiple projects. Use git hooks to keep the local repo in sync (post‑checkout to copy snippets to editor folders) and CI to run basic smoke tests (can the Python script parse sample CSV?).

Collaboration: share snippet repos and CI renderers

Encourage teammates to clone the snippets repo or publish a small installer that places macros into standard locations. For shared diagrams and documentation, add a CI job that renders any PlantUML/Mermaid files and commits the images back or attaches them to the release artifacts.

# .github/workflows/render.yml
on: [push]
jobs:
  render:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Render PlantUML
        run: |
          find . -name '*.puml' -print0 | xargs -0 -I{} bash -c 'plantuml -tpng {}'
      - name: Commit images
        run: |
          git config user.name ci
          git config user.email ci@example.com
          git add '**/*.png' || true
          git commit -m 'CI: render diagrams' || true
          git push || true

Security and privacy considerations

• Be careful when using LLMs or cloud snippet sync: do not send secrets or internal topology into third‑party services.
• Prefer local model inference or opt‑in enterprise LLMs with on‑prem options for diagram generation.
• Sign and verify critical snippet releases in your shared repo to prevent supply‑chain issues for macros that run shell commands.

Testing and reliability for your small automations

Treat scripts like code. Add simple tests so table parsers and rendering wrappers behave consistently:

• Write unit tests for CSV → Markdown transformations (pytest for Python, bats for shell).
• Use sample diagram files that CI renders to ensure the CLI versions are compatible.
• Run lints on scripts and enforce consistent shebangs and permissions.

Advanced architectures and future predictions (2026+)

Looking ahead, here are several advanced strategies and reliable predictions for editor automation:

• WASM micro‑plugins: Small WASM modules will let you write cross‑editor plugins that run securely without native installs. Read more about the evolution of on‑device and edge hosting that enables these patterns.
• Local model snippet generators: Teams will standardize on trusted, local LLMs to expand DSLs into PlantUML/Mermaid code, reducing manual boilerplate.
• Editor‑agnostic snippet registries: A community standard for snippet metadata (YAML/JSON) will make it trivial to share snippets across Notepad, Neovim, Sublime, or lightweight UIs like Tromjaro's default editors.

Mini‑case study: network diagram workflow at a mid‑sized engineering team

One team replaced repeated manual diagram creation by:

1. Storing a set of PlantUML network templates in a git repo.
2. Providing an AutoHotkey helper that inserts the chosen template into Notepad and prompts for parameters (subnet, device names).
3. CI renders diagrams into the docs site and flags rendering failures in pull requests.

Result: diagram creation time dropped from ~30 minutes to ~5 minutes per diagram, and diagrams stayed in version control with code changes.

Checklist: deploy this in one afternoon

1. Create a snippets repo and add a README with install instructions.
2. Implement a clipboard→markdown script for your OS and bind it to a hotkey.
3. Add a PlantUML and Mermaid template folder and a small render script.
4. Configure CI to render diagrams and smoke‑test scripts.
5. Document the snippet naming convention and push the repo so teammates can clone it.

Resources & starters (copy‑paste friendly)

• AutoHotkey: https://www.autohotkey.com/
• PlantUML CLI: https://plantuml.com/command-line
• Mermaid CLI: @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli (npm)
• csvkit: https://csvkit.readthedocs.io
• Neovim + luasnip: https://github.com/L3MON4D3/LuaSnip

Final takeaways

Automating Notepad and other lightweight editors isn’t about bloating the editor — it’s about building a thin automation layer: hotkeys, small scripts, and reproducible templates that plug into your daily workflows. In 2026 the tooling landscape favors portable, testable, and auditable automations (WASM plugins, local LLMs, CLI pipelines). Start small: a clipboard → table converter, a PlantUML snippet, and a repo to version them. Those three things will save hours each month across teams.

Call to action

Get started now: clone our starter snippets repo (template folder, AutoHotkey helpers, Neovim Lua, Notepad++ macros) and follow the install guide. Want the repo link and a checklist mailed to your inbox? Click to download the ZIP or subscribe for weekly automation recipes tailored for dev teams.

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