{"id":48926,"date":"2025-08-15T15:19:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T19:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=48926"},"modified":"2025-08-18T14:29:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T18:29:49","slug":"notepad-exe-1-2-1139","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/15\/notepad-exe-1-2-1139\/","title":{"rendered":"Notepad.exe 1.2.1139"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marcin Krzyżanowski<\/a> (tweet<\/a>):<\/p>\n

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Notepad.exe is a native macOS application I've crafted with love to enhance your development experience. Built on a plug-and-play philosophy, it gets you coding instantly with zero setup, then scales with your needs. Whether you're prototyping Swift apps, experimenting with Python scripts, building iOS apps with automatic simulator support, or exploring new ideas, Notepad.exe provides a streamlined environment that grows with your expertise - from simple snippets to complex projects.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Write code and hit run. No project files, no configuration. Start simple, scale up with packages and iOS simulators when needed.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Local AI assistance that respects your code. What happens on your Mac, stays on your Mac.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

It’s kind of like CodeRunner but with a more powerful editor (with inline compiler errors and local AI assistance) and more Swift-specific features and templates. It costs $99 for a lifetime license or $24.99\/year.<\/p>\n\n

Fatbobman<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Nowadays, Xcode Playgrounds seems to have deviated from its original purpose, and configuring VSCode can be overly complex for beginners. Against this backdrop, how can we easily set up an environment suitable for learning and testing Swift? Perhaps Notepad.exe, as introduced in this article, will provide a satisfying solution.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

On the surface, Notepad.exe seems limited to single-code-file projects. However, this doesn’t prevent developers from thoroughly learning and testing functionalities. By simply adding @main<\/code> to the code, Notepad.exe can run it as a complete macOS application. This allows developers not only to explore individual APIs but also to observe their behavior throughout a complete application lifecycle.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

From my perspective, Swift Playgrounds were a great idea that didn’t really deliver. They’re weirdly heavyweight and slow and oftentimes just don’t work (though Xcode 26 seems to improve things). Notepad.exe is much more my style for doing quick experiments. If you use Little Snitch, be aware that Notepad.exe has very aggressive online activation. It won’t work without constant network access.<\/p>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n