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In Eclipse it is possible to comment out multiple lines at once by selecting them and executing CTRL + /:

// helloworld

Is this possible in Notepad++ as well instead of typing /+/ in front of each individual line?

1
  • If the shortcut aren't working to (un)comment: delete langs.xml and try again.
    – JinSnow
    Mar 8, 2018 at 22:14

5 Answers 5

112

Select desired lines and then press CTRL+Q. This will toggle comments on and off.

Also, I've just recently become a fan of ALT + Left Mouse Click to select multiple lines and just manually comment those lines with //.

I've found the ALT + Left Mouse Click trick to work well with Visual Studio, JetBrain products, Notepad++ but not Eclipse.

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  • 1
    The ALT + LMC and subsequently // works in .scala as well. To uncomment: ALT + LMC and subsequently two times DEL
    – 030
    Jul 30, 2014 at 20:01
  • 1
    Select multiply lines and Ctrl+Q is faster than multiline select and //
    – Pacerier
    Jun 30, 2015 at 2:57
  • 1
    "This will toggle comments on and off" as VitaminYes wrote. If you want to re-commment the commented lines, see @john-robertson 's response superuser.com/a/916881/342669
    – malarres
    Sep 16, 2015 at 14:20
  • 2
    For the people, with who CTRL+Qdidn't work, you have to choose the lanuage of your file from the language menu, otherwise notepad++ will not know what is the comment type you want. Feb 7, 2017 at 18:44
  • <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>Q</kbd> does not quite work as expected, though. If there is already a comment in there, the comment is un-commented. For example, select a bunch of C++ code with one of those selected lines being // This is amazing code!. Now that line will be converted to This is amazing code!. The feature is "doing what it says on the tin", just not what was expected! Personally, I'd expect that if >50% of selected lines were not commented then comment them all, and vice versa.
    – AlainD
    Nov 16, 2020 at 23:03
28

Also CTRL+K works well in Notepad++ to comment. If you had existing comments in a long block you are commenting, CTRL+Q will uncomment your actual comments, where CTRL+K just add another level of // in front. CTRL+SHIFT+K removes a single line comment from the selection.

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  • This is a Ctrl-Q bug actually. If there are half commented lines and half uncommented lines, Ctrl-Q should comment them all, then uncomment them all, then comment them all again.
    – Pacerier
    Jun 30, 2015 at 3:09
  • 1
    Verified that CTRL+K works as well to comment out in Notepad++
    – 030
    Jul 18, 2015 at 18:56
14

In notepad++ I believe that the shortcut is CTRL+Q for commenting the code.

You can go to Settings > Shortcut Mapper to change this to match your preference.

The default for a block comment is CTRL+SHIFT+Q. So you can highlight the block of code then use this shortcut.

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  • I have created a .html file and executing the command results in <!-- -->, but nothing happens in a .scala file
    – 030
    Jul 30, 2014 at 19:38
  • 4
    CTRL + SHIFT + Q results in /* */ in a .java file
    – 030
    Jul 30, 2014 at 19:40
  • 1
    These are the different comments for different languages. Here is a list of supported languages natively in Notepad++: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notepad%2B%2B#Programming_languages
    – Dan Smith
    Jul 30, 2014 at 19:42
  • 2
    So how do you uncomment in HTML? Sep 22, 2014 at 13:20
  • 2
    @DanSmith, Dam I can't uncomment the commented code. What's the opposite of Ctrl-Shift-Q?
    – Pacerier
    Jun 30, 2015 at 3:00
0

If you prefer only using the mouse, install the "Customize Toolbar" plugin from the plugin manager, and add "Single Line Comment" and "Single Line Uncomment" buttons.

0

An alternative is to use a macro with a custom shortcut (CTRL+Q didn't work on javascript inside a .html document)

The trick works for a single line comment only.

Create the macro :

  1. Macro > Start recording
  2. place the cursor in your doc and type: //

  3. Macro > Stop recording

  4. Macro > Save
  5. Give a name and select your prefered keyboard shortcut.

To quickly comment a line :

Place the cursor at the beginning of the line to comment and press the shortcut you defined for the macro.

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