How to reformat JSON in Notepad++?

Question

I need Notepad++ to take a json string from this

{"menu": {"id": "file","value": "File","popup": {"menuitem": [{"value": "New", "onclick": "CreateNewDoc()"},{"value": "Open", "onclick": "OpenDoc()"},{"value": "Close", "onclick": "CloseDoc()"}]}}}

to this…

{"menu": {
  "id": "file",
  "value": "File",
  "popup": {
    "menuitem": [
      {"value": "New", "onclick": "CreateNewDoc()"},
      {"value": "Open", "onclick": "OpenDoc()"},
      {"value": "Close", "onclick": "CloseDoc()"}
    ]
  }
}}

I looked around at all the TextFX options but couldn’t find anything that worked.

For 32-bit version, see stackoverflow.com/a/65762242.
– Henke — Henke

scw · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-22T19:40:56

Update:
As of Notepad++ v7.6, use Plugin Admin to install JSTool per this answer

INSTALL

Download it from http://sourceforge.net/projects/jsminnpp/ and copy JSMinNpp.dll to plugin directory of Notepad++. Or you can just install “JSTool” from Plugin Manager in Notepad++.

New Notepad++ install and where did PluginManager go? See How to view Plugin Manager in Notepad++

{
  "menu" : {
    "id" : "file",
    "value" : "File",
    "popup" : {
      "menuitem" : [{
      "value" : "New",
          "onclick" : "CreateNewDoc()"
        }, {
          "value" : "Open",
          "onclick" : "OpenDoc()"
        }, {
          "value" : "Close",
          "onclick" : "CloseDoc()"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tip: Select the code you want to reformat, then Plugins | JSTool | JSFormat.

Thanks. I checked. I ended up using JSONViewer as it is lets format the JSON data and not just view it in nested tree format. — smile.al.d.way
JSTool can also format the JSON data. Just press Ctrl-Alt-M. I tried a few plugins now and I find this is the best one. — prograde
This can be installed directly from the built in “Plugin Manager” in Notepad++. Go “Plugins > Plugin Manager > Show Plugin Manager > Available tab” — Dib
A 64-bit version can be downloaded directly from here: notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/13064/… — brentlightsey

Hardik Leuwa · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-10T07:22:26

For Notepad++ v.7.6 and above Plugins Admin… is available.

Open Menu Plugins > Plugins Admin…
Search JSON Viewer
Check JSON Viewer in List
Click on Install Button
Restart Notepad++
Select JSON text
Go to Plugins > JSON Viewer > Format JSON ( Ctrl + Alt + Shift + M )

We can install any Notepad++ supported plugins using Plugins Admin…

This is a very simple technique. Thanks. I just want to add in order to format after installing the plugin one needs 1) Select JSON objects 2) Go to plugins ** 3)**JSON Viewer accordion 4) Lastly, Format JSON. OR Just hit Cntrl + Shift + Alt + M — Yashwin Munsadwala
plugins > Plugins admin no longer works in the current version. — Michael Tuchman
@Michael Tuchman, May i know in which version Plugins > Plugins Admin… not work? — Hardik Leuwa
I have test Plugins > Plugins Admin… by JSON Viewer in latest version Notepad++ v7.8 and its working properly — Hardik Leuwa
@Michael Tuchman, I have tested Plugins Admin.. in Notepad ++ 7.6.6 (64 bit) by this same JSON sample asked in question. and its working properly. — Hardik Leuwa

Dan Atkinson · Accepted Answer · 2018-05-17T11:07:44

You require a plugin to format JSON. To install the plugin do the following steps:

Open notepad++ -> ALT+P -> Plugin Manager -> Selcet JSON Viewer -> Click
Install
Restart notepad++
Now you can use shortcut to format json as CTRL + ALT +SHIFT + M
or ALT+P -> Plugin Manager -> JSON Viewer -> Format JSON

This format algorithm is not robust and fails often, the JSTool (see answer of ibr) is much more robust. — Stefan

Community · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-01T11:14:49

I personally use JSON Viewer since the Notepad++ plugin doesn’t work any more.

EDIT – 24th May 2012
I advise that you download the JSMin plugin for Notepad as mentioned in the answer. This works well for me in the latest version (v6.1.2 at time of writing).
EDIT – 7th November 2017
As per @danday74’s comment below, JSMin is now JSToolNpp. Also, please be aware that the JSON Viewer tool is on Codeplex which will likely disappear in the near future.

Given the above, this answer is no longer relevant and you should use Dan H’s answer instead. My answer is simply here for posterity.

It works when I do Plugins -> JSMin -> JSMin (New File) and then JSFormat — aliopi
JSON Viewer works fine on np++ version 7.5.1, available in the plugin manager. — Andrew Cowenhoven
@DanAtkinson Thanks for keeping your answer updated. I appreciate knowing that answers to old questions haven’t gotten stale. 🙂 — Adam Porad

Pang · Accepted Answer · 2009-11-20T01:20:07

Universal Indent GUI plugin for Notepad++ will turn your sample into:

{
    "menu" : {
        "id" : "file", "value" : "File", "popup" : {
            "menuitem" : [ {
                "value" : "New", "onclick" : "CreateNewDoc()";
            }
            , {
                "value" : "Open", "onclick" : "OpenDoc()";
            }
            , {
                "value" : "Close", "onclick" : "CloseDoc()";
            }
            ];
        }
    }
}

unfortunately, this does not work with the newest Unicode version of Notepad++ 5.5 — Anthony Shaw

R15 · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-04T08:07:13

As per the latest notepad++, updated answer. Install JSON Viewer

Open notepad++ go to Plugins –> click Plugins Admin..

In Plugins Admin window search for JSON Viewer and click on Install

New after installing plugin, this is how you can view file in JSON format

ibr · Accepted Answer · 2019-02-11T14:32:47

simply go to this link
download the dll
copy and paste the dll to the plugins folder at notepad++, Notepad++plugins
restart the notepad++, and it should be shown in the list

NOTE: this dll supports 64 bit notepade++

Millhouse · Accepted Answer · 2010-08-23T18:18:35

It’s not an NPP solution, but in a pinch, you can use this online JSON Formatter and then just paste the formatted text into NPP and then select Javascript as the language.

@Brent.Longborough Thanks for that little nugget of advice! The JS highlighting has a weird gray background, python highlighting is much easier on the eyes. — galaktor
Online json formatters are good but sometimes you don’t want to risk sending the data you’re formatting across the Internet. — C.M.

User0106 · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-21T11:07:08

If formatting JSON is the main goal and you have VisualStudio then it is simple and easy.

Open Visual Studio
File -> New -> File
Select Web in left side panel
Select JSON
Copy paste your raw JSON value
Press Ctrl + K and Ctrl + D

That’s it. you will get formatted JSON Value.

I was searching tool for format JSON values and found this link. Later I found Visual studio steps. It may useful for someone who is looking for formatting JSON values. — User0106
I usually resort to using this since my developer environment is reset from contract to contact. I just paste it into any .json, select all, copy, then undo. — C.M.

SUN · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-11T03:35:10

JSMinNpp plugin will do this job.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/jsminnpp/

Nitin Lawande · Accepted Answer · 2021-03-04T05:50:08

Steps to add JSON viewer plugin for notepad++:

Download JSON viewer plugin for notepad++ from sourceforge.
Copy NPPJSONViewer.dll into Notepad++pluginsNPPJSONViewer folder
restart the notepad++
select JSON and click on plugins > JSON Viewer > Format JSON (CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+M).
Done.

Siva · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-19T23:06:54

The following Notepad++ plugin worked for me as suggested by “SUN”
https://sourceforge.net/projects/jsminnpp/

olliaroa · Accepted Answer · 2019-03-27T11:51:40

You can view in Notepad++ no problem now (maybe older versions were bugged?)

for win64:
You can find the latest plugin here: https://github.com/kapilratnani/JSON-Viewer/releases . The latest zip file contains a .dll file.

And then follow the github priject README instructions:

Paste the file “NPPJSONViewer.dll” to Notepad++ plugin folder

open a document containing a JSON string

Select JSON fragment and navigate to plugins/JSON Viewer/show JSON Viewer or press “Ctrl+Alt+Shift+J”

Voila!! if the JSON is valid, it will be shown in a Treeview

It should be the same process for win32 but I cannot personally verify it.

Richard Lloyd · Accepted Answer · 2010-03-10T07:20:04

It worked for me in the latest edition to Notepad using the UniversalIndentGui.

What I did was under the plugin setting choose Enable Text Auto Update, a window popped up and I selected javascript.

DevBezz · Accepted Answer · 2011-03-30T21:43:31

Notepad 5.8.7 and jsmin 1.7.0.0 works wonderful here.

Be careful though, found out jsmin eats the comments the hard way (should have read first).

Stonetip · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-23T03:42:19

I’m using the JSON Viewer plug-in with NPP 5.9 and it seems to work well.

Josh · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-21T03:18:03

I know this thread is old but I recently ran into a problem with JSToolNPP not being compatible with my newly updated N++, I did find a replacement that seems to work. http://sourceforge.net/projects/nppjsonviewer/

Use at your own risk, ofc. (standard disclaimer from me when linking anything outside the SExchange, fyi)

Esko Piirainen · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-27T11:07:51

If you don’t want to install a Notepad++ plugin but you have Firefox and a JSON plugin for Firefox, you can select Run -> Launch in Firefox. You get the contents formatted as JSON using your Firefox plugin.

This is what I personally do.

jslmsca · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-24T17:07:22

For those of us behind a corporate firewall with no direct access to the internet, using the Plugins Admin won’t work. To use the JSMinNpp plugin, you can’t just “copy the dll to the plugins folder”. It needs to live inside a folder called “JSMinNpp” inside the plugins folder. After doing that and restarting Notepad++, I was able to see the “JSTool” menu option under the Plugins menu.

Tested with Notepad++ 7.8.2 and 7.8.9.

Henke · Accepted Answer · 2021-01-17T15:04:05

I use 32-bit Notepad++ version 7.5.6. I have found that 32-bit JSToolNpp 1.20.0
does a great job.
The direct link is:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/jsminnpp/files/Uni/JSToolNPP.1.2006.0.uni.32.zip/download
which is redirected from https://sourceforge.net/projects/jsminnpp/.
VirusTotal link:
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/008ee0ce889dfd9e96b975cebe6faafe28bc350352e951f3dec97e8e5bec5a07

JSON-Viewer
works fine too, but cannot sort the JSON data.

Ahmed Magdy · Accepted Answer · 2010-11-19T23:06:45

You can use http://www.jsonlint.com/ to edit your json online if you don’t have Notepad++.

user6490462

Ahmed Magdy

4

Directly from N++? (-1)
– Kenneth K.
upvoted. this link was usefull after the plugin wasnt accepted due to its 32bit version.
– CodeToLife
Upvoted. Provides a correct solution even though not through notepad.
– Mbotet
For 32-bit version, I suggest taking a look at stackoverflow.com/a/65762242.
– Henke

Cody Caughlan · Accepted Answer · 2009-11-20T01:03:24

I know you asked about NotePad++ but TextMate for OS X can do it via the JSON bundle, its called the “Reformat Document” command.

shA.t · Accepted Answer · 2010-07-08T20:03:02

Your best bet is to use one of the latest versions of Eclipse (I am using Eclipse Galileo J2EE and Eclipse Ganymede J2EE). Create a JavaScript file, then create a variable:

var jsonObject = {"menu": {"id": "file","value": "File","popup": {"menuitem": [{"value": "New", "onclick": "CreateNewDoc()"},{"value": "Open", "onclick": "OpenDoc()"},{"value": "Close", "onclick": "CloseDoc()"}]}}};

Lastly, hit CTRL+SHIFT+F and voila! You have a nicely indented JSON Object. I, too, am looking for a Notepad++ JSON formatter, and I very well may be forced to develop an Npp plugin some short time in the future.

If you have Visual Studio, simply paste the json text into a new file and it will be formatted automatically. — Sergey OCHKIN
I, too, am looking for a Notepad++ JSON formatter, If you have same question please don’t add an answer like this and keep SO clean ;). — shA.t

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How to reformat JSON in Notepad++?

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Update:

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