Sublime Forum

Opening a new note with one click?

#1

Is there some way to always be one mouse click away from opening a new note?

Previously, I had Notepad2 replace Notepad via debugger registry hijack, and if (the original) Notepad was pinned to the taskbar its shortcut would always open a new note.

Now, when using that same trick, clicking (the original) Notepad just causes ST3 to regain focus. Alternatively, pinning an ST3 shortcut with the " -n" argument does let you create new notes, but requires a shift+click on the taskbar shortcut.

If there are other ways to have a single-click solution, like clicking a tray icon or clicking some hotspot on the screen, I’m fine with that too. I’m just looking for a really quick way to start a new note/file using only the mouse.

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#2

You can generally middle click on an application’s taskbar entry to launch a new instance in Windows, I believe

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#3

Yes, confirmed, middle-click will launch a new note (window) as well but, like shift+click, it’s more awkward than just left-clicking a taskbar app icon.

I found a roundabout way to do it with a batch file:

  1. Create a new file, Sublime Text (New).cmd, with:
    start "" "C:\path\sublime_text.exe" -n
  2. Create a shortcut (.lnk) to the *.cmd file, Sublime Text (New)
  3. Right-click on the shortcut -> Properties
  4. Change the shortcut’s target to:
    C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c "C:\path\Sublime Text (New).cmd"
  5. Change the icon to the one in sublime_text.exe
  6. Right-click on the shortcut -> Pin to Taskbar

Clicking this pinned shortcut will always open a new note (as long as there isn’t a blank one already open), though it may annoyingly blink a command prompt for a split second.

It would be even better if there was some ST setting/flag that would get it to open a new window if it was executed again (instead of just regaining focus)… then pinning notepad.exe to taskbar would give you a quick shortcut to start a new note.

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#4

OK so the roundabout way is no longer necessary for ST4. The old simpler process I used to use now works for it:

  1. Install Notepad Replacer and select ST4’s “sublime_text.exe”
  2. Pin Notepad to taskbar (C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe)
  3. Done! A single-click on that Notepad icon will open a new note in Sublime Text.
  4. (Optional) You can shift+right-click on that pin and also set a global shortcut key to always open a new note. (I use Ctrl+Shift+X).
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#5

I totally get where you’re coming from with wanting to streamline note-taking in Sublime Text. It’s such a handy tool for coding, and being able to jot down quick notes without breaking your flow is crucial.

One neat trick I found is using a plugin called https://notesonline.com/. It lets you open a new note with just one click, which is super convenient when you need to jot down ideas or snippets while coding. I’ve been using it for a while now, and it’s made my workflow a lot smoother.

Always up for learning new tricks to boost productivity!

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