Notepad++ syntax highlighting for Dockerfiles

Store userDefineLang_Dockerfile.xml at %AppData%\Roaming\Notepad++\userDefineLangs\userDefineLang_Dockerfile.xml and select Language > Dockerfile in Notepad++.

Automatically apply style

Since Dockerfile has no extension, the style is not automatically applied.

A workaround is to use the Plugin PythonScript.

Once installed, select Plugins > Python script > Configuration and change Initialisation from LAZY to ATSTARTUP.

Create a new script: Plugins > Python script > New Script, copy the code below and save as Dockerfile.py:

def callback_BUFFERACTIVATED(args):
    if 'Dockerfile' in notepad.getBufferFilename(args['bufferID']):
        notepad.runMenuCommand('Language', 'Dockerfile')

notepad.clearCallbacks([NOTIFICATION.BUFFERACTIVATED ])
notepad.callback(callback_BUFFERACTIVATED, [NOTIFICATION.BUFFERACTIVATED ])

Source: community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/1134

Once you switch tabs, the style will be automatically applied to all tabs with the name Dockerfile. Currently, this does however not work on file open - if you find a solution, please add a comment.

Automatically apply style (Alternate approach)

There is a Python Script plugin for Notepad++ and a plugin for that available as Mode Line which can do any, or all, of:

• Set the language based on any python fnmatch rule(s) that you set, e.g. fnmatch.fnmatch('dockerfile*'). If you add the script to your Notepad++ python scripts start-up entry then this will work for any matching filename, not just extension, without needing to change any of the files.
• Set the language, (built-in or custom), to use based on a shebang, e.g. #! /usr/bin/env docker or #! /usr/bin/env podman, on the first line of each file. It is not a bad practice to have a shebang in each of your files anyway.
• Set the language &/or other settings based on Vim modeline entries in the file. Only really works if you are also using vim!

If you install the Python script plug-in, then follow the steps for installing the Mode Line plugin, set it to run on start-up as described and then edit either, or both, of the sections of %appdata%\Local\Notepad++\plugins\PythonScript\lib\ModelineLanguageDetectors.py for file name based or shebang detection then restart Notepad++ it works very nicely.

Clone this gist

git clone https://gist.github.com/centic9/deef9d855493eceaf4f8