Is there an existing issue for this?

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Description of the Issue

Description of the Feature

Users often use Notepad++ to edit logs, configuration files, or share code snippets.
Frequently, there is a need to quickly hide sensitive information (passwords, IP addresses, API keys, etc) before sharing the file.

Currently, users have to manually replace text with asterisks, which often breaks column alignment in logs or fixed-width files.

Describe the solution you'd like.

Proposed Solution

I propose adding a "Redact Selection" command to the Edit menu.

• Functionality: Replaces the selected text with a block character.
• Preservation: Maintains the exact character count to preserve alignment.
• Safety: The feature should handle Read-Only files and disable itself during Column Mode to prevent formatting issues.

Note

I have already implemented this feature locally (including a modifier key for different styles) and tested it.
I will submit a Pull Request immediately to link to this issue.

Debug Information

Notepad++ v8.9   (64-bit)
Build time: Jan  6 2026 - 19:01:56
Scintilla/Lexilla included: 5.5.8/5.4.6
Boost Regex included: 1_90
TinyXML-2 included: 11.0.0
nlohmann JSON included: 3.12.0
Path: I:\Downloads\workbench\notepad-plus-plus\PowerEditor\visual.net\x64\Debug\notepad++.exe
Command Line: 
Admin mode: OFF
Local Conf mode: OFF
Cloud Config: OFF
Periodic Backup: OFF
Placeholders: OFF
Scintilla Rendering Mode: SC_TECHNOLOGY_DIRECTWRITE (1)
Multi-instance Mode: monoInst
asNotepad: OFF
File Status Auto-Detection: cdEnabledNew (for current file/tab only)
Dark Mode: ON
Display Info:
    primary monitor: 3840x2160, scaling 150%
    visible monitors count: 1
    installed Display Class adapters: 
        0000: Description - AMD Radeon RX 6600
        0000: DriverVersion - 32.0.21037.1004
        0001: Description - AMD Radeon RX 6600
        0001: DriverVersion - 32.0.21037.1004
OS Name: Windows 11 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version: 24H2
OS Build: 26100.7462
Current ANSI codepage: 1253
Plugins: none

Anything else?

No response