# Kate (text editor) > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kate_(text_editor) > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kate_(text_editor).md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_(text_editor) > Source revision: 1356925441 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Text editor}} {{Primary sources|date=May 2014}} {{Infobox software | title = Kate | name = KDE Applications | logo = Sc-apps-kate-editor.svg | logo_size = 64x64px | screenshot = Kate 24.12.0 screenshot.webp | caption = Kate 24.12.0 in [KDE Plasma 6](/source/KDE_Plasma_6) | developer = [KDE](/source/KDE) | released = {{Start date and age|2001}} | latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q261933|P348|P548=Q2804309}} | latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q261933|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}} | latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q261933|P348|P548=Q51930650}} | latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q261933|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}} | repo = {{URL|https://invent.kde.org/utilities/kate}} | programming language = [C++](/source/C%2B%2B), [Qt](/source/Qt_(software)) | operating system = {{Plainlist| *25 [Linux distributions](/source/Linux_distributions){{cite news |title=Distribution Packages |url=http://kate-editor.org/get-it/ |newspaper=Kate |date=9 July 2010 |publisher=[KDE](/source/KDE) |access-date=23 March 2014}}{{cite web |title=Distributions Shipping KDE |url=http://www.kde.org/download/distributions.php |website=Kde.org |publisher=[KDE](/source/KDE) |access-date=23 March 2014}} *[Microsoft Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows){{cite web |title=Kate on Windows|url=http://kate-editor.org/2016/01/28/kate-on-windows/ |website=kate-editor.org |date=28 January 2016 |publisher=[KDE](/source/KDE) |access-date=10 February 2016}} *[macOS](/source/macOS){{cite web |title=Kate on Mac OS|url=https://kate-editor.org/get-it/ |website=kate-editor.org |date=9 July 2010 |publisher=[KDE](/source/KDE) |access-date=10 September 2016}} }} | genre = [Source code editor](/source/Source_code_editor) | license = [LGPL-2.0-or-later](/source/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License), [MIT](/source/MIT_License){{ cite web |title=Kate |url=https://invent.kde.org/utilities/kate |access-date=2025-04-05}} | website = {{Official URL}} }} The '''KDE Advanced Text Editor''', or '''Kate''', is a [source code editor](/source/Source-code_editor) developed by the [KDE](/source/KDE) [free software](/source/free_software) community. It has been a part of [KDE Software Compilation](/source/KDE_Software_Compilation) since [version 2.2](/source/K_Desktop_Environment_2), which was first released in 2001. Intended for software developers, it features [syntax highlighting](/source/syntax_highlighting), [code folding](/source/code_folding), customizable layouts, multiple cursors and selections, [regular expression](/source/regular_expression) support, and extensibility via plugins. ==History== Kate has been part of the KDE Software Compilation since [release 2.2](/source/K_Desktop_Environment_2) in 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.kde.org/announcements/changelogs/changelog2_1to2_2.php |title=2.1 to 2.2 Changelog |website=KDE.org |access-date=2015-07-02}} Because of [KParts](/source/KParts) technology, it is possible to embed Kate as an editing component in other KDE applications. Major [KDE applications](/source/list_of_KDE_applications) which use Kate as an editing component include the [integrated development environment](/source/integrated_development_environment) [KDevelop](/source/KDevelop), the web development environment Quanta Plus, and the LaTeX front-end [Kile](/source/Kile).{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} Kate has won the advanced text editor comparison in ''[Linux Voice](/source/Linux_Voice)'' magazine.{{cite web |url=http://www.linuxvoice.com/issue-2-is-out/ |title=Issue 2 is Out! |website=LinuxVoice.com |access-date=2015-07-02 |archive-date=2015-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703184555/http://www.linuxvoice.com/issue-2-is-out/ |url-status=dead }} In 2014, development started to port Kate, along with [Dolphin](/source/Dolphin_(file_manager)), [Konsole](/source/Konsole), [KDE Telepathy](/source/KDE_Telepathy), and [Yakuake](/source/Yakuake), to [KDE Frameworks 5](/source/KDE_Frameworks_5).{{cite web |url= http://www.golem.de/news/unix-desktop-kde-sc-4-14-wird-4er-reihe-abschliessen-1407-107792.html |title= KDE SC 4.14 wird 4er-Reihe abschließen|website= Golem.de |language= de |date= 2014-07-10}} In 2022, the KDE text-editor [KWrite](/source/KWrite) was modified to use the same code base as Kate with deactivated features.{{cite web |last1=Larabel |first1=Michael |title=KDE Starts April With Many Fixes, KWrite Internally Using The Same Code As Kate |url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=KDE-Starts-April-2022 |website=www.phoronix.com |publisher=Phoronix Media |access-date=15 June 2022 |language=en}} In February 2024, as part of the KDE Gear 24.02 release, Kate was ported to [KDE Frameworks 6](/source/KDE_Frameworks_6) and [Qt 6](/source/Qt_(software)).{{cite web |title=KDE MegaRelease 6 |url=https://kde.org/announcements/megarelease/6/ |website=KDE.org |date=28 February 2024 |access-date=30 April 2026}} ==Features== Kate is a [source code editor](/source/Source-code_editor) that features syntax highlighting for over 300 file formats with code folding rules.{{cite web|title=kate.git|url=https://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/applications/kate/repository/revisions/master/show/part/syntax/data|website=Projects.KDE.org|access-date=2020-01-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909103201/https://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/applications/kate/repository/revisions/master/show/part/syntax/data|archive-date=2013-09-09|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=data/syntax · master · Frameworks / Syntax Highlighting Engine · GitLab |url=https://invent.kde.org/frameworks/syntax-highlighting/-/tree/master/data/syntax |website=GitLab |access-date=11 September 2023 |language=en}} The syntax highlighting is extensible via [XML](/source/XML) files.{{cite web|first=Christoph |last=Cullmann |url=http://kate-editor.org/2005/03/24/writing-a-syntax-highlighting-file/ |title=Writing a Syntax Highlighting File | Kate | Get an Edge in Editing |website=Kate-Editor.org |date=2005-03-24 |access-date=2015-07-02}} It supports [UTF-8](/source/UTF-8), [UTF-16](/source/UTF-16), [ISO-8859-1](/source/ISO-8859-1) and [ASCII](/source/ASCII) [encoding schemes](/source/Code_page) and can detect a file's [character encoding](/source/character_encoding) automatically.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} Kate offers code completion and reference finding for various programming languages through its [Language Server Protocol](/source/Language_Server_Protocol) Client plugin. The default configuration supports [C](/source/C_(programming_language)), [C++](/source/C%2B%2B), [D](/source/D_(programming_language)), [Fortran](/source/Fortran), [Go](/source/Go_(programming_language)), [Latex](/source/LaTeX), [Python](/source/Python_(programming_language)), [Rust](/source/Rust_(programming_language)), and [OCaml](/source/OCaml).{{cite web |last1=Cullmann |first1=Christoph |title=Kate -LSP Client Status |url=https://kate-editor.org/post/2020/2020-01-01-kate-lsp-client-status/ |website=kate-editor.org |date=January 2020 |access-date=15 June 2022}} Kate's main text editor widget is called ''KatePart'', which is reusable under the terms of the LGPL version 2 license.{{cite web |url=http://kate-editor.org/about-katepart/ |title=KatePart | Kate | Get an Edge in Editing |website=Kate-Editor.org |access-date=2015-07-02 |archive-date=2014-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018084936/http://kate-editor.org/about-katepart/ |url-status=dead }} It must not be confused with the KParts, a KDE plugin framework for user interface components that Kate also uses.{{Cite web|title=KParts - KParts|url=https://api.kde.org/frameworks/kparts/html/index.html|access-date=2020-10-30|website=api.kde.org}} Kate can be used as a [modal](/source/mode_(user_interface)) text editor through its ''[vi](/source/Vi_(text_editor))'' input mode.{{cite web |date=2008-10-27 |url=https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2008/11/kdes-kate-text-editor-gets-vi-input-mode.ars |title=KDE's Kate Text Editor Gets Vi Input Mode|website=ArsTechnica.com |access-date=2009-05-04}} Kate features [multiple document interface](/source/multiple_document_interface), window splitting, project editing{{cite web |date=2012-11-02|url=http://kate-editor.org/2012/11/02/using-the-projects-plugin-in-kate/ |title=Using the Project Plugin in Kate |access-date=2014-09-24}} and sessions to facilitate editing multiple documents. Using ''sessions'', one can customize Kate for different projects by saving the list of open files, the list of enabled plug-ins and the window configuration.{{cite web|url=http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/applications/kate/fundamentals-using-sessions.html |title=Using Sessions |website=Docs.KDE.org |access-date=2015-07-02}} Kate includes the KDE [terminal emulator](/source/terminal_emulator) [Konsole](/source/Konsole) through its Terminal Tool View plugin.{{cite web |title=Terminal Tool View Plugin |url=https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/kate/kate-application-plugin-konsole.html |website=docs.kde.org |access-date=15 June 2022}} Since version 23.04, the terminal is also available on Windows.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-20 |title=Make Konsole work on Windows (!814) · Merge requests · Utilities / Konsole · GitLab |url=https://invent.kde.org/utilities/konsole/-/merge_requests/814 |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=GitLab |language=en}} The "quick open" feature allows searching opened files by name for quick recalling.{{cite web |last1=Cullmann |first1=Christoph |title=Kate Text Editor - Quick Open |url=https://kate-editor.org/post/2021/2021-01-10-kate-quick-open/ |website=Kate |access-date=15 September 2021 |language=en |date=10 January 2021}} Line modification indicators highlight lines with unsaved changes and lines added in the current session.{{cite web |title=Chapter 7. Configure KatePart |url=https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/katepart/config-dialog.html |website=docs.kde.org |quote=Show line modification markers}}{{cite web |title=Line Modification Indicators |url=https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/katepart/kate-part-line-modification.html |website=docs.kde.org}} Being a KDE application, Kate transparently opens and saves files over all protocols supported by [KIO](/source/KIO) libraries. This includes [HTTP](/source/HTTP), [FTP](/source/FTP), [SSH](/source/Secure_Shell), [SMB](/source/Server_Message_Block) and [WebDAV](/source/WebDAV), among others.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} ''Kate'' is equipped with a [session](/source/Session_(computer_science)) manager which allows naming, saving, and restoring sessions, meaning a list of momentarily open file tabs. Saved sessions are stored as [key-value](/source/key%E2%80%93value_pair)-formatted *.katesession files into ~/.local/share/kate/sessions/. Other features are a [clipboard](/source/clipboard_(computing)) history with up to ten items, the ability to jump to a line number,[https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/katepart/dev-scripting.html "The editor holds a clipboard history that contains up to 10 clipboard entries."] and [source control](/source/Version_control) integration using [Git](/source/Git).{{cite web |last1=Crume |first1=Jacob |date=16 April 2021 |title=Kate Editor Set to Become KDE's Answer to Microsoft's Visual Studio Code |url=https://news.itsfoss.com/kate/ |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=It's FOSS News}}{{cite web | url=https://kate-editor.org/post/2023/2023-02-01-using-kate-git-support/ | title=Using Kate's Git Features | date=February 2023 }} ==See also== {{Portal|Free and open-source software}} * [List of KDE applications](/source/List_of_KDE_applications) * [List of text editors](/source/List_of_text_editors) * [Comparison of text editors](/source/Comparison_of_text_editors) * [List of computing mascots](/source/List_of_computing_mascots) * [Computing mascots](/source/%3ACategory%3AComputing_mascots) ==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} * {{Official website}} {{KDE}} ==History== Kate has been part of the KDE Software Compilation since [release 2.2](/source/K_Desktop_Environment_2) in 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.kde.org/announcements/changelogs/changelog2_1to2_2.php |title=2.1 to 2.2 Changelog |website=KDE.org |access-date=2015-07-02}} Because of [KParts](/source/KParts) technology, it is possible to embed Kate as an editing component in other KDE applications. Major [KDE applications](/source/list_of_KDE_applications) which use Kate as an editing component include the [integrated development environment](/source/integrated_development_environment) [KDevelop](/source/KDevelop), the web development environment Quanta Plus, and the LaTeX front-end [Kile](/source/Kile).{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} Kate has won the advanced text editor comparison in ''[Linux Voice](/source/Linux_Voice)'' magazine.{{cite web |url=http://www.linuxvoice.com/issue-2-is-out/ |title=Issue 2 is Out! |website=LinuxVoice.com |access-date=2015-07-02 |archive-date=2015-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703184555/http://www.linuxvoice.com/issue-2-is-out/ |url-status=dead }} {{As of|2014|07}}, development had started to port Kate, along with [Dolphin](/source/Dolphin_(file_manager)), [Konsole](/source/Konsole), [KDE Telepathy](/source/KDE_Telepathy), and [Yakuake](/source/Yakuake), to [KDE Frameworks 5](/source/KDE_Frameworks_5). {{cite web |url= http://www.golem.de/news/unix-desktop-kde-sc-4-14-wird-4er-reihe-abschliessen-1407-107792.html |title= KDE SC 4.14 wird 4er-Reihe abschließen|website= Golem.de |language= de |date= 2014-07-10}} In 2022, the KDE text-editor [KWrite](/source/KWrite) was modified to use the same code base as Kate with deactivated features.{{cite web |last1=Larabel |first1=Michael |title=KDE Starts April With Many Fixes, KWrite Internally Using The Same Code As Kate |url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=KDE-Starts-April-2022 |website=www.phoronix.com |publisher=Phoronix Media |access-date=15 June 2022 |language=en}} ==Features== Kate is a [source code editor](/source/Source-code_editor) that features syntax highlighting for over 300 file formats with code folding rules.{{cite web|title=kate.git|url=https://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/applications/kate/repository/revisions/master/show/part/syntax/data|website=Projects.KDE.org|access-date=2020-01-29|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130909103201/https://projects.kde.org/projects/kde/applications/kate/repository/revisions/master/show/part/syntax/data|archive-date=2013-09-09|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=data/syntax · master · Frameworks / Syntax Highlighting Engine · GitLab |url=https://invent.kde.org/frameworks/syntax-highlighting/-/tree/master/data/syntax |website=GitLab |access-date=11 September 2023 |language=en}} The syntax highlighting is extensible via [XML](/source/XML) files.{{cite web|first=Christoph |last=Cullmann |url=http://kate-editor.org/2005/03/24/writing-a-syntax-highlighting-file/ |title=Writing a Syntax Highlighting File | Kate | Get an Edge in Editing |website=Kate-Editor.org |date=2005-03-24 |access-date=2015-07-02}} It supports [UTF-8](/source/UTF-8), [UTF-16](/source/UTF-16), [ISO-8859-1](/source/ISO-8859-1) and [ASCII](/source/ASCII) [encoding schemes](/source/Code_page) and can detect a file's [character encoding](/source/character_encoding) automatically.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} Kate offers code completion and reference finding for various programming languages through its [Language Server Protocol](/source/Language_Server_Protocol) Client plugin. The default configuration supports [C](/source/C_(programming_language)), [C++](/source/C%2B%2B), [D](/source/D_(programming_language)), [Fortran](/source/Fortran), [Go](/source/Go_(programming_language)), [Latex](/source/LaTeX), [Python](/source/Python_(programming_language)), [Rust](/source/Rust_(programming_language)), and [OCaml](/source/OCaml).{{cite web |last1=Cullmann |first1=Christoph |title=Kate -LSP Client Status |url=https://kate-editor.org/post/2020/2020-01-01-kate-lsp-client-status/ |website=kate-editor.org |date=January 2020 |access-date=15 June 2022}} Kate's main text editor widget is called ''KatePart'', which is reusable under the terms of the LGPL version 2 license.{{cite web |url=http://kate-editor.org/about-katepart/ |title=KatePart | Kate | Get an Edge in Editing |website=Kate-Editor.org |access-date=2015-07-02 |archive-date=2014-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018084936/http://kate-editor.org/about-katepart/ |url-status=dead }} It must not be confused with the KParts, a KDE plugin framework for user interface components that Kate also uses.{{Cite web|title=KParts - KParts|url=https://api.kde.org/frameworks/kparts/html/index.html|access-date=2020-10-30|website=api.kde.org}} Kate can be used as a [modal](/source/mode_(user_interface)) text editor through its ''[vi](/source/Vi_(text_editor))'' input mode.{{cite web |date=2008-10-27 |url=https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2008/11/kdes-kate-text-editor-gets-vi-input-mode.ars |title=KDE's Kate Text Editor Gets Vi Input Mode|website=ArsTechnica.com |access-date=2009-05-04}} Kate features [multiple document interface](/source/multiple_document_interface), window splitting, project editing{{cite web |date=2012-11-02|url=http://kate-editor.org/2012/11/02/using-the-projects-plugin-in-kate/ |title=Using the Project Plugin in Kate |access-date=2014-09-24}} and sessions to facilitate editing multiple documents. Using ''sessions'', one can customize Kate for different projects by saving the list of open files, the list of enabled plug-ins and the window configuration.{{cite web|url=http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/applications/kate/fundamentals-using-sessions.html |title=Using Sessions |website=Docs.KDE.org |access-date=2015-07-02}} Kate includes the KDE [terminal emulator](/source/terminal_emulator) [Konsole](/source/Konsole) through its Terminal Tool View plugin.{{cite web |title=Terminal Tool View Plugin |url=https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/kate/kate-application-plugin-konsole.html |website=docs.kde.org |access-date=15 June 2022}} Since version 23.04, the terminal is also available on Windows.{{Cite web |date=2023-02-20 |title=Make Konsole work on Windows (!814) · Merge requests · Utilities / Konsole · GitLab |url=https://invent.kde.org/utilities/konsole/-/merge_requests/814 |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=GitLab |language=en}} The "quick open" feature allows searching opened files by name for quick recalling.{{cite web |last1=Cullmann |first1=Christoph |title=Kate Text Editor - Quick Open |url=https://kate-editor.org/post/2021/2021-01-10-kate-quick-open/ |website=Kate |access-date=15 September 2021 |language=en |date=10 January 2021}} Line modification indicators highlight lines with unsaved changes and lines added in the current session.{{cite web |title=Chapter 7. Configure KatePart |url=https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/katepart/config-dialog.html |website=docs.kde.org |quote=Show line modification markers}}{{cite web |title=Line Modification Indicators |url=https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/katepart/kate-part-line-modification.html |website=docs.kde.org}} Being a KDE application, Kate transparently opens and saves files over all protocols supported by [KIO](/source/KIO) libraries. This includes [HTTP](/source/HTTP), [FTP](/source/FTP), [SSH](/source/Secure_Shell), [SMB](/source/Server_Message_Block) and [WebDAV](/source/WebDAV), among others.{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}} {{As of|2021|09}}, unlike [Xed](/source/Xed), ''Kate'' is equipped with a [session](/source/Session_(computer_science)) manager which allows naming, saving, and restoring sessions, meaning a list of momentarily open file tabs. Saved sessions are stored as [key-value](/source/key%E2%80%93value_pair)-formatted *.katesession files into ~/.local/share/kate/sessions/. Other features are a [clipboard](/source/clipboard_(computing)) history with up to ten items, the ability to jump to a line number,[https://docs.kde.org/stable5/en/kate/katepart/dev-scripting.html "The editor holds a clipboard history that contains up to 10 clipboard entries."] and [source control](/source/Version_control) integration using [Git](/source/Git).{{cite web |last1=Crume |first1=Jacob |date=16 April 2021 |title=Kate Editor Set to Become KDE's Answer to Microsoft's Visual Studio Code |url=https://news.itsfoss.com/kate/ |access-date=15 June 2022 |website=It's FOSS News}}{{cite web | url=https://kate-editor.org/post/2023/2023-02-01-using-kate-git-support/ | title=Using Kate's Git Features | date=February 2023 }} ==See also== {{Portal|Free and open-source software}} * [List of KDE applications](/source/List_of_KDE_applications) * [List of text editors](/source/List_of_text_editors) * [Comparison of text editors](/source/Comparison_of_text_editors) * [List of computing mascots](/source/List_of_computing_mascots) * [Computing mascots](/source/%3ACategory%3AComputing_mascots) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category-inline}} * {{Official website}} {{KDE}} Category:Applications using D-Bus Category:Free text editors Category:KDE Applications Category:Unix text editors Category:Cross-platform free software Category:Free software for Linux Category:Free software for Windows Category:Free software for macOS Category:Software using the GNU Lesser General Public License Category:Software using the GNU General Public License Category:Free software programmed in C++ Category:Software that uses Qt --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kate (text editor)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_(text_editor)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_(text_editor)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.