kate

Open specific files

$ kate [path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...]

$ kate [https://example.com/path/to/file1 https://example.com/path/to/file2 ...]

$ kate [[-n|--new]]

$ kate [[-l|--line]] [line_number] [path/to/file]

$ kate [[-l|--line]] [line_number] [[-c|--column]] [column_number] [path/to/file]

$ cat [path/to/file] | kate [[-i|--stdin]]

$ kate [[-h|--help]]

kate [options] [files...]

--help
    Displays help about command line options and exits.

--version
    Displays version information and exits.

--display
    Use the X-display specified by displayname.

--geometry
    Sets the client geometry of the main window (e.g., 800x600+0+0).

--start-line
    Sets the initial cursor line for the first opened file (default is 1).

--start-column
    Sets the initial cursor column for the first opened file (default is 1).

--encoding
    Sets the encoding for the opened file (e.g., utf-8, iso-8859-1). This overrides auto-detection.

--use-session
    Opens Kate with the specified session. If no session with this name exists, a new one is created.

--new-session
    Forces Kate to open in a new, independent session instead of reusing an existing one.

--block
    Starts Kate in block selection mode.

--line
    Alias for --start-line.

--column
    Alias for --start-column.

[files...]
    One or more file paths or URLs to open. These will be loaded into the editor.

Kate is a powerful and feature-rich text editor part of the KDE Applications suite, designed for programmers, developers, and general text editing.

Key features include syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, code folding, block selection mode, a built-in terminal, multi-document interface (MDI) with tabbed views, session management, and project integration. It supports a wide array of plugins to extend its functionality, such as Git integration, Python scripting, and a D-Bus interface. Kate is built on top of the KTextEditor framework, which is also used by other KDE applications like KDevelop.

While Kate functions well on most Linux distributions, it is primarily designed for KDE/Qt environments. On GTK-based desktops (like GNOME), it might have more dependencies to install or feel less integrated visually, though its core functionality remains robust.

For extremely large files (gigabytes), simpler editors like vi or nano might offer faster startup and navigation due to Kate's advanced features and parsing capabilities.

Kate supports a wide range of plugins that significantly extend its functionality. These include integration with version control systems (like Git), scripting capabilities (e.g., Python), and specialized tools for web development, markdown, and more. Users can also write custom scripts to automate tasks.

A highly convenient feature of Kate is its integrated terminal window. This allows users to execute shell commands, compile code, run scripts, or interact with version control systems directly from within the editor, eliminating the need to switch to a separate terminal application.

Kate offers powerful session management capabilities. Users can save and restore entire editing sessions, including multiple open files, their cursor positions, window layouts, and project-specific settings. This is invaluable for managing complex multi-project workflows or picking up exactly where you left off.

Kate (KDE Advanced Text Editor) was first released with KDE 2.2 in 2001, quickly establishing itself as a robust and feature-rich editor for developers within the KDE ecosystem. It has continuously evolved, integrating modern features like LSP (Language Server Protocol) support, Git integration, and improved performance.

It's built on the KTextEditor framework, which allows other KDE applications (like KDevelop and Kile) to embed its powerful editing components. Its development is ongoing as a core part of the KDE Applications project, focusing on usability, performance, and extensibility.

kwrite(1), vi(1), vim(1), nano(1), gedit(1), emacs(1)