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My goal is to set Kate up to work properly on Python files but to use different settings (tabs not spaces) on other documents. I'm sure others are doing this, but I can't figure out a convenient solution. I appreciate any advice.

Kate has settings for indentation here:

  1. Click the Settings menu
  2. Click "Configure - Kate"
  3. On the right expand "Editor"
  4. Click "Indentation"

One option is "Default indentation mode". One choice for that setting is Python. However, I cannot find where to set (or even display) the options used for the Python choice.

Furthermore, it is not clear what is the interaction between "Default indentation mode" and the explicit settings for indentation on that page. Does one override the other?

Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
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MountainX
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2 Answers2

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There are multiple ways to achieve what you want. In order, Kate is doing the following:

  1. Kate reads the settings that are configured globally in the config dialog in the Indentation tab.
  2. Kate reads optional session data, i.e. if you use sessions and manually chose settings in a file, these settings should be restored again when opening the file.
  3. Kate reads the "Filetype" configuration: The filetype, also called mode, can be configured in Settings > Configure Kate > Open/Save > Modes & Filetypes tab. Choose your filetype, e.g. Scripts/Python and then add a modeline like this: kate: indent-pasted-text false; indent-width 4;
  4. Kate searches for document variables in .kateconfig files recursively upwards. If found, it will apply these settings
  5. Kate reads document variables in the document itself. So in a Python file, you can simply add a comment in the first or last 10 lines of the file and write e.g.:# kate: indent-pasted-text false; indent-width 4;

All this is also described in the Kate Handbook.

Guss
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dhaumann
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  • The link in you post does not seem to work. I found an alternative here – Scz Jul 24 '15 at 08:25
  • Thanks, I updated the link to the 'katepart' handbook, since the Kate handbook and KWrite handbook now share this part. – dhaumann Aug 01 '15 at 10:18
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    As noted in this answer, under Modes & Filetypes, you can click the tool button next to Variables to get a GUI popup for these settings. I found that quite helpful. Also worth noting that you may have to close and reopen the file before the new settings are applied to it. – MichaelK Mar 19 '21 at 12:15
  • I found a similar question here: https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/134424 – MountainX Aug 09 '21 at 13:33
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[I just had a similar problem and have found the one answer here unsatisfying. There are five options given which may be nice to know about but may also be ovewhelmingly complex. Also, the two configuration variables given (indent-pasted-text and indent-width) do not answer the question.]

Use the global Kate settings to "use tabs for text files and other files".
To "make Kate indent with spaces on Python files", create a file .kateconfig in your home directory and enter the line

kate-wildcard(*.py): replace-tabs on;

You might also want set (in the same line)

replace-tabs-save on; show-tabs on; indent-width 2;

replace-tabs works while typing, replace-tabs-save works when saving, show-tabs shows a visible glyph for each tab which may be helpful if you open a file from someone else, indent-width sets the width of a tab measured in blanks (or any character of your monospace font).

This only works for Python files in (a subdirectory of) your home directory. If necessary, place the .kateconfig file somewhere else.

Chris K
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