<othercredit role="translator"><firstname>Malcolm</firstname><surname>Hunter</surname><affiliation><address><email>malcolm.hunter@gmx.co.uk</email></address></affiliation><contrib>Conversion to British English</contrib></othercredit>
<para>If you have ever used a text editor, you will have no problem using &kate;. In the next two sections, <link linkend="starting-kate">Starting &kate; </link> and in <link linkend="working-with-kate">Working with &kate;</link>, we'll show you everything you need to get up and running quickly. </para>
<para>Open the &kde; program menu by clicking on the <guiicon>big K</guiicon> icon on the toolbar at the bottom left of your screen. This will raise the <guimenu>program menu</guimenu>. Move your cursor up the menu to the <guimenu>Editors</guimenu> menu item. A list of available editors will appear. Choose <guimenuitem>&kate;</guimenuitem>. </para>
<para>Unless you configure &kate; not to, it will load the last files you edited. See <link linkend="configure">Configuring &kate;</link> to learn how to toggle this feature on and off. </para>
<para>You can start &kate; by typing its name on the command line. If you give it a file name, as in the example below, it will open or create that file. </para>
<para>Lists version information for &Qt;, &kde;, and &kate;. Also available through <userinput><command>kate</command> <option>-V</option></userinput> </para>
<para>&kate; uses the &kde; Drag and Drop protocol. Files may be dragged and dropped onto &kate; from the Desktop, &konqueror; or some remote ftp site opened in one of &konqueror;'s windows. </para>
<para><link linkend="quick-start">Quick Start</link> will show you how to toggle four simple options that will let you configure some of &kate;'s more powerful features right away. <link linkend="keystroke-commands"> Keystroke Commands</link> lays out some of the default keystroke shortcuts for those who can't or don't want to use a mouse. </para>
<para>This section will describe some of the items on the <guimenu>Settings</guimenu> menu so that you can quickly configure &kate; to work the way you want it. </para>
<para>When you start &kate; for the first time you'll see two windows with white backgrounds. Above the two windows is a toolbar with the usual labelled icons. And above that, a menu bar. </para>
<para>The left-hand window is a dockable side bar. It combines the Filelist and Fileselector windows. Switch between the two by clicking on the tabs at the top of the window. </para>
<para>If you've started &kate; with a file, the right-hand window will show the file you are editing and the Filelist on the side bar will show the name of the file. Use the Fileselector window to open files. </para>
<para>You can toggle the Filelist and Fileselector window on and off in <guimenu>Settings</guimenu> menu. This menu offers you your first glimpse into &kate;'s power and flexibility. In this section we'll look at four items: </para>
<para>Toggles the Filelist on and off. If the Filelist/Fileselector window is not open, &kate; launches the side bar as a separate, undocked, window. To dock the window grab the two thin parallel lines above the tabs by clicking on them with your &LMB; and holding the button down. Drag the the window into &kate;'s editing window and release the &LMB; when you have positioned the Filelist/Fileselector window as you prefer. </para>
<para>Toggles the Fileselector on and off. This menu item is the same as <guimenuitem>Show Filelist</guimenuitem> with one difference. Toggling it on launches the window with the Fileselector on top. </para>
<para>Toggles a console emulator on and off at the bottom of &kate;'s window. In other words, it gives you a command line within the application. </para>
<para>Many of &kate;'s keystroke commands (shortcuts) are configurable by way of the <link linkend="settings">Settings</link> menu. By default &kate; honours the following key bindings. </para>
<entry><para>Toggle between Insert and Overwrite mode. When in insert mode the editor will add any typed characters to the text and push any previously typed data to the right of the text cursor. Overwrite mode causes the entry of each character to eliminate the character immediately to the right of the text cursor.</para></entry>
<para>Offers detailed documentation on all menu commands, configuration options, tools, dialogues, plugins &etc; as well as descriptions of of the &kate; window, the editor and various concepts used in the application.</para>
<para>Press <keycap>F1</keycap> or use the <menuchoice><guimenu>Help</guimenu></menuchoice> <guisubmenu>Contents</guisubmenu> menu topic to view this manual.</para></listitem>
<para>What's This help offers immediate help with single elements of graphical windows, such as buttons or other window areas.</para>
<para>We strive to provide What's This help for any elements for which it makes sense. It is available throughout the configuration dialogue, and in many other dialogues as well.</para>
<para>To employ What's This help, press <keycombo>&Shift;<keycap>F1</keycap></keycombo> or use the <menuchoice><guimenu>Help</guimenu><guimenuitem>What's This</guimenuitem></menuchoice> menu item to enable What's This mode. The cursor will turn into an arrow with a question mark, and you can now click any element in the window to read the What's This help for that element, if it is available.</para>
<para>&kate; does not (yet!) provide any means for reading document related documentation. Depending on the file you are editing, you may find the <link linkend="kate-mdi-tools-konsole">Built in &konsole;</link> helpful for viewing related &UNIX; manual pages or info documentation, or you can use &konqueror;.</para>
