Make your text editor understand code: How to use CTags in Kate

CTags is a tool that can make your text editor “understand” code. Most importantly (at least for me), I can use it to jump to function definitions, a feature that is enabled by default in more “advanced” programming IDEs.

This is how to use Ctags in the KDE text editor Kate:

• Install Ctags, on Ubuntu using:

$ sudo apt install exuberant-ctags 

• Activate Ctags
  • Settings
  • Configure Kate
  • Plugins
  • Click the Ctags button
• In the Ctags button on the bottom, go to ‘Index targets’, select your project directory
• Define custom key bindings for katectags to go to functions definitions and declarations (including a mouse click does not seem to work for custom key binding, unfortunately)

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Last updated: 2020-11-06

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