= Comments =

You can add/remove code comments, via "Comments" plugin. Plugin is preinstalled in CudaText. It gives about 6 commands in menu "Plugins / Comments". Plugin supports only adding/removing of comments, not syntax highlighting for them (highlighting is lexer's work).

* '''Line comments''': from some position to the nearest end-of-line. E.g. in C lexer: "//text here", in Python lexer: "# text here".
* '''Comments for range''' ('''Stream comments'''): from some text position to some bigger text position, often in the different line. E.g. in C lexer: "/* text here */".
* '''Comments for full lines''': from newline to another newline, ie comment for several whole lines. Rarely used.

For example, Python lexer supports only line comment, and don't support stream comments.

Comment chars are editable in SynWrite editor, in dialog "Lexer properties" (after you install the same lexer to SynWrite). In dialog tab "Commenting" you'll see input fields.

Command "Toggle stream comment" in plugin adds/removes comments of last 2 types: for range, for full lines (plugin chooses needed kind).

Where comment chars are stored:

* Line comments: in lexer file data/lexlib/*.lcf.
* Range comments: in additional file data/lexlib/*.cuda-lexmap.

==Commenting options==

Plugin "Comments" has several options, and it gives the dialog to change them: menu item "Options / Settings-plugins / Comments / Config".

'''(Line commands) Try to keep text position after (un)commenting'''

Affects all commands for line-comments.

With option on, plugin tries to insert comment chars into leading space-area of the line. For example, with C++ (line comment chars "//"), line with 4 leading spaces:

     code();

will be changed to line with 2 leading spaces:

   //code();

After uncommenting, line will be restored to original, with 4 leading spaces.

'''(Line "at non-space") If selected few lines, insert comment at maximal common indent'''

Affects commands:
* "Toggle line comment, at non-space char"
* "Add line comment, at non-space char"

With option on, this selected block of lines in C++:

       code1();
     code2();
         code3();

will be changed to:

     //  code1();
     //code2();
     //    code3();

With option off, block will be changed to:

       //code1();
     //code2();
         //code3();

'''(All) Move caret to next line'''

Affects commands for line-comments, when they are called without selection.

With option on, caret will be moved 1 line down. This allows to call the command many times repeatedly, to change many lines.

'''(Line commands) Skip blank lines'''

Affects commands for line-comments, when they are called without selection.

With option on, and the previous option "Move caret to next line" on, command will skip lines containing only space/tab chars.

'''"Toggle line comment" detects action by first non-blank line'''

Affects command "Toggle line comment".

With option on, command detects its action (to comment or to uncomment) by the first non-blank line of the selected multi-line block.

Here is selected block of code, selection is shown by square brackets, first selected line is blank line:

 [
  
     //code1();
     code2();
     //code3();
     code4();
 ]

With option off, block will be changed it to:

 [//
 //
     //code1();
     //code2();
     //code3();
     //code4();
 ]

With option on, block will be changed to:

 [
  
     code1();
     code2();
     code3();
     code4();
 ]

= Macros =

Macro is a sequence of CudaText actions, which can be saved to a file and invoked later by some command.
To use macros, you must install plugin "Macros" from Addon Manager. It adds "Macros" menu to CudaText main menu bar. This menu gives items:

* Macros...
* Start/stop recording
* Playback last recorded macro
* Export...
* Import...
* items for saved macros

[[File:cudatext-macro-menu.png]]

To record a macro:

* Call menu item "Macros / Start/stop recording", or use dialog "Macros / Macros..." which gives the button for this.
* Perform some actions in CudaText:
** built-in commands, plugin commands (invoked by hotkey, by menu, by Command Palette)
** some mouse actions (clicks/selections, they save/playback relative to caret position)
** calling of Find/Replace dialog, "Go to" dialog
** actions in Find/Replace dialog
* Call menu item "Macros / Start/stop recording" again, plugin will ask for macro name.

During recording, CudaText shows reddish border around the editor field.

[[File:cudatext-macro-border.png]]

Macro saves action(s) performed inside its original editor ui-tab (but not other ui-tabs). Calling of additional dialogs (including plugin dialogs) will be recorded too. But macro doesn't save actions inside those dialogs.

To playback macro:

* Call menu item "Macros / macro_name", the end of this menu lists all available/saved macros.
* Or call dialog "Macros / Macros...", which allows to run all available macros:
** running 1 time
** running specified count of times
** running in the loop, by options:
*** While text changes
*** Until caret on last line

==Macro example==
For example, we have text line with HTML tags like this ("|" shows the caret):

 ....<tag>....|...........</tag>....

For example, we need a macro which selects text from lefter ">" char to righter "<" char (ie text inside HTML tag). This action can be done via "markers" commands in Command Palette: "drop marker at caret" and "select to last marker".

So, during macro recording, run these commands:

* call Find dialog (or focus it with mouse), search for ">" with "Find previous" button
* right-arrow key (to reset the selection)
* "markers: drop marker at caret"
* call Find dialog again (or focus it with mouse), search for "<" with "Find next" button
* left-arrow key, 2 times (to reset the selection)
* "markers: select to last marker"
* "markers: remove all"

= Project Manager =

This plugin is preinstalled in CudaText. It shows panel "Project" in the sidebar (to show this panel, call plugin by any command, or call "File / Open folder..." menu item which opens any folder as a "project"). On the project panel, on its tree-view, you can add several "root nodes", each node must be existing file or folder. For folder nodes, plugin auto shows all nested folders. You cannot add nodes on other levels, sub-nodes are auto populated from root folder nodes.

Plugin has context menu on its panel, with items:

* '''Project file'''
** New project
** Open project
** Recent projects
** Save project as...
** Go to file... - this shows menu with all project files, and then tree-view selection jumps on selected file
** Project properties... - this shows dialog with current project's options
** Config... - this shows dialog with global Project Manager options
* '''Root nodes''' - commands for nodes on the project's root level
** Add folder...
** Add file...
** Clear project
** Remove node
* '''Selected file''' - it's shown only for files
* '''Selected directory''' - it's shown only for folders
* '''Refresh''' - it re-reads state of files/folders from disk

To manage the selected file/folder, use context menu items "Selected file"/"Selected directory". They give useful sub-items for file operations, like shown on the picture:

[[File:cudatext-project-seldir.png]]

Any project can have '''main file''', you can choose it in the context menu: "Selected file / Set as main file". Main file's path is used by plugin External Tools, when some tool is configured with macro {ProjMainFile}. This allows tools to run compilation of the main file.

Sometimes you may want '''to forget the "temporary" project''' which CudaText may create from Windows Explorer context menu. To do this, just call "Project file / New project" from the right-click menu over the project panel. This does not delete the file "settings/temporary.cuda-proj", but that file will be overwritten soon.

== Project Manager options dialog ==

;"Ignore files": ";"-separated shell wildcards, which are [https://docs.python.org/3/library/fnmatch.html documented here]. If file name (without path) matches any of these wildcards, it will not be listed in the treeview.
;"Ignore folders": ";"-separated shell wildcards. If folder name matches any of these wildcards, it will not be listed in the treeview.
;"Ignore all hidden files/folders": Additionally don't list all hidden items. On Unix, hidden mean "beginning with dot". On Windows, hidden means having file-system "hidden" attribute.
;"Open file after "Go to file" command": If turned on, command "Project Manager: Go to file" will not only jump to chosen file in the treeview, but also open that file in editor.
;"Use 'preview tab' on item clicking": If option is on, single click on treeview file item, will open file in "preview tab". Preview tab is single such tab, it's shared by all files, it has italic+underlined tab title. If option is off, clicking file item will open normal tab, separate normal tabs per each file.
;"Open files by double-click": If turned on, only double-click in the treeview will open file for editing, but not the single click.
;"On opening file in Git/SVN repo...": On opening a file in CudaText, Project Manager will check if this file is in the Git/SVN repository (by presence of the folder ".git" or ".svn" near the file, or in upper level folders). If yes, Project Manager will create the project from that repository and open it. This gives some slowdown of course.
;"Suggest to close tabs not belonging to project": See [[#Sessions embedded to project]].

And options for icons:

;"File type icons": Set of file/folder icons for treeview. You can install additional themes from Addons Manager, see category "filetypeicons" there. Example of such theme: "VSCode Material 24x24". This option shows  themes, which are present in the folder "data/filetypeicons".
;"Toolbar icons": Set of icons for Project Manager toolbar buttons. You can install additional themes from Addon Manager, see the category "projtoolbaricons" there. This option shows themes, which are present in the folder "data/projtoolbaricons".

== Project Manager's preview tab ==

To see the "preview tab", call "File / Open folder" and choose a folder with some files. Folder will be opened in the side panel "Project". Make single click on a file in this project, it will open in the "preview tab". Single "preview tab" is shared by all clicked (in the project) files. It has italic font style of the caption (font style is customizable). When you begin to edit file in the "preview tab", tab becomes "normal" and looses its special status.

"Preview tab" is always '''created in the first tab-group''', even if the focused editor is located in different tab-group.
It was made on purpose, to avoid the situation when "preview tab" jumps from one tab-group to another.

Again, if you click different items in the Project Manager, and files are opened '''in the first tab-group''', it's not a bug.
If you need to open clicked files in different tab-groups, you can do it - by unchecking the option "Use preview tab on item clicking" in the Project Manager options.

"Preview tab" can be dragged to another tab-group, it should work there too.

== Switch between projects ==

1) To switch to different project, Plugin Manager gives the context menu: "Project File / Recent projects / name.cuda-proj".

2) Another way is using the plugin "Favorites". It gives the dialog (can be called by a hotkey), with 2 tabs: "Files" and "Projects", so you can choose one of your favorite projects from a listbox.

3) There is also a way to quickly switch between projects:

* Install plugins: "Configure Toolbar", "External Tools" and "Session Manager". Restart CudaText.
* Set CudaText option "ui_one_instance": true.
* In "External Tools" make a tool which starts CudaText (yes, from within CudaText) with parameter: full path of a project. The command line can look like: "c:\Apps\cudatext.exe "c:\Apps\some_project.cuda-proj"". You can add here additional parameter: full path of a session file, *.cuda-session / *.json. So this external tool will open given project (and maybe a session too). It will open it inside the same CudaText instance (because "ui_one_instance":true).
* Add more such tools in the "External Tools", for different projects (and maybe sessions).

[[File:cudatext-tools-and-projects.png]]

* In the plugin "Configure Toolbar", add the toolbar drop-down menu, with menu-items referring to different tools. Or add the individual menu-items for separate tools.

[[File:cudatext-tools-and-projects-config.png]]

4)

* Install plugin "Configure Toolbar" (only 1 plugin here, comparing to the previous method).
* CudaText option "ui_one_instance" can be any.
* In the plugin "Configure Toolbar", add the toolbar button which will switch the project and/or session. The properties of this button are tricky. In the "Command" property of the button, you must enter "exec=path_of_project_file path_of_session file". You cannot type this directly to the dialog field, but you should press the "Enter command line..." button in the dialog and enter the command line contents (full path of .cuda-proj file and/or full path of .cuda-session file). "Configure Toolbar" will store your command line with the "exec=" prefix.
* CudaText will use the new command-line which you entered after "exec=".

== Sessions embedded to project ==

CudaText supports sessions which are not separate JSON files (*.cuda-session or *.json) but are embedded into project file (*.cuda-proj). Session is still having the same JSON format, but it's nested 2 levels into the project JSON file. Such embedded sessions are visible only to the Project Manager. When an embedded session is active, CudaText window title shows this in curly brackets: "{project_name:session_name}".

To control sessions, use the "gear" button on the Project Manager toolbar. Several menu items are there:

* "Project session: name". One or more menu items, one item per each session.
* "Save session...". Shows text input prompt, to name a session (you will be warned if you use incorrect characters or session already exists).
* "Delete session". Shows menu to choose which session to delete from the project.
* "Set default session". After you choose a session here, it will be marked in the project file, and will be auto-loaded on next project opening.
* "Forget session, close all tabs".

Project Manager has the option checkbox "Suggest to close tabs not belonging to project". When option is on, you will see such confirmation message box:

 CudaText has opened 3 tab(s) not belonging to the project "name". Close them?
 /path/to/file1
 /path2/to/file2
 *Untitled1

You will see this confirmation when doing:

* "New project" action (from Project Manager context menu, or from Command Palette)
* "Save session..." action (from "gear" popup menu, or from Command Palette)

You can disable that option (or press "Cancel" in the confirmation), to save even "not belonging" opened files to embedded session.

= How to bind a hotkey to change lexer =

You can bind a hotkey to the command "menu: lexers". Find this command in the Command Palette dialog, press F9 - hotkey dialog will appear.

But what if you want to bind a hotkey to change current lexer to e.g. C++? This is possible via primitive plugin.
Make a new plugin by calling menu item "Plugins / Make Plugin". Fieds of dialog:

* "Plugin name": set to "My plugin".
* "Python module name": set to "my_lexer".
* "Commands caption>method": set to 1 line:

 Lexer C++>run_cpp

This will generate new plugin in the file "py/my_lexer/__init__.py" with method "run_cpp". Change code to this:

<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
from cudatext import *

class Command:
    def run_cpp(self):
        ed.set_prop(PROP_LEXER_FILE, 'C++')
</syntaxhighlight>

All done. Restart CudaText. You must have new menu item:

* "Plugins / My plugin / Lexer C++"

In the Command Palette, find this new command, press F9 to set hotkey for it.

= How to bind a hotkey to insert a snippet =
You can create plugin to insert any text fragment by any hotkey.
First, create the plugin which gives the command to insert your fragment.
Next, find this plugin in the Command Palette, press F9 and assign a hotkey there.

Let's show how to make a primitive plugin which has 2 primitive commands:

* Insert snippet "AA" at the caret position (supporting multi-carets).
* Surround current line with square brackets.

Make a new plugin by calling menu item "Plugins / Make Plugin". Fieds of dialog:

* "Plugin name": set to "My plugin".
* "Python module name": set to "my_snippet".
* "Commands caption>method": set 2 lines:

 My snippet>my_snippet
 My edit>my_edit

This will generate new plugin in the file "py/my_snippet/__init__.py" with 2 methods: "my_snippet" and "my_edit". Code will be like this:
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def my_snippet(self):
        #
        #
        #
        msg_box(s, MB_OK)
     
    def my_edit(self):
        pass
</syntaxhighlight>

At the top of the Python file, near "import" operators, add:
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
import cudatext_cmd as cmds
</syntaxhighlight>

Now edit methods my_snippet / my_edit:
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def my_snippet(self):
        ''' Insert my snippet '''
        ed.cmd(cmds.cCommand_TextInsert, 'AA')
     
    def my_edit(self):
        ''' Surround line with brackets '''
        x, y, x1, y1 = ed.get_carets()[0]
        s = ed.get_text_line(y)
        s = '[' + s + ']'
        ed.set_text_line(y, s)
        msg_status('Edited!')
</syntaxhighlight>

All done. Restart CudaText. You must have new menu items:

* "Plugins / My plugin / My snippet"
* "Plugins / My plugin / My edit"

In the Command Palette, find these new commands, press F9 to set hotkey for them.

= Snippets =

To use snippets you need:

* Plugin "Snippets" (install from Addon Manager)
* Snippet package for needed lexer (install from Addon Manager)

Each snippet has a name (shown in the dialog when Snippets plugin is called) and short id (letters, digits, '_', dot). You can type id in the editor and press the Tab key: snippet for this id will be inserted into text. You can also call the menu of snippets: menu item "Plugins / Snippets / Snippets menu...".

Only those snippets are enabled, which are suitable for the current lexer. Snippet's "lexer" property can be "C,C++,Objective C" - then snippet is enabled only when one of these 3 lexers is active. If snippet has empty "lexer" property, it is always enabled.

Dialog of Snippets plugin:

[[File:cudatext_snippets_menu.png]]

Texts of snippets usually have tab-stop(s), e.g. ${1:some_text}. Plugin Snippets finds tab-stops and places "markers" for them. After markers are placed, Tab-key works specially: it jumps to the next marker. See detailed information in the [[CudaText#Markers]].

Plugin supports two snippets folder, but formats of data are the same, VSCode JSON format:

* CudaText snippets. These are packages with prefix "snippets_ct" in the Addons Manager. They are installed into folder CudaText/data/snippets_ct.
* VSCode snippets. These are VSCode packages located in the VSCode repositories. Read the separate topic about them below. They are installed to folder CudaText/data/snippets_vs.

== Snippets from VSCode ==
Since recent versions, Snippets plugin supports snippets from VSCode editor. It gives menu items in "Plugins / Snippets":

* "Install VSCode snippets..." - this suggests to install packages with snippets (packages usually contain more functionality, and CudaText plugin will install only snippets).

[[File:cudatext-snippets-add-vscode.png]]

* "Remove VSCode snippets"
* "Visit homepage of VSCode snippets..."
* "Convert snippets package from old format" - this takes snippets in old .cuda-snippet format (if you have some old ones) and converts them to VSCode JSON format.

Plugin also gives the fully featured snippet editor dialog, in menu item "Add/edit snippets...".

[[File:cudatext-snippets-editor.png]]

You can create group of snippets (in the "Manage snippets" dialog) for all lexers. To do so, enter "*" value in the "Group's lexers" field of dialog.

Currently most of VSCode/TextMate "macros" are supported in snippets body, but not all. Refer to readme file of the plugin.

== Snippets for HTML tags ==

CudaText has preinstalled 120+ snippets for HTML tags. (You still need to install Snippets plugin.) They are enabled with HTML lexer. Just type tag name without a bracket, press Tab, and snippet is inserted. E.g. "a"<Tab> will insert:

  <a href="http" title="Title" target="_blank"></a>

These snippets have markers, so Tab key jumps to the next marker. Last marker is usually placed after the entire tag, ie after ">" bracket.

==Format of snippet files==

===Snippets tab-stops===

Specify tab-stops in the snippet text like this:

* ${NN}
* ${NN:default text}

This places markers (AKA tab-stops) in the editor, marker index NN should be from 0 to 40.
After snippet insertion, tab-key goes to next marker(s) and deletes it.

* Markers can be listed in any order (e.g. marker 4 can be between 1 and 2).
* Tab-key first goes to marker 1, 2, 3... and marker 0 is always the last.
* Markers with the same indexes will place multi-carets.
* Nested markers (with default text) are allowed, but only with one nesting level, e.g. ${2:text is {$3:here}}.
* Marker with default text ${NN:...} can specify multi-line default text (character "}" is on another line of snippet).

===Snippets macros===
Special macros are handled by Snippets plugin in snippet text:

* ${sel} - Text selected before snippet insertion (if snippet called with Tab key, it's empty string)
* ${cp} - Current clipboard contents

* ${cmt_start} - Current lexer's "block comment" start symbols (or empty string)
* ${cmt_end} - Current lexer's "block comment" end symbols (or empty string)
* ${cmt_line} - Current lexer's "line comment" symbols (or empty string)

* ${fname} - File name only, without path
* ${fpath} - Full file name, with path
* ${fdir} - Directory of file
* ${fext} - Extension of file
* ${psep} - OS path separator: backslash on Windows, slash on Unix

* ${date:nnnn} - Current date/time formatted by string "nnnn"; see [http://strftime.org/ Python docs]
* ${env:nnnn} - Value of OS environment variable "nnnn"
* ${cmd:nnnn} - Execute shell command "nnnn" and get its output (space-separated arguments are supported, '~' for home-directory is supported on Unix)

The following macros from Sublime Text editor are supported. They can be written as $NAME or as ${NAME}.

* $TM_SELECTED_TEXT - The currently selected text or the empty string
* $TM_CURRENT_LINE - The contents of the current line
* $TM_CURRENT_WORD - The contents of the word under cursor or the empty string
* $TM_LINE_INDEX - The zero-based line number
* $TM_LINE_NUMBER - The one-based line number
* $TM_FILEPATH - The full file path of the current document
* $TM_DIRECTORY - The directory of the current document
* $TM_FILENAME - The filename of the current document
* $TM_FILENAME_BASE - The filename of the current document without its extensions
* $CLIPBOARD - The contents of your clipboard
* $WORKSPACE_NAME - The name of the opened workspace or folder

* $BLOCK_COMMENT_START - Current lexer's "block comment" start symbols (or empty string)
* $BLOCK_COMMENT_END - Current lexer's "block comment" end symbols (or empty string)
* $LINE_COMMENT - Current lexer's "line comment" symbols (or empty string)

For inserting the current date and time:
* $CURRENT_YEAR - The current year
* $CURRENT_YEAR_SHORT - The current year's last two digits
* $CURRENT_MONTH - The month as two digits (e.g. '02')
* $CURRENT_MONTH_NAME - The full name of the month (e.g. 'July')
* $CURRENT_MONTH_NAME_SHORT - The short name of the month (e.g. 'Jul')
* $CURRENT_DATE - The day of the month
* $CURRENT_DAY_NAME - The name of day (e.g. 'Monday')
* $CURRENT_DAY_NAME_SHORT - The short name of the day (e.g. 'Mon')
* $CURRENT_HOUR - The current hour in 24-hour clock format
* $CURRENT_MINUTE - The current minute
* $CURRENT_SECOND - The current second
* $CURRENT_SECONDS_UNIX - The number of seconds since the Unix epoch

= Snippet Panel =

Plugin "Snippet Panel" is preinstalled in CudaText. It gives an alternative way to use short text fragments (only simple ones) in editor. It adds button to sidebar, and command "Plugins / Snippet Panel". When called, plugin shows panel in the sidebar, with a drop-down list of folders, which contain several "snippets". You can double-click snippets to insert them into text (multi-carets are supported).

Preinstalled folders:

* Arrows
* Currency symbols
* Greek alphabet (lower)
* Greek alphabet (upper)
* HTML - Arrows
* HTML - Color names
* HTML - Color names+values
* HTML - Letters
* HTML - Math symbols
* HTML - Special characters
* Math symbols
* Quote selection
* Special characters

Plugin looks for its folders in two places:

* Folder "py/cuda_snippet_panel/clips", which is in the plugin folder. It has preinstalled snippets.
* Folder "data/clips", which is absent by default, for custom user snippets.
** User must create new sub-folder if it does not exist, "data/clips"
** Each list lives in a sub-sub-folder, "data/clips/mysnipsname"
** "mysnipsname" appears on the Snippet Panel drop-down menu
** Actual snippet file is "data/clips/mysnipsname/List.txt"

Each snippet folder can contain one or more .txt files, in UTF-8 (no BOM) or UTF-16 (with BOM) encoding. Files have snippet per line, in the form "name=value" or simply "name" (if value missed, it equals to name). Each snippet can be simple string, with optional macros:

* <code>${sel}</code> - means selected text. This allows to quote currently selected text by calling snippets from "Quote selection" folder.
* <code>${eol}</code> - means newline-character.

= CudaLint =

CudaLint plugin allows to check correctness of documents in many syntaxes.
It was initially ported from SublimeLinter 2.x plugin for Sublime Text. 
Each lexer must be supported with additionally installed linter, for example:

* JavaScript is supported with linter based on JSLint tool,
* HTML is supported with linter based on HTML Tidy tool,
* CSS is supported with linter based on CSSLint tool,
* etc

You will find all linters in the Addon Manager: "Plugins / Addon Manager / Install".
Linters are installable like other plugins but they don't add commands, they only add folders
"[CudaText]/py/cuda_lint_*", which are automatically used by CudaLint.
After you install a linter, see readme in its folder, maybe how-to-use info is written there.

== Linters - usage ==

To run linting, use menu item "Plugins / CudaLint / Lint", or set hotkey to this command
(in CudaText Command Palette, press F9). You will see statusbar message, which tells how many errors
linter found. For each found error, you'll see yellow/red bookmark (you can use usual commands
for these bookmarks). Plugin also shows list of errors in the "Validate" panel
(to show Validate panel, click V icon on the CudaText sidebar).

Linting can also be run by events:

* after opening file
* on saving file
* after text is changed + pause passed

Events aren't used by default (to not slowdown usual work). To use events, you must enable them in config.
Call config by menu item in "Options / Settings-plugins".

== Linters - Node.js ==

Some linters require Node.js, so for those linters, you must install Node first.
Those linters are sometimes shipped with Node modules preinstalled (in plugin folder)
and sometimes you need to install Node modules via NPM.
See linter's readme file for details.

* Windows: "node.exe" must be in PATH, command "node -v" must work in console.
* Linux: "nodejs" package must be installed, command "nodejs -v" must work in terminal.

== Linters - authoring ==

To support more lexers, it's a good idea to port linter from SublimeLinter. To port a linter, most you need is:

* Fix "imports" to use "cuda_lint" module, instead of SublimeLinter modules. cuda_lint gives almost the same classes which SublimeLinter gives. Except Node.js linter class - it's not supported yet. Usual Linter and PythonLinter classes are supported.
* Change syntax name (for Sublime Text) to CudaText lexer name, names are often different. If no such lexer for CudaText exists yet, ask for it.
* Remove in linter usage of Sublime Text API to read settings (often used in linters). You can add usage of settings via CudaText API ini_read, or via json module.
* If linter was using Node.js, take some code to run Node, from cuda_lint_csslint linter.

== Linters - per project ==

How to configure linters per project? In your project (Project Manager plugin), right-click root node of project treeview, call menu item "Project file / Project properties...". In this dialog, in the "Variablies" field, enter variable(s) like this:

 linter_css=csslint

Variable prefix "linter_" required, after goes lower-case lexer name (CSS). Value of variable must be name of linter's folder (in "py" folder) without "cuda_lint_". So if linter's folder is py/cuda_lint_aaa, specify value "aaa".

In this example, CudaLint plugin allows, for mentioned lexer CSS, only linter "csslint", even if another CSS linter (e.g. "csstree") is installed and found first.

== Linters - method split_match ==
Linters have RegEx property in class, which must find named groups:

* "line": Line index.
* "col": Column index.
* "error": If found then CudaLint will force "error" gutter icon.
* "warning": If found then CudaLint will force "warning" gutter icon.
* "message": Message text.

Group "file" or "filename" is not used by CudaLint, but it may present for internal linter's handling, e.g. to ignore the line containing wrong filename.

Example from SublimeLinter's linter for "Luau":
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
class Luau(Linter):
    cmd = 'luau-analyze --formatter=gnu -'
    regex = r'^stdin:(?P<line>\d+)\.(?P<col>\d+)\-(?P<end_line>\d+)\.(?P<end_col>\d+): (?P<code>\w+): (?P<message>.+)'
</syntaxhighlight>

Sometimes, finding "error"/"warning" named groups is hard, and class method "split_match" can help here.
Example from SublimeLinter's linter for "Luau":
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        error = super().split_match(match)
        error['error_type'] = 'error' if error['code'].endswith('Error') else 'warning'
        return error
</syntaxhighlight>

If CudaLint linter uses "split_match" it must be different. We cannot read error['code'] and cannot write error['error_type']. We must adapt code to this:
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        matches, line, col, error, warning, message, near = super().split_match(match)
        is_error = matches.group('code').endswith('Error')
        error = is_error
        warning = not is_error
        return matches, line, col, error, warning, message, ''
</syntaxhighlight>

CudaLint needs 7 tuple items in split_match() result:
* matches: RegEx match object
* line: Line index
* col: Column index
* error: Error state; if casted to True, line will have "error" icon (red)
* warning: Warning state; if casted to True, line will have "warning" icon (yellow)
* message: Message string
* near: Ignored in CudaLint

Example from CudaLint linter for Java.
We override method because javac lints all referenced files, and we only want errors from the linted file.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        if match:
            if match.group('file') != self.filename:
                match = None
        return super().split_match(match)
</syntaxhighlight>

Example from CudaLint linter for Haml.
We override method to set the line/col to 0 if a linter error occurs and there is no line number.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        match, line, col, error, warning, message, near = super().split_match(match)
        if line is None:
            line = col = 0
        return match, line, col, error, warning, message, near
</syntaxhighlight>

Example from CudaLint linter for AutoIt.
Here we modify the message/error/warning.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        split_match = super(AutoIt, self).split_match(match)
        match, line, col, error, warning, message, near = split_match
        message = '{} (Col {})'.format(message, col)

        if match and match.group('type') == 'error':
            error = 1
            message = 'Error: ' + message
        elif match and match.group('type') == 'warning':
            warning = 1
            message = 'Warning: ' + message

        return match, line, col, error, warning, message, ''
</syntaxhighlight>

Example from CudaLint linter for JavaScript using ESLint.
We override this method to silent warning by .eslintignore settings.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        v1message = 'File ignored because of your .eslintignore file. Use --no-ignore to override.'
        v2message = 'File ignored because of a matching ignore pattern. Use --no-ignore to override.'

        match, line, col, error, warning, message, near = super().split_match(match)
        if message and (message == v1message or message == v2message):
            return match, None, None, None, None, '', None

        return match, line, col, error, warning, message, near
</syntaxhighlight>

Example from CudaLint linter for PowerShell using PSScriptAnalyzer.
We return the match with ` quotes transformed to '.
We supress one message.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        match, line, col, error, warning, message, near = super().split_match(match)

        if message == 'no PowerShell code found at all':
            match = None
        else:
            message = message.replace('`', '\'')

            # If the message contains a complaint about a function
            # and near looks like a function reference, remove the trailing
            # () so it can be found.
            if 'function \'' in message and near and near.endswith('()'):
                near = near[:-2]

        return match, line, col, error, warning, message, near
</syntaxhighlight>

Example from CudaLint linter for Ruby.
We override method because unrelated library files can throw errors, and we only want errors from the linted file.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        if match:
            if match.group('file') != '-':
                match = None
        return super(Ruby,self).split_match(match)
</syntaxhighlight>

Example from CudaLint linter for CSSLint.
We override method so that general errors that do not have a line number can be placed at the beginning of the code.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        match, line, col, error, warning, message, near = super().split_match(match)
        if line is None and message:
            line = 0
            col = 0
        return match, line, col, error, warning, message, near
</syntaxhighlight>

Example from CudaLint linter for Haskell.
We override method to ignore errors reported in imported files.
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
    def split_match(self, match):
        match, line, col, error, warning, message, near = super().split_match(match)
        match_filename = os.path.basename(match.groupdict()['filename'])
        if not match_filename.startswith('_CudaLint_'):
            return None, None, None, None, None, '', None
        return match, line, col, error, warning, message, near
</syntaxhighlight>

= CudaFormatter =
CudaFormatter is plugin which uses 2nd-level plugins, "formatters", to change the source code. Each "formatter" supports one or more lexers, and provides one or more actions. For example, the Addon Manager contains two formatters for XML: XML IndentX and XML Pretty Print.

CudaFormatter is located in the "plugins" category of Addons Manager install list. 2nd-level "formatters" are located in the "formatter" category of Addons Manager install list.

Formatters may change the entire file text or only selected text. If selection is made, formatter changes only the selection, otherwise the entire text. And special formatters called "minifiers" puts the resulting text to a separate ui-tab.

==How to format XML document==

For example, how to re-format XML document?

* Use "Plugins / Addon Manager / Install" to install:
** "plugin: CudaFormatter"
** and "formatter: XML_Pretty_Print"
* Restart CudaText.
* Open an XML document (normal or "lite" lexer XML must activate). It can be a file or untitled document.
* Call menu item "Plugins / CudaFormatter / Formatter (menu)". This will show the menu of actions from appropriate formatter(s) for the XML (normal or "lite") lexer. Usually, only single XML formatter is installed, so "Formatter (menu)" won't show any menu, it will instantly re-format the document.

==How to format JSON document==

For example, how to re-format JSON document?

* Use "Plugins / Addon Manager / Install" to install:
** "plugin: CudaFormatter"
** and "formatter: JavaScript_JSON"
* Restart CudaText.
* Open an JSON document (normal or "lite" lexer JSON must activate). It can be a file or untitled document.
* Call menu item "Plugins / CudaFormatter / Formatter (menu)". This will show the menu of actions from appropriate formatter(s) for the JSON (normal or "lite") lexer. Usually, 2 formatters are installed: 1) JS Beautify (JSON), 2) JSON Stringify; "Formatter (menu)" will show menu with 2 items. Choose first item "JS Beautify (JSON)".

==CudaFormatter commands==

[[File:cudatext-fmt-menuitems.png]]

;Formatter (menu): Runs formatter for current editor file. If several suitable formatters are found, menu-like dialog will suggest to choose one of them. If only single formatter is found, it will be run without confirmation.

;Formatter per-lexer A...D: Runs formatter for current editor file, which has per-lexer label (A, B, C, D). Labels are configurable by another command. For example, for the label "B" you can have one formatter for C++, another formatter for HTML, and the 3rd one for CSS. All 3 formatters will be callable by the same command "Formatter per-lexer B".

;Formatter cross-lexer 1...4: Runs formatter for current editor file, which has cross-lexer label (1, 2, 3, 4). For example, when you have a formatter XY assigned to the label "2", the command "Formatter cross-lexer: 2" always runs XY, ignoring the current lexer.

;Minify to separate file: Finds the "minifier" formatter for the current lexer, and runs it. The resulting text is stored to separate file with name like "filename.min.css" (.css for CSS lexer). Command needs that some formatter for the current lexer is marked as "minifier" (in the formatter's install.inf file).

;Configure on_save: Chooses which formatters are active on file saving. The first formatter, which is suitable for current lexer, and which has the flag "on_save" attached (via plugin configuration), will be used.

;Configure per-lexer labels: Allows to assign per-lexer labels (A, B, C, D) to formatters. Labels allow to use commands "Formatter per-lexer A"..."Formatter per-lexer D", also via hotkeys.

;Configurte cross-lexer labels: Allows to assign cross-lexer labels (1, 2, 3, 4) to formatters. Labels allow to use commands "Formatter cross-lexer 1" etc.

;Configure formatter: For those formatters which have configuration file, command will suggest to open global config file (in the folder "settings" of CudaText).

;Configure formatter (local): For those formatters which have configuration file, command will suggest to open "local" config (in the folder of current editor file). If local config not exists, plugin will suggest to create it from the global config.

==How to run formatter ESLint on saving==
* Install from Addons Manager: "CudaFormatter"
* Install from Addons Manager: "formatter: JavaScript_JSON"

You have package "formatter.JavaScript_JSON" installed and this package gives the formatter named "... ESLint" (for JavaScript lexer). How you can auto-run this formatter on saving?

* Activate lexer JavaScript in the current document (can be empty).
* Call menu item "Plugins / CudaFormatter / Configure on_save...".
* Menu-like dialog appears. Choose item "... ESLint" and see that menu appears again, now showing that "... ESLint" item has "on_save" label. Now cancel the auto-shown menu.

[[File:cudatext-fmt-onsave.png]]

Now for all documents with JavaScript (and "JavaScript Babel") lexer, file saving will call ESLint formatter. Note: ESLint handles only named files, and files which have ESLint configuration created in the file's folder. Document "(CudaText)/py/cuda_fmt_js/readme/readme.txt" tells more details.

==How formatter can know filename==
Some formatters need to know the processing filename and/or lexer. For example, ESLint formatter must know full filename, to make the temporary file there. How can formatter know it?
Module "cuda_fmt" has submodule "fmtconfig", which has variables "ed_filename" and "ed_lexer". Python code:

 from cuda_fmt import fmtconfig
 fn = fmtconfig.ed_filename

= External Tools =

== Introduction to External Tools ==

Plugin "External Tools" (ExtTools) can be installed from Addon Manager. It allows to run external programs, catch their output, and then it can:

* Display this output in the Output or Console panel of CudaText.
* Replace current editor selection with the output.
* Copy this output to a new document.
* Copy this output to Clipboard.
* And more.

Plugin adds "Tools" top menu (near "Plugins"), which has menu item "Config" to configure all tools (in the single dialog), and menu items to run all individual tools.

[[File:cudatext-tools-menuitem.png]]

Some external tools configs are shown in the Wiki topics below. Enter these strings in the "Tool properties" dialog.

[[File:cudatext-tools-props.png]]

Plugin allows to customize hotkeys for all individual tools, or to use the single hotkey for different tools. The single hotkey is the hotkey of the plugin's command "Tools / Run main lexer tool". What is the "main lexer tool"? For example, you have 2 tools for lexer C++, and 3 tools for lexer HTML. You open the "Tool properties" dialog for some C++ tool, and press "Set main" button to mark that tool as "main" for C++. Then you open properties of some HTML tool, press "Set main" button to mark that tool as "main" for HTML. So now the "Tools / Run main lexer tool" can determine what is the main tool for C++ and HTML.  

[[File:cudatext-tools-mainlexertool.png]]

Notes:

* The disadvantage of the plugin: it cannot show tool output lines immediately when they appear, it waits until tool is terminated. Use the [[#Runner]] plugin which supports that feature.
* If you see that running of tools makes the Output panel visible, you need to fix the "Capture output" option of those tools, set it to "Ignore".

== Tool to compile by GCC ==

You can test how this tool works on any Linux, because GCC is preinstalled. Test the tool on C++ example, which is created from CudaText by menu "File / New from template / C++".

Properties:

* Name: C - compile
* File name: gcc
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: "{FileNameOnly}" -o "{FileNameNoExt}"
* Initial folder: {FileDir}
* Lexers: C,C++
* Capture output: Output panel
* Encoding: utf_8

Optionally, configure "Pattern", so double click in the Output panel will put caret to the source code. Example of GCC error line in the Output panel, it will be handled by double click: "new.cpp:10:3: error: 'zz' was not declared in this scope".

* Pattern: (?P<file>[^:]+):(?P<line>\d+):(?P<col>\d+): .+

== Tool to run C program ==

Tool is for Linux, so "File name" don't have an extension. For Windows, change "File name" field to "{FileNameNoExt}.exe".

Tool will catch the program output in the Output panel, program text input will not work.

* Name: C - run
* File name: "./{FileNameNoExt}"
* Shell command: checked
* Parameters: (empty)
* Initial folder: {FileDir}
* Lexers: C,C++
* Capture output: Output panel
* Encoding: utf_8
* Pattern: (empty)

== Tool to run C program, on Windows, with input in terminal ==

Tool is for Windows, it allows to run compiled C/C++ program in new console window. Text input will work in this console.

Example C++ program:

<syntaxhighlight lang="C++">
#include <stdio.h>
int main ()
{
  int c;
  puts ("Enter text. Include a dot ('.') in a sentence to exit:");
  do {
    c=getchar();
    putchar (c);
  } while (c != '.');
  return 0;
}
</syntaxhighlight>

Tool props:
* Name: C - run
* File name: cmd
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: /K "{FileNameNoExt}.exe"
** Alternative value: /C "{FileNameNoExt}.exe" && pause
* Initial folder: {FileDir}
* Lexers: C,C++
* Capture output: Ignore
* Encoding: utf_8
* Pattern: (empty)

== Tool to run C program, on Linux, with input in terminal ==

Tool is for Linux, it allows to run compiled C/C++ program in new terminal window. Text input will work in this terminal window.

Example C++ program:

<syntaxhighlight lang="C++">
#include <stdio.h>
int main ()
{
  int c;
  puts ("Enter text. Include a dot ('.') in a sentence to exit:");
  do {
    c=getchar();
    putchar (c);
  } while (c != '.');
  return 0;
}
</syntaxhighlight>

Tool props:
* Name: C - run
* Variant for xterm:
** File name: xterm
** Parameters: -hold -e "./{FileNameNoExt}"
* Variant for gnome-terminal:
** File name: gnome-terminal
** Parameters: -- bash -c "./{FileNameNoExt}; read -s -n1 -r -p 'Press any key... '; echo"
* Shell command: unchecked
* Initial folder: {FileDir}
* Lexers: C,C++
* Capture output: Ignore
* Encoding: utf_8
* Pattern: (empty)

== Tool to compile+run C program ==

In the External Tools dialog, press Join button, to join 2 tools created in above steps. Properties of joined tool:

* Name: C - make+run
* Series: C - compile; C - run
* Lexers: C,C++

== Tool to run current Batch file ==

Tool properties:

* Name: Run batch file
* File name: cmd.exe
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: /c "{FileName}"
* Initial folder: {FileDir}
* Lexers: Batch files
* Capture output: Output panel
* Encoding: the same as file's encoding: e.g. utf_8 or cp1251 (cp1251 is Russian ANSI codepage)

== Tool to compile by Free Pascal ==

This tool is for Free Pascal 3.x on Linux x64.

Properties:

* Name: FPC - compile
* File name:
** for FPC installed system-wide: fpc
** for FPC installed via fpcupdeluxe: /home/user/fpcupdeluxe/fpcupdeluxe/fpc/bin/x86_64-linux/fpc.sh
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: {FileNameOnly}
* Initial folder: {FileDir}
* Lexers: Pascal
* Capture output: Output panel
* Encoding: utf_8

Optionally, configure "Pattern", so double click in the Output panel will put caret to the source code. In the "Tool properties" dialog, press "Set" button near the "Pattern" and choose there ready preset for Free Pascal.

== Tool to call file-compare utility ==

Tools, which call file-compare utility, to compare 2 files: active files in group-1 and group-2.

=== WinMerge, KDiff, Kompare===

* Name: Compare files in G1, G2
* File name: (full name of executable file)
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: "{FileName_g1}" "{FileName_g2}"
* Initial folder: (empty)
* Capture output: Ignore

=== Meld ===

* Name: Compare files in G1, G2
* File name: (full name of executable file)
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: --newtab "{FileName_g1}" "{FileName_g2}"
* Initial folder: (empty)
* Capture output: Ignore

=== diff ===

* Name: Compare files in G1, G2
* File name: diff
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: -Nau "{FileName_g1}" "{FileName_g2}"
* Initial folder: (empty)
* Capture output: Copy to new document

== Tool to run Python scripts ==

* Name: Python3
* File name:
** on Windows: full path to "python.exe"
** on Unix: python3
* Shell command:
** on Windows: checked
** on Unix: unchecked
* Parameters: "{FileNameOnly}"
* Initial folder: {FileDir}
* Lexers: Python
* Capture output: Output panel
* Encoding: utf_8
* Pattern: \s*File "(?P<file>.+)", line (?P<line>\d+)

== Tool to preview HTML file in Chrome ==

* Name: Preview in Chrome
* File name:
** on Windows: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe
* Shell command:
** on Windows: unchecked
* Parameters: "{FileName}"
* Initial folder: (empty)
* Lexers: HTML
* Capture output: Ignore

== Tool to open PHP documentation with given topic ==

Tool to open PHP documentation, in .chm format, for the word under editor's caret. For Windows only. You need to install KeyHH from http://keyworks.helpmvp.com/ , it is stable tool mentioned on several sites. Program "keyhh.exe" will be in your system PATH.

Before making the tool, add "$" char to word chars for PHP lexer. To do it, call "Plugins / Options Editor", in the Options Editor dialog find option "word_chars" and set it to "$". You must save option to PHP lexer-specific config, so in the dialog you must check flag "For [x] Lexer", and choose lexer "PHP", and then write option value "$" and press Enter.

Download PHP documentation in .chm format from PHP.net, google for "php_manual_en chm", it is 16M file.

Tool properties:

* Name: PHP Help
* File name: keyhh.exe
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: -MyHelp -#klink {CurrentWord} "C:\Work\php_manual_en.chm"
* Initial folder: (empty)
* Lexers: PHP
* Save before: Nothing
* Capture output: Ignore

== Tool to open AutoIt documentation with given topic ==

Tool to open AutoIt documentation, in .chm format, for the word under editor's caret. For Windows only. You need to install KeyHH from http://keyworks.helpmvp.com/ , it is stable tool mentioned on several sites. Program "keyhh.exe" will be in your system PATH.

With AutoIt installed, you also have .chm documentation, its path is usually "C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\AutoIt.chm".

Tool properties:

* Name: AutoIt Help
* File name: keyhh.exe
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: -MyHelp -#klink  {CurrentWord} "C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\AutoIt.chm"
* Initial folder: (empty)
* Lexers: AutoIt
* Save before: Nothing
* Capture output: Ignore

== Tool to open .chm documentation for all lexers ==

See above example about tool for PHP documentation. Create the similar tool

* File name: keyhh.exe
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: -MyHelp -#klink "{CurrentWord}" "{AppDir}\..\Docs\{Lexer}.chm"
* Lexers: (empty)

This tool needs renamed .chm files: for lexer AutoIt it needs "AutoIt.chm" and so on. It needs .chm files in a single folder relative to CudaText folder.

== Tool for Google search ==

This is URL (special kind of tool). In the External Tools dialog, press the "URL" button, then press "Add" to add a new URL.

* Name: Google find
* URL:

<syntaxhighlight lang="text">
http://google.com/search?q={SelectedText|q}
</syntaxhighlight>

== Tool to open folder of current file in Windows Explorer ==

Tool properties:

* Name: Open cur dir in Explorer
* File name: explorer.exe
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: {FileDir}
* Initial folder: {FileDir}

== Tool to go to current file in FreeCommander ==

* Name: Go to file in FreeCommander
* File name: path\to\FreeCommander.exe
* Shell command: unchecked
* Parameters: "/L={FileName}" /C
* Initial folder: {FileDir}

=Runner=
Plugin Runner was written as an alternative to External Tools.

* Runner is more light weight.
* Runner supports Sublime Text 3 build-systems.
* Runner displays tool output immediately line-by-line as it appears (External Tools can only show the entire ready output).

Many build-systems (*.sublime-build files) from Sublime Text 3 are located in [https://github.com/CudaText-addons/Runner_build_systems Runner build-systems repository].

Some ST3 plugins have build-systems paired with some Python code - they are not supported.
See the [https://github.com/CudaText-addons/cuda_runner/blob/main/readme/readme.txt Runner documentation on GitHub].

Here is the GIF animation which shows reaction of Runner to PHP script running:
<syntaxhighlight lang="php">
<?php
for($i=0; $i<10; $i++) {
	sleep(1);
	echo "$i is here\n";
}
?>
</syntaxhighlight>

[[File:cudatext-runner-thread.gif]]

==Runner limitation for input==
If your Python script contains the input() function:

<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
s=input('enter text: ')
print('entered:', s)
</syntaxhighlight>

it will run with a runtime error like this:

 enter text: Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/home/user/a.py", line 3, in <module>
 	s=input('enter text: ')
 EOFError: EOF when reading a line

This is the limitation of the Runner plugin. To run your Python script in this case, you should call "ExTerminal" plugin (or "Terminal Plus" plugin), and enter there: "python3 myscript.py". And make sure, that ExTerminal prompt appeared in the proper folder, with your script.

==Runner tool for C==

Copy file "C via GCC.sublime-build" from [https://github.com/CudaText-addons/Runner_build_systems Runner build-systems repository] to folder "data/buildsystems".

It supports C lexer using GCC compiler.
It works on Linux/macOS out-of-the-box, on Windows you need the command "gcc" to be in the system PATH.

This build-system has 2 commands:
* Build: only compiles
* Run: compiles and then runs the binary

Example C file:
<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp">
#include <stdio.h>
int main(){
  printf("Hello world");
  return 0;
}
</syntaxhighlight>

Example output in the CudaText Output panel (Linux):
<pre>
-- [10:34:08] Building: C via GCC: a.c
-- Command: gcc "/home/user/a.c" -o "/home/user/a" && "/home/user/a"
-- Working dir: /home/user
Hello world
-- Done (0.2s), return code: 0
</pre>

==Runner tool for C++==

Copy file "C++_G++.sublime-build" from [https://github.com/CudaText-addons/Runner_build_systems Runner build-systems repository] to folder "data/buildsystems".

It supports C++ lexer using GNU C++ compiler.
It works on Linux/macOS out-of-the-box, on Windows you need the command "g++" to be in the system PATH.

This build-system has 2 commands:
* compile, then run the compiled binary (default command)
* only run the compiled binary (it should be called from "Plugins / Runner / Build with...").

Example C++ file:
<syntaxhighlight lang="cpp">
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::cout << "Hello World!";
    return 0;
}
</syntaxhighlight>

Example output in the CudaText Output panel (Linux):
<pre>
-- [16:41:55] Building: C++: new.cpp
-- Command: g++ -std=c++11 -Wall "/home/user/new.cpp" -o "/home/user/new" && "/home/user/new"
-- Working dir: /home/user
Hello World!
-- Done (0.8s), return code: 0
</pre>

==Runner tool for PHP==
How to debug for example PHP file, with Runner.
Create file "data/buildsystems/php.sublime-build" with such text:
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
  "file_patterns": ["*.php"],
  "linux": {
    "cmd": ["php", "$file"]
  },
  "windows": {
    "cmd": ["C:\\PHP_folder\\php-win.exe", "$file"]
  }
}
</syntaxhighlight>

Restart CudaText.

After opening a PHP file, call Runner main command "Build", that's it. It must show script output (in the Output panel) line-by-line, as it appears.

Example script to test:
<syntaxhighlight lang="php">
<?php
for($i=0; $i<10; $i++) {
	sleep(1);
	echo "$i is here\n";
}
?>
</syntaxhighlight>

==Runner tool for Python==

Copy file "Python.sublime-build" from [https://github.com/CudaText-addons/Runner_build_systems Runner build-systems repository] to folder "data/buildsystems".

It should contain 2 items in the build-system:
* Build
* Syntax Check

After opening a Python file, call Runner main command "Build", that's it. It must show script output (in the Output panel) line-by-line, as it appears.

Example script to test:
<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
import time

for i in range(5):
    time.sleep(1)
    print(str(i) + " is here", flush=True)
</syntaxhighlight>

==Runner tool for Free Pascal==

Copy file "Free Pascal.sublime-build" from [https://github.com/CudaText-addons/Runner_build_systems Runner build-systems repository] to folder "data/buildsystems".

That file has content like this:
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
  "file_patterns": ["*.pp", "*.pas"],
  "file_regex": "(.+?)\\((\\d+),(\\d+)\\)\\s(.+)$",
  "working_dir": "$file_path",
  "name": "Compile",
  "cmd": ["/home/user/fpcupdeluxe/fpcupdeluxe32/fpc/bin/x86_64-linux/fpc.sh", "$file_name"],
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "Run",
      "cmd": ["./$file_base_name"]
    }
  ]
}
</syntaxhighlight>

In this file, you need to adjust the path to "fpc.sh", according to your [[fpcupdeluxe]] folder.
Restart CudaText.

After opening a Pascal file, call Runner main command "Build", that's it.
The "Build" command example output:

<pre>
-- [20:07:55] Building: Free Pascal: new.pas
-- Command: ['/home/user/fpcupdeluxe/fpcupdeluxe32/fpc/bin/x86_64-linux/fpc.sh', 'new.pas']
-- Working dir: /home/user
Free Pascal Compiler version 3.2.3-425-gebc55c0f4e-dirty [2021/09/09] for x86_64
Copyright (c) 1993-2021 by Florian Klaempfl and others
Target OS: Linux for x86-64
Compiling new.pas
Linking new
3 lines compiled, 0.1 sec
-- Done (0.2s), return code: 0
</pre>

The config above also gives the "Run" command for the compiled binary - in the menu of "Plugins / Runner / Build with...". The "Run" command example output:

<pre>
-- [20:09:09] Building: Free Pascal: new.pas
-- Command: ['./new']
-- Working dir: /home/user
Hello world.
-- Done (-0.0s), return code: 0
</pre>

==Runner tool for Cobol==
In Addons Manager, install the lexer "Cobol".

Let's make build-system for GnuCOBOL on Windows.
Install GnuCOBOL, usually [https://www.arnoldtrembley.com/GnuCOBOL.htm from this webpage], to "C:\GnuCOBOL".
You must have file "C:\GnuCOBOL\bin\cobc.exe".

Create Batch script "c:\GnuCOBOL\bin\runcobol.cmd" with such content:
<pre>
set Path=c:\gnucobol\bin
set COB_CONFIG_DIR=c:\gnucobol\config
set COB_COPY_DIR=c:\gnucobol\copy
set COB_INCLUDE_PATH=c:\gnucobol\include
set COB_LIB_PATH=c:\gnucobol\lib
cobc -x -std=mf %1
</pre>

Create build-system file "data\buildsystems\cobol.sublime-build":
<syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
  "file_patterns": ["*.cob", "*.cbl", "*.cpy"],
  "name": "Compile",
  "cmd": ["cmd.exe", "/c", "c:\\GnuCOBOL\\bin\\runcobol.cmd", "$file"],
  "working_dir": "$file_path",
  "file_regex": "^([^:]+):([0-9]+):",
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "Run",
      "cmd": ["$file_path/$file_base_name.exe"]
    }
  ]  
}
</syntaxhighlight>

Note: the build-system gives usual command "Build" and additional command "Run" to execute the .exe file, and "Run" has forward slash (Unix slash): "$file_path/$file_base_name.exe". Forward slash is required here, because with backslash Runner will fail to run the .exe (it will not expand the macro $file_base_name).

Now running the "Plugins / Runner / Build" can give text in the "Output panel" like this:
<pre>
-- [07:49:02] Building: cobol: test.cbl
-- Command: ['cmd.exe', '/c', 'c:\\GnuCOBOL\\bin\\runcobol.cmd', 'C:\\Work\\test.cbl']
-- Working dir: C:\Work

C:\Work>set Path=c:\gnucobol\bin 
C:\Work>set COB_CONFIG_DIR=c:\gnucobol\config 
C:\Work>set COB_COPY_DIR=c:\gnucobol\copy 
C:\Work>set COB_INCLUDE_PATH=c:\gnucobol\include 
C:\Work>set COB_LIB_PATH=c:\gnucobol\lib 
C:\Work>cobc -x -std=mf C:\Work\test.cbl 
C:\Work\test.cbl:1: error: invalid indicator 'u' at column 7
C:\Work\test.cbl:2: warning: line not terminated by a newline [-Wmissing-newline]
C:\Work\test.cbl:3: warning: PROGRAM-ID header missing [-Wothers]
-- Done (0.3s), return code: 1
</pre>

=FindInFiles=
This plugin implements searching in many files, starting from custom folder. CudaText doesn't have the built-in feature to search in many files, and seems it will not have it in future, because FindInFiles is so powerful, it even has the Configuration dialog with dozens of options.

Project Manager plugin allows to call FindInFiles functionality. Focus a folder in Project Manager, call context menu, and then "Selected directory / Find in directory..." menu item.

==How to find/replace in all UI-tabs==
FindInFiles 4 supports search inside all UI-tabs. Hover mouse over "From:" label in the dialog, tooltip will appear. Tooltip says what to enter in the nearest input-field. Enter one of these strings in the "From" field:

 <tabs>
 {t}

[[File:cudatext-findinfiles-intabs.png]]

And in the "Files" field, enter "*" for all files.

To discover more features of FindInFiles dialog, hover mouse over other labels/buttons.

You can also '''replace in all UI-tabs''', of course. To do it, fill all input fields in the FindInFiles main dialog, but instead of pressing "Find" - press "=" button and then choose "Replace with..." from appeared popup menu. Additional dialog will appear to confirm you replacement request, press "Replace" button there. 

Additionally, CudaText gives built-in "Replace in all tabs" feature, it is the button "Rep global" in the built-in Find/Replace dialog. This is documented in the main CudaText wiki page.

==How to use FindInFiles 4==
FindInFiles v4 has two panels. Top panel shows found filenames, line by line. Bottom panel shows the entire document of one of the selected filenames. When you single click on a line of top panel, the bottom panel shows the content of a clicked file. When you double click the line again, the main editor of CudaText jumps to that location.

==FiF3 and FiF4: comparison and future==
CudaText has two plugins to search in files/tabs:

* FindInFiles v3 (FiF3)
* FindInFiles v4 (FiF4)

Important: FiF3 is almost frozen. Only serious bugs will be fixed. No plans to hide/delete FiF3. FiF4 supersedes FiF3.

Detailed comparison.

Common features:

* Speed of search. Speed of FiF3 is stable. FiF4 can search faster or slower depending on the settings. In the "slow" mode FiF4 gives more complex Results or uses more complex filters.
* Encoding detection. FiF4 allows to set more flexible plan (see submenu "=/Encoding plan"). 
* Presets. Both versions allow to define and restore named set of search parameters. FiF4 allows to run dialog and start '''immediate search''' with parameters from a preset (see main menu command "Find by preset..."). FiF4 allows to restore [pre]previous parameters (runtime '''auto saving''').
* Results/Source. FiF3 allows to put Results in old/new tab or in dialog editor control. FiF4 allows to put Results only in dialog editor control and has a command to copy Results to new tab. Both allow to open the source file for specified fragment in new tab. FiF3 can place Results and Source vertically or horizontally. FiF4 has only one way.
* FiF3 has commands to '''count fragments''' and to show only filenames. FiF4 skips such commands as unnecessary.
* FiF3 can save '''dialog layouts'''. FiF4 saves layout as part of preset.
* Like FiF3, FiF4 has the "Replace" functionality.
* Like FiF3, FiF4 can search '''in project''' folder(s).

Main new features:

* FiF4 can report the found fragment with its '''around lines''' (see "-?+?" button).
* FiF4 can search '''multi-line fragments''' (see "+" button).
* FiF4 can search in '''many start folders'''.
* FiF4 allows to use '''lexer data''' to filter and report fragments (in/out string/comment, lexer path).
* FiF4 allows to show lines in the Results with its '''lexer colors''' from source files.
* FiF4 allows to use '''macro-variables''' (OS environments, properties of current file/tab and free-set names) in any editable fields . 
* FiF4 has '''statusbar''' to show statistics of the last search: folders/files/fragments/timing.
* FiF4 allows to '''reformat Results''' (change tree type and more) without new search.
* FiF4 allows to show '''modification time''' of files in the Results.

=Terminal=

There are currently 3 terminal plugins:
* Terminal: simplest plugin.
* Terminal Plus: most feature-rich plugin, but its UI may be too complex for beginners.
* ExTerminal: middle in the feature set, but its UI is very simple.

Let's take ExTerminal plugin, and show how to perform some task with it, under Linux. Task: run Python script which uses 'input()' function. The simpest Terminal plugin cannot handle 'input()' function, but ExTerminal will work good. Let's take Python script with content:

<syntaxhighlight lang="python">
x = int(input('Enter x: '))
w = int(input('Enter w: '))
print(x*w)
</syntaxhighlight>

Steps:

* Save our script to file ~/myfolder/tt.py
* Install ExTerminal, restart CudaText
* Run ExTerminal by clicking its bottom-bar-icon
* In ExTerminal, enter "cd ~/myfolder", so file tt.py will be in the current directory. You can enter "ls *.py" to see all python files in the current directory.
* In ExTerminal, enter "python3 tt.py"

Script should work and show 2 input-prompts.

 user@user:~/myfolder$ ls *.py
 a.py  test.py  tt.py
 user@user:~/myfolder$ python3 tt.py
 Enter x: 10
 Enter w: 20
 200

How to open ExTerminal in the directory of the current editor file? You can do this:

* Hover mouse over ExTerminal button in the bottom-bar. It must show tooltip like "ExTerminal 1".
* Right-click this button, popup menu appears, from the popup menu choose "New terminal". This will create another ExTerminal button+panel. New panel has the directory of the current editor file.
* To not produce too much ExTerminal buttons, use "Close terminal" from the popup menu.

=Configure Menu=

Plugin "Configure Menu" (in Addons Manager) allows to customize CudaText menus:
* top menu
* editor context menu (appearing over editing area, not over gutter/minimap)
* ui-tab header context menu
* dropdown menus of toolbar buttons (toolbar is hidden in CudaText by default, use "View" menu to show it)

"Configure Menu" gives the dialog via its menu item in "Plugins" menu. In the dialog you should create the file "menu.json" first (it is created in the CudaText "settings" folder), and check the checkbox to load "menu.json" on app startup.
File "menu.json" has items like:

<syntaxhighlight lang="json">
  ,{"cap":"&Save", "cmd":"cmd_FileSave"}
</syntaxhighlight>

How to add here built-in commands? See identifiers of CudaText commands in the file "py/cudatext_cmd.py", they have prefixes "cCommand_" (low level commands) and "cmd_" (high level commands). For example, "cmd_FileSave" is the command to save current file.

How to add here plugin commands? For example, you have plugin "Comments", it is in the folder "py/cuda_comments". See plugin's file "install.inf", and find there Python method names:

 method=cmt_toggle_line_1st
 method=cmt_toggle_line_body
 method=cmt_add_line_1st
 method=cmt_add_line_body
 method=cmt_del_line
 method=cmt_toggle_stream
 method=dlg_config

Choose needed method. Add in the "menu.json" item like this:

<syntaxhighlight lang="json">
  ,{"cap":"Toggle line comment", "cmd":"module=cuda_comments;cmd=cmt_toggle_line_body;"}
</syntaxhighlight>

Here "cuda_comments" is plugin folder name, and "cmt_toggle_line_body" is method from "install.inf".

You can add items to the CudaText top-menu and/or context-menu, it is different sections in "menu.json".
Possible root sections in "menu.json" are listed in the API wiki page: [[CudaText_API#menu_proc_-_Menu_id]].

Example screenshot shows how "menu.json" will look with new items for context-menu:

[[File:cudatext-editing-context-menu.png]]

Example screenshot also shows tricks: how to write items for "External Tools" items and for "Macros" items: see lines with "cuda_exttools" and with "cuda_macros". Here they are:

<syntaxhighlight lang="json">
    {"cap": "SomeToolName", "cmd": "module=cuda_exttools;cmd=run;info=174420;"}
   ,{"cap": "SomeMacroName", "cmd": "module=cuda_macros;cmd=run;info=87635;"}
</syntaxhighlight>

These special lines need special integer IDs. You can find these IDs in the config files of both plugins: External Tools / Macros. For example, to find Extertal Tools IDs, open "settings/exttools.json". Here is a fragment of this file, which shows "id" value of the tool "C - compile":

<syntaxhighlight lang="json">
{
    "ver": "20151209",
    "list": [
        {
            "id": 254653,
            "nm": "C - compile",
            "file": "gcc",
            "ddir": "{FileDir}",
            "shll": false,
            "prms": "\"{FileNameOnly}\" -o \"{FileNameNoExt}\"",
            "savs": "N",
            "rslt": "OP",
            "encd": "utf_8",
            "lxrs": "C,C++",
            "pttn": "(?P<file>[\\w\\.\\-]+):(?P<line>\\d+):(?P<col>\\d+):.+",
        },
</syntaxhighlight>

=Configure Toolbar=

Plugin allows to change the content of the main (horizontal) toolbar: hide standard buttons, add user buttons for any actions, customize icons and nesting of menu items.

For example, you installed two plugins:
* Configure Toolbar
* Color Text

And you want to call command "Apply bold" (from "Color Text") via toolbar. How to add such a button? Picture highlights your steps.

[[File:cudatext-config-toolbar.png]]

* From the Command Palette, call the item "Configure Toolbar: Configure buttons...". Dialog will appear from the plugin.
* In the "Configure toolbar" dialog, press "Add item...", and fill fields of new dialog "Button properties".
** Caption
** Tooltip (optional)
** Command: should be "cuda_color_text.format_bold" for our task. You cannot type this text, instead press "Choose command" and find the command there, in the Command Palette-like menu.
** Icon (optional)

=Intext Bookmarks=

Plugin allows to place special marks, and to show Goto dialog for its special marks.
These are not usual CudaText bookmarks, but text lines, which are recognized only by this plugin.

Plugin adds menu items in "Plugins / In-text Bookmarks":

* List for current tab -- show all marks in the current document
* List for all tabs -- show all marks in all opened UI-tabs
* Go to next
* Go to previous 
* Add -- add a new mark at caret position

"Special" lines are supported even for files without lexer, and files with lexer if lexer doesn't support comments. For such poor files, plugin will add special lines like "//NOTE: comment_text".

You can customize that special lines, using plugin configuration dialog: menu item "Options / Settings-plugins / In-text Bookmarks". Dialog gives such options:

* Bookmark signs: NOTE: NB! TODO: todo: todo. FIX:
* Comment sign: //

That configuration means that for "poor" files (without lexer, or with lexer without line comments), plugin uses lines beginning with "//NOTE:" or "//NB!" or "//TODO:" etc.
For files with rich lexers, plugin uses lexer's line-comment prefix.

=Color Text=

Plugin "Color Text" gives several commands (in the Plugins menu) to add coloring to text ranges.
Plugin uses the selected text, without selection it uses word under first caret.
On applying the coloring, plugin marks file as "modified".
Plugin is suitable for files with any lexer, it adds its colors over the lexer highlight.

[[File:cudatext-color-text.png]]

The data of coloring is saved to additional 'helper file' with extension .cuda-colortext, in the folder of the original file. After you delete this 'helper file', plugin will not load its data on next start.

Not only background color can be changed, but also border color, and font styles (bold, italic, stikeout).
To specify colors/styles, you have to edit the plugin config file.
To edit the config file, call menu item "Options / Settings-plugins / Color Text".
Config file has sections for colors/styles, and usual options:

* "all_words": Colorize all occurrences of fragment.
* "case_sensitive": Case sensitive search for other occurrences.
* "whole_words": Colorize only those occurrences, which are whole words.
* "show_on_map": Show added colored marks also on micro-map.

=Insert Pics=
CudaText gives the plugin API to show pictures between the text lines.
These spaces between lines are called "gaps".
Plugin "Insert Pics" exists to show picture files in gaps.
It saves pictures in the helper files (using Base64 encoding), with extension .cuda-pic, 
near the original text file. Files with pictures look like this:

[[File:cudatext-insert-pics.png]]

* You can use any lexer for files with pictures.
* You can add the unlimited number of pictures. But only one picture per "gap".
* You can add/delete pictures later, using plugin's commands in menu "Plugins / Insert Pics".
* When you delete the "helper file" (located in the same folder), all pictures will be lost for plugin.

=Complete From Text=
Plugin allows to show auto-completion listbox with words from the current file (or all opened UI-tabs, by option).
E.g. if you typed "op" and press Ctrl+Space (default auto-completion hotkey), it may suggest previously mentioned words "operations", "opinion", "option" etc.
Plugin is not smart like "LSP Client" plugin, so expect lot of 'false positives' in its listbox.

[[File:cudatext-complete-from-text.png]]

In the picture above, one word was taken from C lexer's C.acp file (this is a feature).

Plugin is preconfigured to work with small set of lexers: none-lexer, Ini files, Markdown, reStructuredText, Properties. Here is how to use it for let's say "C" lexer:

* Install the plugin
* Call menu item "Options / Settings-plugins / Complete From Text"
* This opens the "plugins.ini" file
* Find section "[complete_from_text]", add ",c" (without quotes) to the line "lexers="
* Restart CudaText

Plugin has more options in that "plugins.ini" file:

* 'lexers': comma-separated lexer names, ie for which lexers to work; specify none-lexer as '-'.
* 'min_len': minimal word length, words of smaller length will be ignored.
* 'max_lines': if document has bigger count of lines, ignore this document.    
* 'case_sens': case-sensitive; words starting with 'A' will be ignored when you typed 'a'.
* 'no_comments': ignore words inside "syntax comments" (lexer specific).
* 'no_strings': ignore words inside "syntax strings" (lexer specific).
* 'what_editors': which documents (ie UI tabs) to read to get words. Values:
**    0: only current document.
**    1: all opened documents.
**    2: all opened documents with the same lexer.
* 'use_acp': add suggestions from autocomplete files in 'data/autocomplete'
* 'case_split': expands suggestions, autocompletion for 'AB' will include 'AzzBzz', so to get 'ValueError' just typing 'VE' (or 'VaE', 'VErr', 'ValErr' etc.) and calling on autocompletion will suggest it.
* 'underscore_split': expands suggestions, autocompletion for 'AB' will include 'AZZ_BZZ', so to get 'supports_bytes_environ' just typing 'sb' (or 'sbe', 'supbyenv' etc.) and calling on autocompletion will suggest it. 

Plugin supports CudaText option "nonword_chars", so for example words with '$' char are also added to completions, if CudaText option is configured so.

=Embedded Editor=

Plugin "Embedded Editor" shows "included" file in embedded editor - additional editor UI control is
shown between the text lines.
For example, you can open included CSS / JS files while editing the HTML file.

[[File:cudatext-embedded-editor.png]]

It adds menu item to show/hide embedded editor in the current document, for the
current caret position: "Plugins / Embedded Editor / Toggle".

By default, plugin searches for the included filename inside double-quotes,
surrounding the caret position. This works OK for HTML and many other documents.

For example, when you have opened file "/folder/file.html", and placed caret
inside first double-quotes:
<syntaxhighlight lang="html">
  <link href="css/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"/>
</syntaxhighlight>
then embedded editor will be opened for file "/folder/css/style.css".

The search can be configured, though. For example, plugin can be used in Pascal
files for include-directives:
<syntaxhighlight lang="pascal">
  {$I path/filename.inc}
</syntaxhighlight>

Plugin has 2 config files, you will see 2 menu items in the 
"Options / Settings-plugins / Embedded Editor".
Read more about config files in the readme.txt of plugin.

=Breadcrumbs=

Plugin "Breadcrumbs" shows the toolbar widget (modern name is breadcrumb bar) below or on top of the editor for quick
file-system navigation. For example, when you have active editor with filename
"/home/user/mydir/myfile.ext", widget shows buttons:
<pre>
[ home / user / mydir / myfile.ext ]
</pre>
It can also show the "~" button for the home directory (by option):
<pre>
[ ~ / mydir / myfile.ext ]
</pre>

[[File:cudatext-breadcrumbs.png]]

Clicking on each button shows the popup with file-system listing, showing the
folder containing  the clicked item. This popup supports basic tree-view navigation,
you can click files there to open them in CudaText.

Plugin can also show buttons for Code-Tree nodes. This must be enabled first
in the config file - turn on the option "code_navigation".
Clicking the buttons from the code-tree shows the same tree-popup but with
a different content - with symbols of the documents. Clicking the nodes
in the tree-popup scrolls the document to different symbols.

=Spell Checker=
Frequent question: how to make spell checking 'live', ie run it after each change? Do this:

* Menu "Options / Settings-plugins / Spell Checker / Configure events": check there all events.
* Menu "Options / Settings-plugins / Spell Checker / Configure": check that your file-extension is enabled in the option "file_extension_list". Option value "*" means that all extensions are enabled.
* Restart CudaText.

Now checking should be 'live'. Note: it needs a pause after text editing (about 1 second), because it uses "on_change_slow" to avoid slowdown on editing.

[[Category:CudaText]]
