SciTE properties

SciTE is like the Firefox of text editors – fast, cross platform, configurable, free / Open Source etc. with the bonus of giving a familiar environment on Linux and Windows, particularily where shortcuts are concerned.

If you’re used to editors like EditPlus or Ultra Edit on Windows, SciTE is at least as configurable (end of line chars, tabs / spaces etc.) and provides a source “tree view” allowing you to “collapse” functions / classes etc. plus has excellent code completion.

On Windows there are a number of pre-packaged installers – I tend to use this one (.exe) which is based on the latest SciTE CVS. On Linux, usually use a package geared for the distro, although compiling your own is no problem if GTK is available.

There’s also a companion Filerx (Windows only) which I don’t use but adds “project” related features.

Anyway – thought I’d dump my SciTEGlobal.properties file here, to make my life and anyone else’s easier. Configuration can be applied in a number of files, allowing a base configuration to be inherited while individual users can modify their own settings further. The easiest way to to edit your own is from menu “Options” > “Open Global Properties”

This configuration probably needs further tuning, particularily font-wise, but has the basics set up as I like them and is geared for PHP. If you use a “raw” build of SciTE you may need to get PHP related add-ons from here. Documentation of the settings in this configuration can be found here.


# Global initialisation file for SciTE
# For Linux, place in $prefix/share/scite
# For Windows, place in same directory as SciTE.EXE (or Sc1.EXE)
# Documentation at http://www.scintilla.org/SciTEDoc.html

# Globals

# Window sizes and visibility
if PLAT_WIN
position.left=0
position.top=0
if PLAT_GTK
position.left=5
position.top=22

position.width=576
position.height=740

position.tile=1
#full.screen.hides.menu=1
#minimize.to.tray=1
#split.vertical=1
#output.horizontal.size=200
#output.vertical.size=60
#horizontal.scrollbar=0
#horizontal.scroll.width=10000
#output.horizontal.scrollbar=0
#output.horizontal.scroll.width=10000
#output.scroll=0
#end.at.last.line=0
tabbar.visible=1
tabbar.hide.one=1
tabbar.multiline=1
#toolbar.visible=1
#undo.redo.lazy=1
statusbar.visible=1
#fileselector.width=800
#fileselector.height=600
#magnification=-1
#output.magnification=-1

# Sizes and visibility in edit pane
line.margin.visible=1
line.margin.width=4
margin.width=16
#fold.margin.width=16
#fold.margin.colour=#FF0000
#fold.margin.highlight.colour=#0000FF
blank.margin.left=4
#blank.margin.right=4
buffered.draw=1
#two.phase.draw=0
use.palette=0

# Element styles
#view.eol=1
#control.char.symbol=.
caret.period=500
view.whitespace=1
view.indentation.whitespace=1
view.indentation.guides=1
highlight.indentation.guides=1
caret.fore=#FF0000
caret.width=2
caret.line.back=#FFFED8
calltip.back=#FFF0FE
edge.column=200
edge.mode=0
edge.colour=#C0DCC0
braces.check=1
braces.sloppy=1
selection.fore=#006000
# DADADA used as background because it yields standard silver C0C0C0
# on low colour displays and a reasonable light grey on higher bit depths
selection.back=#DADADA
whitespace.fore=#FF0000
whitespace.back=#FFF0F0
#error.marker.fore=#0000A0
#error.marker.back=#DADAFF
#bookmark.fore=#808000
#bookmark.back=#FFFFA0
#use.monospaced=1

# Checking
are.you.sure=1
#are.you.sure.for.build=1
#quit.on.close.last=1
load.on.activate=1
#save.on.deactivate=1
are.you.sure.on.reload=1
reload.preserves.undo=1
#check.if.already.open=1
default.file.ext=.php
title.full.path=1
title.show.buffers=1
save.recent=1
save.session=1
open.dialog.in.file.directory=1
#strip.trailing.spaces=1
#ensure.final.line.end=1
#ensure.consistent.line.ends=1
#save.deletes.first=1
buffers=50
buffers.zorder.switching=1
#win95.death.delay=1000
#translation.missing=***
#read.only=1

# Indentation
tabsize=4
indent.size=4
use.tabs=0
indent.automatic=1
indent.opening=0
indent.closing=0
#tab.indents=0
#backspace.unindents=0
wrap=1
#cache.layout=3
#output.wrap=1
#output.cache.layout=3

# Folding
# enable folding, and show lines below when collapsed.
fold=1
fold.compact=1
fold.flags=16
fold.symbols=1
#fold.on.open=1

# Find and Replace
#escapes.in.find.replace=1
# findstr is available on recent versions of Windows including 2000
if PLAT_WIN
# find.command=findstr /n /s $(find.what) $(find.files)
find.command=grep --line-number "$(find.what)" $(find.files)
#find.input=$(find.what)
if PLAT_GTK
find.command=grep --line-number "$(find.what)" $(find.files)
find.files=*.c *.cxx *.h
#find.replace.matchcase=1
find.replace.escapes=1
#find.replace.regexp=1
#find.replace.regexp.posix=1
#find.replace.wrap=0
#find.replacewith.focus=0

# Behaviour
eol.mode=LF
#eol.auto=1
clear.before.execute=0
#vc.home.key=1
wrap.aware.home.end.keys=1
autocompleteword.automatic=1
autocomplete.choose.single=0
caret.policy.xslop=1
caret.policy.width=20
caret.policy.xstrict=0
caret.policy.xeven=0
caret.policy.xjumps=0
caret.policy.yslop=1
caret.policy.lines=1
caret.policy.ystrict=1
caret.policy.yeven=1
caret.policy.yjumps=0
#visible.policy.strict=1
#visible.policy.slop=1
#visible.policy.lines=4
#time.commands=1

# Status Bar
statusbar.number=4
statusbar.text.1=
li=$(LineNumber) co=$(ColumnNumber) $(OverType) ($(EOLMode)) $(FileAttr)
statusbar.text.2=
$(BufferLength) chars in $(NbOfLines) lines. Sel: $(SelLength) chars.
statusbar.text.3=
Now is: Date=$(CurrentDate) Time=$(CurrentTime)
statusbar.text.4=
$(FileNameExt) : $(FileDate)

Frequently Asked Questions about SciTE Properties