Overview of KDevelop Features
Table of Contents
KDevelop integrates a lot of tools, scripts, and templates in a common user interface. Basically it consists of
several user interface modes from which you can select the look and feel of the workspace,
an Application Wizard which aids you in setting up a new project,
several project management systems which aid in building and managing your project,
some editing tools to easily work on your program texts
various file browsers providing you different views on your file system,
various class browsers to aid you in maintaining the classes and their relationships of your object-oriented programming project,
a debugger interface to find and remove program errors from within KDevelop, and
several plugin tools, extensible modules which can be loaded at runtime and on demand. This allows you to only turn on those features you really need.
a set of other diagnosis, documentation, and optimization helper tools.
In fact there are three KDevelop-based applications:
The KDevelop IDE — this is the place where you will usually work.
The stand-alone KDevelop Assistant documentation browser — isolates all the powerful documentation facilities of the KDevelop IDE in a separate tool. This comes in handy when you want to look up some programming documentation but do not want to start the full IDE.
The KDevelop Designer — enhances the Qt™ User Interface Designer by KDE specific elements and integrates nicely in the KDevelop IDE.
KDevelop offers developers four separate user interface modes (click on the mode name to view an example):
This is a novel user interface approach optimizing both work space and intuitive handling of the tools.
All tool views are docked in a tabbar fashion around the mainframe area. They are grouped left, bottom, and right according to the services provided.
Editor and browser views will be stacked in a big sized tabbed window inmidst the mainframe area.
All tool views are initially docked to the mainframe.
Editor and browser views will live like toplevel windows within a view area of the mainframe.
All tool views are initially docked to the mainframe.
Editor and browser views will be stacked in a tabbed window.
All editor, browser, and tool views will be toplevel windows directly on the desktop.
The main widget only contains the menu, toolbars, and statusbar.
To switch the user interface mode select -> from the menus. The Customize KDevelop dialog will pop up, where you have to select User Interface in the left hand tree. This will display the settings page shown below.
Select a user interface mode
(Older KDevelop versions provide the top mode selection section only.)
In the Major User-Interface Mode section select the radio button of the user interface mode you want to work in.
Dependent on the user interface mode you selected, other configuration sections will become available where you can taylor more details of the look and feel to your preferences. See the Selecting the User Interface chapter for more detail.
Do not forget to restart KDevelop in order to let your selections take effect.
To maximize space, there is a full-screen window mode available which expands the mainframe area to the screen borders. Additional space can be reclaimed by hiding the menubar. And you can of course hide any toolbar as usual in KDE applications.
To switch to or from full screen mode select -> from the menus or press Ctrl-Shift-F. There is also a Full-Screen Mode icon in the Browse Toolbar available.
To hide the menubar select -> from the menus or press Ctrl-M. You may also include a Show Menubar icon in a suiting toolbar, e.g. the Browse Toolbar for that purpose. To unhide the menubar you must press Ctrl-M or use the Show Menubar icon if available.
