Common 

Kate allows you to specify local document variables by setting the corresponding modelines. The hidden file .kateconfig provides exactly the same functionality, but for all files in the directory.

Enable the Feature

To use a .kateconfig file you first have to enable the feature by invoking Settings > Configure Kate. In the config page Open/Save you can find the option Search depth for config file, which defaults to Do not use a config file. Change the value to an appropriate number,

Note: Please refer to the Kate Handbook for the most recent version of how to write syntax highlighting files.

Hint: If you want to write a syntax highlighting file, the XML Completion plugin might be of great help.

This section is an overview of the Highlight Definition XML format in KDE4. Based on a small example it will describe the main components and their meaning and usage. The next section will go into detail with the highlight detection rules.