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List:       kwrite-devel
Subject:    Kate versions after 3.85 more effectively handle updating syntax highlight files?
From:       "J.B. Nicholson-Owens" <jbn () forestfield ! org>
Date:       2014-06-14 19:48:40
Message-ID: 539CA718.70307 () forestfield ! org
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Background: I'm using Kate 3.85 right now on GNU/Linux with KDE 4.8.5. I 
realize this is out of date, but since I don't have access to something 
updated I thought I'd ask about syntax highlighting file handling.

Issue: In Kate 3.85 when I select Settings -> Configure..., then pick 
"Editor Component" -> Open/Save in the Configure panel, and then pick 
the "Modes & Filetypes" tab I can download updated highlighting files by 
clicking the "Download Highlighting Files..." button and then clicking 
"Install".

In practice installing new syntax highlighting files fails because I am 
not running Kate with permission to update the system-wide installed 
syntax highlight files. Kate's installer silently fails and I'm left 
with old syntax highlighting files; the installer appears to always have 
newer syntax highlighting files to offer, files it can never truly install.

I'm reluctant to run Kate with sufficient permissions to update these 
syntax highlighting files because doing so will put the appropriate 
package(s) that installed these files out of sync with the metadata 
described in the package. It's not clear to me what issues I'll create 
by updating the syntax highlighting files outside the package manager. 
Making updated packages for the new syntax highlighting files is beyond 
the scope of what users can be reasonably expected to do, and doesn't 
really scale up when one considers more users using Kate or any program 
that builds on Katepart.

Is there a better way of handling this issue in Kate versions beyond 
Kate 3.85? If so, what is that approach?

If there is not a better approach for handling this issue, have you 
considered loading syntax highlighting files from two locations -- the 
extant system-wide directory and a user-specific directory where the 
user is likely to be able to write updated files?

Ultimately, I'd like to store and use updated syntax highlighting files 
without disturbing the packaging used for updating the system. I'd like 
to use the "Download Highlighting Files..." button on the aforementioned 
Configure panel without creating conflicts for my system's packaging.
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