The Pluma text editor, found in the MATE menus at Menu >
Accessories > Pluma Text Editor, enables you to create and edit text files. The aim of Pluma is to be a
simple and easy to use text editor. You can enable more powerful features with different plug-ins, allowing a variety of tasks
related to text-editing.
Note
Your first MATE menu choice depends on which of the Panel Layouts you have selected.
If you chose the default Familiar (Ubuntu-MATE) Layout, the first menu item is Menu. It is also the first menu item for Contemporary Layout, Redmond Layout, and Pantheon Layout. Applications is the first item for the Traditional Layout. The Netbook Layout, Mutiny Layout, and Cupertino Layout have no label and simply display the MATE logo to represent the menu.
The Pluma window contains the elements listed in the sections below.
Tip
For help topics on this application, see the Pluma manual by pressing F1 while Pluma is open.
Menu Bar
The menus on the menubar contain all of the commands you need to work with files in Pluma. Note, if you have chosen a layout that uses the Global Menu, the menubar items will be displayed in the Global Menu rather than within the Pluma window.
Toolbar
The toolbar contains icon buttons that represent a subset of the commands that you can access from the menubar.
Display Area
The display area is where the text of the file you are editing is displayed.
Status Bar
The status bar is at the bottom of the window and displays information about how you are using Pluma. The status bar display includes the following information: Cursor position is the line number and column number where the cursor is located. Edit mode is changed using the Insert key on your keyboard. If the editor is in insert mode, the status bar contains the text "INS." If the editor is in overwrite mode, the status bar contains the text "OVR."
Side Pane
By default, the side pane is not shown. To show it, choose View > Side Pane. The side pane displays a list of open documents and other information depending on which plugins are enabled.
Bottom Pane
The bottom pane is used by programming tools such as the Python Console plugin to display output. By default, the bottom pane is not shown. To show it, choose View > Bottom Pane. When you right-click in the Pluma window, a popup menu appears containing the most common text editing commands. Like other MATE applications, actions in Pluma can be performed with the menu, with the toolbar, or with keyboard shortcuts. See the section • • • KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS • • • for a list of common keyboard shortcuts.
Creating A New Document
To create a new document, choose File > New. Pluma displays a new blank document in the display area.
Open A File
If you have the Caja file manager open and you can see your file, simply double-click it, otherwise, to open a file, choose File > Open to display the "Open File" dialog. Navigate to the folder that contains your file, then select the file that you want to open and click Open. The file is displayed in the Pluma window. You can open mulTiple files in Pluma. The application adds a tab for each open file to the window above the display area.
Save A File
To save changes to a file you have opened and/or already saved, choose File > Save. To save a new file or to save an existing file under a new filename, choose File > Save As. Enter a name for your file and click Save. To save all of the files that are currently open in Pluma, choose Documents > Save All. To close all of the files that are currently open in Pluma, choose Documents > Close All. If you have any open files with unsaved edits, you will be prompted to save them before that file is closed.