# jEdit 5.5 User's Guide

## Using jEdit

This part of the user's guide covers jEdit's text editing commands, along with basic usage of macros and plugins.

This part of the user's guide was originally written by Slava Pestov and is maintained by the jEdit core development team.

## Writing Edit Modes

This part of the user's guide covers writing edit modes for jEdit.

Edit modes specify syntax highlighting rules, auto indent behavior, and various other customizations for editing different file types. For general information about edit modes, see modes.

This part of the user's guide was written by Slava Pestov and is maintained by the jEdit core development team.

## Writing Macros

This part of the user's guide covers writing macros for jEdit.

First, we will tell you a little about BeanShell, jEdit's macro scripting language. Next, we will walk through a few simple macros. We then present and analyze a dialog-based macro to illustrate additional macro writing techniques. Finally, we discuss several tips and techniques for writing and debugging macros.

## Writing Plugins

This part of the user's guide covers writing plugins for jEdit.

Like jEdit itself, plugins are written primarily in Java. While this guide assumes some working knowledge of the language, you are not required to be a Java wizard. If you can write a useful application of any size in Java, you can write a plugin.

Where applicable, this section will also explain how jEdit's source code is similar. Therefore, this is also a good introduction to to jEdit development.