# About &kapp;

&kapp; is a source-editing environment for KDE. Primarily, it is a front-end to the veteran Cscope, a source-code browser originally developed at Bell Labs. Cscope works by parsing a set of source files, creating a cross-reference database, and allowing the user to query this database. &kapp; extends the feature-set of Cscope with a contemporary user interface, editor integration, project management capabilities, multiple query result windows, call trees and graphs, and more.

&kapp; is not an IDE: It is not intended for building or debugging projects. Its primary objective is to simplify the development of large C projects, such as the Linux kernel, by providing developers with efficient tools for source browsing, analysis and coding.

Unlike most modern IDEs, it does not have a window that displays a hierarchical tree of all project symbols. This is because such a display, adequate for C++ or Java projects, is meaningless in the functional world of C. Instead, &kapp;'s function-oriented queries allow the user to effectively browse the source code of the entire project. Query results are displayed in either a query window, a function call-tree or a call graph, giving the user a better understanding of the code's structure.

&kapp; implements (almost) all of Cscope's query types. Among these are:

- Browse for all references to a symbol;

- Get the global definition of a symbol;

- Find all functions calling to or called by a function;

- Find a text string or an EGrep pattern;

- and more.

&kapp; is a part of an ongoing effort to expand the range of open source solutions. It could not have been created without the previous work of many devoted developers. &kapp; is therefore freely distributed, along with its source code, for the benefit of the open source community. I hope it can be of use to others, and I would appreciate any help in the form of bug reports or improvement suggestions.