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---
layout: documentation
title: Editors
---
# Editors - Different Ways to Simplify Your Textual Configuration
Currently there are several existing solutions, that can help you configuring your openHAB instance in a textual way.
This documentation page can give you some guidance in choosing the right one for you and setting it up.
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{::options toc_levels="2..4"/}
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- TOC
{:toc}
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## Network Preparations
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Any editors used to configure openHAB need to be able to access the configuration files on the remote openHAB host.
This can be achieved by using a [network share ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_resource ) set up on the remote host and mounted on your local computer.
The steps required to set up a [network share ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_resource ) on your local host computer are specific to the host operation system.
How to setup and use Samba on a Linux system is described in the [Linux article ]({{base}}/installation/linux.html#network-sharing ).
If you are using [openHABian ]({{base}}/installation/openhabian.html ), the network shares are readily configured for you, you only need to mount them locally.
*Attention Windows users:* Directly accessing network shares (UNC paths) is often not supported. Please be sure to mount the network share to a drive letter.
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{: #openhab -vscode}
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## openHAB VS Code Extension
openHAB VS Code is an extension for the [Visual Studio Code ](https://code.visualstudio.com ) editor.
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You can find it in the [Microsoft Visual Studio Marketplace ](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=openhab.openhab ).
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### Installation
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1. Install [Visual Studio Code ](https://code.visualstudio.com/Download ) on your desktop computer (not on the openHAB host)
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1. Open the extension sidebar.
1. Search for openHAB and install the extension.
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[Visit the Extensions GitHub Page for further Informations ](https://github.com/openhab/openhab-vscode/blob/main/README.md "GitHub Repo for the VS Code Extension" )
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### Rule Validation
This extension has the ability to check rules and validate them through a so called `Language Server` .
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(If you want to know more about this in general look [here ](https://langserver.org/ ).)
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The validation needs a running openHAB installation in your environment and can be activated with some simple steps.
You can find all important information in the extensions [readme file ](https://github.com/openhab/openhab-vscode#validating-the-rules ).
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{: #others }
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## Other Editor Integrations
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The here summarized projects provide syntax highlighting for different text editors, but have no _on top_ functionality.
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### mcedit
mcedit is an editor which comes with mc (Midnight Commander).
You can find the syntax files and installation instructions on [openhab-mcedit ](https://github.com/CWempe/openhab-mcedit ).
{: #notepadpp }
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### Notepad++
Notepad++ is a free source code editor for Windows.
Version 6.2 or above is required.
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You can find the syntax files on [openhab-samples ](https://github.com/thefrip/openhab-samples ) and install the files like it is described in the [notepad++ user manual ](https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/user-defined-language-system/ ).
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### Vim
Vim is a text editor in Linux systems.
You can find the syntax file and installation instructions on [openhab-vim ](https://github.com/cyberkov/openhab-vim ).
### Nano
Nano is a common editor in Linux systems.
You can find the syntax file and installation instructions on [openhabnano ](https://github.com/airix1/openhabnano ).
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### TextWrangler
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TextWrangler is a text and code editor for macOS.
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You can find the syntax file and installation instructions on [openhab-syntax-textwrangler ](https://github.com/GrisoMG/openhab-syntax-textwrangler ).
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### BBEdit
BBEdit is a text and code editor for macOS and the offical successor of TextWrangler.
You can find the syntax file and installation instructions on [BBEdit-openHAB-language ](https://github.com/mjmeijer/BBEdit-openHAB-language ).
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### Emacs
Emacs is an amazingly extendable free software text editor.
You can find a basic modes for the most common types at [openhab-mode ](https://github.com/peterhoeg/openhab-mode ).
