KConfig Editor

The KConfig Editor provides enhanced editing capabilities for ESP-IDF configuration files, including syntax highlighting, content assist, and intelligent editing features. It supports all KConfig file types used in ESP-IDF projects.

Supported File Types

The KConfig Editor automatically recognizes and provides enhanced editing for the following file types:

Kconfig - Main configuration files
Kconfig.projbuild - Project-specific configuration files

Features

Syntax Highlighting

The editor provides comprehensive syntax highlighting for all KConfig language constructs:

Keywords: config, menuconfig, choice, menu, endmenu, endchoice
Types: bool, tristate, string, hex, int
Properties: default, depends, select, help, prompt
Values: y, n, m, string literals, hexadecimal and integer values
Comments: Line comments starting with #

Content Assist

Intelligent content proposals are available when editing KConfig files:

Main Keywords: Proposals for config, menuconfig, choice, menu, etc.
Types: Suggestions for bool, tristate, string, hex, int
Properties: Auto-completion for default, depends, select, help, prompt
Values: Context-aware suggestions for y, n, m, and string values

Auto-closing Pairs

The editor automatically handles bracket and quote pairing:

Parentheses: Automatically closes ( with )
Quotes: Automatically closes " with "
Smart Cursor Positioning: Cursor stays in the optimal position for continued typing

Example of auto-closing pairs:

config ESP32_WIFI_ENABLED
    bool "Enable WiFi"
    default y
    depends on (IDF_TARGET="esp32" || IDF_TARGET="esp32s2")
    help
        "Enable WiFi support for ESP32"

When you type depends on (, the editor automatically adds ) and positions the cursor between them.

Smart Indentation

The editor provides intelligent indentation rules for KConfig structure:

Increase Indent: After menu, config, menuconfig, choice, help, comment
Decrease Indent: After endmenu, endchoice, endif
Consistent Formatting: Maintains proper KConfig file structure

Bracket Matching

Visual highlighting of matching bracket pairs:

Menu Blocks: menu and endmenu pairs
Choice Blocks: choice and endchoice pairs
Parentheses: ( and ) pairs
Quotes: " and " pairs

Code Folding

Support for folding KConfig blocks:

Menu Sections: Fold/unfold menu blocks
Choice Sections: Fold/unfold choice blocks
Comment Regions: Fold/unfold comment sections

Usage

Opening KConfig Files

KConfig files are automatically opened with the enhanced editor when:

Double-clicking on any Kconfig or Kconfig.projbuild file in the Project Explorer
Right-clicking and selecting “Open With > KConfig Editor”
Opening files from the File menu

The editor will automatically detect the file type and apply the appropriate syntax highlighting and features.

Editing KConfig Files

When editing KConfig files, you can take advantage of:

Content Assist: Press Ctrl+Space to trigger content proposals
Auto-completion: Type partial keywords and press Tab to complete
Bracket Navigation: Use Ctrl+Shift+P to jump between matching brackets
Code Folding: Click the fold icons in the editor gutter to collapse/expand sections

Example KConfig Entry

Here’s an example of a complete KConfig entry with syntax highlighting:

config ESP32_WIFI_ENABLED
    bool "Enable WiFi Support"
    default y
    depends on IDF_TARGET_ESP32 || IDF_TARGET_ESP32S2
    select ESP32_WIFI
    help
        Enable WiFi support for ESP32 and ESP32-S2 chips.

        This option enables the WiFi driver and related functionality.
        It requires the ESP32 or ESP32-S2 target to be selected.

config ESP32_WIFI_MAX_CONN_NUM
    int "Maximum number of WiFi connections"
    range 1 10
    default 4
    depends on ESP32_WIFI_ENABLED
    help
        Maximum number of concurrent WiFi connections supported.