Configuration and Settings

Like the editor it's modeled on, Caret stores its configuration in JSON format, under the assumption that an editor for programmers can afford to expose its workings in a more technical way. Conveniently, this also saves time that would have gone into writing a settings interface. Caret is different from Sublime Text in that its settings are not technically saved as "files," although they appear that way to the user. Instead, they're saved to Chrome's sync storage, meaning that your configuration will be synchronized across multiple computers wherever you're logged into your Google account. If you'd like to use certain settings on a single computer, you may want to look into creating a project file.

To edit settings, open the settings menu and choose one of the three main categories: User Preferences, Keyboard, or Menu. These files start as duplicates of the defaults (also available from the menu) and will be merged over top of the default configuration when they're loaded, meaning that you only need to include the parts that you would like to change in your personal config. Finally, you can clear your preferences from the Settings > Reset submenu.

For the most part, Caret's settings are documented inline using comments and should be self-explanatory. However, it's also easy to experiment. Valid settings are reloaded as soon as you save the file, so you can change something and immediately see its effect. Invalid settings will cause a reversion to the default, so if you see your theme suddenly turn back into Chrome when you save the file, check for any JSON errors you may have inadvertently introduced.