This script adds a Word Count feature to the Kate text editor. It uses the wc command line tool.

To install, copy wordcount.desktop and wordcount.sh to ~/.kde/share/apps/kate/scripts/. You can access the script via the "Tools" -> "KDE Scripts" menu in Kate.

Counting words is harder than it looks. wc may not do a precise job with strings which contain non-alphanumeric characters (like code or markup), and it may be completely inaccurate with non-Western character sets. This script should be used as a guide only. More information on this at http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=65740#c1

The files have been tested with KDE 3.2.2 and 3.2.3.

DISCLAIMER: This script is not my creation. I found it on the kde.nl site [http://www.kde.nl/doc/kate-scripting/]. Since it was written in Dutch I decided to upload a version here for us English-speakers to use.