# Raku filetype highlighter (know previously as Perl6) **URL:** \ **Category:** Plugins\ **Tags:** highlighter, plugins, language\ **Created:** [January 10, 2026, 8:03am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/raku-filetype-highlighter-know-previously-as-perl6/2810 "2026-01-10T08:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duncode](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@duncode](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/duncode)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2026, 8:03am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/raku-filetype-highlighter-know-previously-as-perl6/2810/1 "2026-01-10T08:03:12Z")
A start at `*.raku` filetype highlighters. Chipping away locally and not all setup yet. So, I’m able to share through this platform rather than a repo at the moment. Anyone looking to or wanting a bit of colour for their Raku files just drop it in/as `autoload/raku.kak` and hackity hack hack. > **raku.kak** > > ```auto > # https://www.raku.org/ > # ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ > # Adapted from source: > # > # > > # Detection > # ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ > > hook global BufCreate .*\.raku(mod|doc|test)?$ %{ > set-option buffer filetype raku > } > > # Initialization > # ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ > > hook global WinSetOption filetype=raku %{ > require-module raku > > set-option window static_words %opt{raku_static_words} > > # cleanup trailing whitespaces when exiting insert mode > hook window ModeChange pop:insert:.* -group raku-trim-indent %{ try %{ execute-keys -draft xs^\h+$d } } > hook window InsertChar \n -group raku-insert raku-insert-on-new-line > hook window InsertChar \n -group raku-indent raku-indent-on-new-line > hook window InsertChar \{ -group raku-indent raku-indent-on-opening-curly-brace > hook window InsertChar \} -group raku-indent raku-indent-on-closing-curly-brace > > hook -once -always window WinSetOption filetype=.* %{ remove-hooks window raku-.+ } > } > > hook -group raku-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=raku %{ > add-highlighter window/raku ref raku > hook -once -always window WinSetOption filetype=.* %{ remove-highlighter window/raku } > } > > provide-module raku %§ > > # Highlighters > # ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ > > add-highlighter shared/raku regions > add-highlighter shared/raku/code default-region group > add-highlighter shared/raku/dquote region %{(? add-highlighter shared/raku/squote region %{'} %{(? > # Comments - single line > add-highlighter shared/raku/comment_line region %{#(?![|=])} %{$} fill comment > > # Pod Declarator block/single line > add-highlighter shared/raku/pod_block region %{^=begin [A-Za-z0-9]*?} %{^=end [A-Za-z0-9]*?} fill documentation > add-highlighter shared/raku/pod_line region %{#(?=[|=])} %{$} fill documentation > > # Heredocs > add-highlighter shared/raku/heredocs region -match-capture %{qq?:to/END/;} %{^END} fill string > > # Double quoted strings > add-highlighter shared/raku/dquote/ fill string > add-highlighter shared/raku/dquote/ regex \{.*?\} 0:function > > # Single quoted strings > add-highlighter shared/raku/squote/ fill string > > # Discolour loading a modules FQN > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{^(use|need|import)(?S)(.+);$} 2:default+fa > > # Variables > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{[$@%&](\.|!|\^)?([A-Za-z]|_)} 0:variable > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{[$@%&](\.|!|\^)?([A-Za-z]|_)([A-Za-z0-9]|-|_)*([A-Za-z0-9]|_)} 0:variable > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{[$@%&](\?|\*)([A-Z])([A-Z]|-)*([A-Z])} 0:variable > > # Angle brackets > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{<([A-Za-z0-9]|-| |\.|_|/)*>} 0:default > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\$<([A-Za-z0-9]|-|_)*>} 0:default > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{(<|>)} 0:default > > # Versions > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b(v([0-9]|\*)(\.([A-Za-z0-9]|\*))*)\b} 0:default > > # Sym > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{:sym} 0:attribute > > #Regex > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{(?S)(m|rx|tr|TR|s|S)?/.*/} 0:attribute > > #Regex Match > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\$/} 0:builtin > > # Numbers > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b([0-9]+)\b} 0:value > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b([0-9]*(\.|_)[0-9]+)\b} 0:value > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b([0-9]+(e)[0-9]+)\b} 0:value > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b([0-9]*(\+)*([0-9]|NaN\\|Inf\\)+i)\b} 0:value > > #Nativecall types > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b(int8|int16|int32|int64|uint8|uint16|uint32|uint64|long|longlong|num32|num64|size_t|bool|CArray|Pointer)\b} 0:type > > # Traits > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b(rw|required|native|repr|export|symbol)\b} 0:keyword > > # Booleans > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b(True|False)\b} 0:builtin > > # Ops > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b(eq|ne|gt|lt|le|ge|div|gcd|lcm|leg|cmp|ff)\b} 0:operator > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b(=|=>|==|!=|<|>|<=|>=|\+|\*|-|/|~|\*\*|%|%%|<=>|~~|\+\+|--|\?|!|\.\.|\.\.\^|\^\.\.|\^\.\.\^|\^|\.\.\.|\||\.)\b} 0:operator > > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex %{\b(infix:<[+-]>)\b} 0:function > > # Grammar > evaluate-commands %sh{ > # Exceptions > exceptions="X::AdHoc X::Anon::Augment X::Anon::Multi X::Assignment::RO X::Attribute::NoPackage > X::Attribute::Package X::Attribute::Undeclared X::Augment::NoSuchType X::Bind > X::Bind::NativeType X::Bind::Slice X::Caller::NotDynamic X::Channel::ReceiveOnClosed > X::Channel::SendOnClosed X::Comp X::Composition::NotComposable X::Constructor::Positional > X::ControlFlow X::ControlFlow::Return X::DateTime::TimezoneClash X::Declaration::Scope > X::Declaration::Scope::Multi X::Does::TypeObject X::Eval::NoSuchLang X::Export::NameClash > X::Inheritance::NotComposed X::Inheritance::Unsupported X::IO X::IO::Chdir X::IO::Chmod > X::IO::Copy X::IO::Cwd X::IO::Dir X::IO::DoesNotExist X::IO::Link X::IO::Mkdir X::IO::Move > X::IO::Rename X::IO::Rmdir X::IO::Symlink X::IO::Unlink X::Method::InvalidQualifier > X::Method::NotFound X::Method::Private::Permission X::Method::Private::Unqualified > X::Mixin::NotComposable X::NoDispatcher X::Numeric::Real X::NYI X::Obsolete X::OS > X::OutOfRange X::Package::Stubbed X::Parameter::Default X::Parameter::MultipleTypeConstraints > X::Parameter::Placeholder X::Parameter::Twigil X::Parameter::WrongOrder X::Phaser::Multiple > X::Phaser::PrePost X::Placeholder::Block X::Placeholder::Mainline X::Pod X::Proc::Async > X::Proc::Async::AlreadyStarted X::Proc::Async::CharsOrBytes X::Proc::Async::MustBeStarted > X::Proc::Async::OpenForWriting X::Proc::Async::TapBeforeSpawn X::Proc::Unsuccessful > X::Promise::CauseOnlyValidOnBroken X::Promise::Vowed X::Redeclaration X::Role::Initialization > X::Seq::Consumed X::Sequence::Deduction X::Signature::NameClash X::Signature::Placeholder > X::Str::Numeric X::StubCode X::Syntax X::Syntax::Augment::WithoutMonkeyTyping > X::Syntax::Comment::Embedded X::Syntax::Confused X::Syntax::InfixInTermPosition > X::Syntax::Malformed X::Syntax::Missing X::Syntax::NegatedPair X::Syntax::NoSelf > X::Syntax::Number::RadixOutOfRange X::Syntax::P5 X::Syntax::Regex::Adverb > X::Syntax::Regex::SolitaryQuantifier X::Syntax::Reserved X::Syntax::Self::WithoutObject > X::Syntax::Signature::InvocantMarker X::Syntax::Term::MissingInitializer X::Syntax::UnlessElse > X::Syntax::Variable::Match X::Syntax::Variable::Numeric X::Syntax::Variable::Twigil > X::Temporal X::Temporal::InvalidFormat X::TypeCheck X::TypeCheck::Assignment X::TypeCheck::Binding > X::TypeCheck::Return X::TypeCheck::Splice X::Undeclared" > > # Keywords > keywords="my our class role grammar is does sub method submethod try CATCH default when if > elsif else unless with orwith without for given proceed succeed loop while until > repeat module use need import require unit constant enum multi return has token > rule make made proto state augment but anon supersede let subset gather returns > return-rw" > > # Methods > methods="ACCEPTS ASSIGN-KEY ASSIGN-POS AT-KEY AT-POS Array BIND-KEY BIND-POS Bag BagHash Bool > Bridge CALL-ME CREATE Capture Channel Complex DELETE-KEY DELETE-POS DESTROY DISTROnames > Date DateTime EVAL EXISTS-KEY EXISTS-POS Hash IO IO::Notification.watch-path Instant > Int KERNELnames List Map Mix MixHash NFC NFD NFKC NFKD Num Numeric Promise Rat Real > SPEC Set SetHash Slip Str Supply VMnames WHERE WHEREFORE WHICH WHY abs abs2rel absolute > accept accessed acquire act action actions add add_attribute add_enum_value add_fallback > add_method add_parent add_private_method add_role add_trustee adverb after all allocate > allof allowed alternative-names annotations antipair antipairs any anyof app_lifetime > append arch archname args arity assuming ast at attributes auth backtrace base base-repeating > basename batch bind-stderr bind-stdin bind-stdout bind-udp bits bless block bool-only > bounds break broken build-date bytes cache calling-package can cancel candidates cando > canonpath caps caption capture catdir categorize categorize-list catfile catpath cause > ceiling changed channel chdir child child-name child-typename chmod chomp chunks classify > classify-list cleanup clone close close-stdin closed code codes collate column comb > combinations command comment compiler compose compose_type composer condition config > configure_destroy configure_type_checking conj connect constraints construct contains > contents copy count count-only cpu-cores cpu-usage create_type cue curdir curupdir d > day day-of-month day-of-week day-of-year daycount days-in-month declaration decode > decoder deepmap default defined delayed denominator desc destroyers devnull did-you-mean > dir-sep dirname do does done duckmap dynamic e eager earlier elems emit enclosing encode > encoder encoding end ends-with enum_from_value enum_value_list enum_values enums eof > exception excludes-max excludes-min exitcode exp expected extension f fail feature file > filename find_method find_method_qualified finish first flat flatmap floor flush fmt > format formatter freeze from from-list from-loop from-posix full get get_value getc > gist got grab grabpairs grep handle handled handles hardware has_accessor hash head > headers hh-mm-ss hidden hides hour how hyper id illegal im in in-timezone indent indices > infinite infix install_method_cache instead int-bounds interval invalid-str invert > invocant is-absolute is-hidden is-initial-thread is-int is-lazy is-leap-year is-relative > is-routine is-setting is-win isNaN is_trusted is_type isa item iterator join keep kept > key keyof keys kill kv kxxv l lang last later lazy leading level line lines link list > listen live local lock lookup lsb made make map match max maxpairs merge message method > method_table methods migrate min minmax minpairs minute misplaced mode modified month > move msb multi multiness my name named named_names narrow native-descriptor new > new-from-daycount new-from-pairs new_type next next-handle nl-in nl-out nodemap none > norm not note now nude numerator of offset offset-in-hours offset-in-minutes old > on-close on-switch one open opened operation optional ords orig os-error osname > out-buffer package package-kind package-name packages pair pairs pairup parameter params > parent parent-name parents parse parsefile parts path path-sep payload peer-host peer-port > perl permutations phaser pick pickpairs pid placeholder plus polar poll polymod pop pos > positional posix postfix postmatch precomp-ext precomp-target pred prefix prematch prepend > print print-nl print-to printf private private_method_table proc produce promise protect > pull-one push push-all push-at-least push-exactly push-until-lazy put qualifier-type > quit r race radix rand range raw re read readchars readonly ready reallocate reals reason > rebless receive recv redispatcher redo reduce rel2abs relative release rename repeated > replacement reserved resolve restore result resume rethrow reverse right role roles_to_compose > rolish roll rootdir roots rotor round routine-type run rwx s say schedule-on scheduler > scope sec second seek self send set-instruments set_hidden set_name set_package set_rw > set_value setup_finalization shape share shell shift sibling sigil sign signal signals > signature sink sink-all skip skip-at-least skip-at-least-pull-one skip-one slurp slurp-rest > slurpy so socket-host socket-port sort source source-package spawn splice split splitdir > splitpath spurt sqrt squish stable start started starts-with status stderr stdout sub_signature > subbuf subbuf-rw subname subparse subst subst-mutate substr-eq substr-rw succ sum symlink > t tail take tap target target-name tell then throttle throw timezone tmpdir to to-posix > today toggle total trailing trans tree trim trim-leading trim-trailing truncate truncated-to > trusts try_acquire trying twigil type type_captures typename udp uncaught_handler unimatch > uniname uninames uniprop uniprops unique unival univals unlink unlock unpack unpolar unshift > unwrap updir utc value values variable verbose-config version volume vow w wait watch watch-path > week week-number week-year weekday-of-month what when whole-second words workaround wrap write > write-to x yada year yield yyyy-mm-dd z zip zip-latest WHAT WHO HOW DEFINITE VAR mro BUILD" > > # Phasers > phasers="BEGIN CHECK INIT END CLOSE ENTER LEAVE KEEP UNDO PRE POST FIRST NEXT LAST CATCH CONTROL QUIT DOC" > > # Pragmas > pragmas="MONKEY-SEE-NO-EVAL MONKEY-TYPING MONKEY-GUTS MONKEY experimental fatal lib newline nqp" > > # Subs > subroutines="Bool EVALFILE MAIN T USAGE abs acos acosec acosech acosh acotan acotanh asec asech asin > asinh atan atan2 atanh atomic-assign atomic-dec-fetch atomic-fetch atomic-fetch-add > atomic-fetch-dec atomic-fetch-inc atomic-fetch-sub atomic-inc-fetch await bag callframe > callsame callwith cas categorize ceiling cglobal chars chdir chmod chomp chop chr chrs > cis classify codes comb combinations cos cosec cosech cosh cotan cotanh cross defined > die dir elems end exit exp explicitly-manage expmod fc first flat flip floor full-barrier > gist grep index indir is-prime item join keys kv lastcall lc lines > log log10 map mix mkdir nativecast nativesizeof nextcallee nextsame nextwith open ord > ords pack pairs parse-base parse-names periods permutations pick pop print produce prompt > push put rand reduce repeated report reverse rindex rmdir roll roots rotate round roundrobin > run samecase samemark samewith say sech set shell shift signal sin sinh sleep sleep-timer > sleep-until slip slurp snap snapper sort splice split sprintf spurt sqrt squish srand > subbuf-rw substr sum take take-rw tan tanh tc tclc trim trim-leading trim-trailing truncate > uc uniparse unique unival unshift val values warn wordcase words zip" > > # Test Module > tests="plan done-testing bail-out todo skip skip-rest diag subtest pass flunk ok nok cmp-ok > is-deeply isnt is-approx like unlike use-ok isa-ok does-ok can-ok dies-ok lives-ok > eval-dies-ok eval-lives-ok throws-like fails-like" > > # Types > types="Any Array Associative AST atomicint Attribute Backtrace Backtrace::Frame Bag Baggy BagHash > Blob Block Bool Buf Callable CallFrame Cancellation Capture Channel Code compiler Complex > ComplexStr Cool CurrentThreadScheduler Cursor Date Dateish DateTime Distro Duration Encoding > Exception Failure FatRat Grammar Hash HyperWhatever Instant Int IntStr IO IO::ArgFiles > IO::CatHandle IO::Handle IO::Notification IO::Path IO::Path::Cygwin IO::Path::QNX IO::Path::Unix > IO::Path::Win32 IO::Pipe IO::Socket IO::Socket::Async IO::Socket::INET IO::Spec IO::Spec::Cygwin > IO::Spec::QNX IO::Spec::Unix IO::Spec::Win32 IO::Special Iterable Iterator Junction Kernel > Label List Lock Lock::Async Macro Map Match Metamodel::AttributeContainer Metamodel::C3MRO > Metamodel::ClassHOW Metamodel::EnumHOW Metamodel::Finalization Metamodel::MethodContainer > Metamodel::MROBasedMethodDispatch Metamodel::MultipleInheritance Metamodel::Naming > Metamodel::Primitives Metamodel::PrivateMethodContainer Metamodel::RoleContainer > Metamodel::Trusting Method Mix MixHash Mixy Mu NFC NFD NFKC NFKD Nil Num Numeric NumStr > ObjAt Order Pair Parameter Perl Pod::Block Pod::Block::Code Pod::Block::Comment > Pod::Block::Declarator Pod::Block::Named Pod::Block::Para Pod::Block::Table Pod::Heading > Pod::Item Positional PositionalBindFailover Proc Proc::Async Promise Proxy PseudoStash > QuantHash Range Rat Rational RatStr Real Regex Routine Scalar Scheduler Semaphore Seq Set > SetHash Setty Signature Slip Stash Str StrDistance Stringy Sub Submethod Supplier > Supplier::Preserving Supply Systemic Tap Telemetry Telemetry::Instrument::Thread > Telemetry::Instrument::Usage Telemetry::Period Telemetry::Sampler Thread ThreadPoolScheduler > UInt Uni utf8 Variable Version VM Whatever WhateverCode WrapHandle int uint num str" > > join() { sep=$2; eval set -- $1; IFS="$sep"; echo "$*"; } > > # Add the language's grammar to the static completion list > printf %s\\n "declare-option str-list raku_static_words $(join "${exceptions} ${keywords} ${methods} ${phasers} ${pragmas} ${subroutines} ${tests} ${types}" ' ')" > > # Highlight keywords > printf %s " > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${exceptions}" '|'))\b 0:default > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${keywords}" '|'))\b 0:keyword > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${methods}" '|'))\b 0:function > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${phasers}" '|'))\b 0:function > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${pragmas}" '|'))\b 0:function > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${subroutines}" '|'))\b 0:function > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${tests}" '|'))\b 0:default+u > add-highlighter shared/raku/code/ regex \b($(join "${types}" '|'))\b 0:type > " > } > > # Commands > # ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ > > define-command -hidden raku-insert-on-new-line %~ > evaluate-commands -draft -itersel %= > # copy # comments prefix and following white spaces > try %{ execute-keys -draft kx s ^\h*\K#\h* yP } > = > ~ > > define-command -hidden raku-indent-on-new-line %~ > evaluate-commands -draft -itersel %= > # preserve previous line indent > try %{ execute-keys -draft K } > # indent after lines ending with { or ( > try %[execute-keys -draft kx [{(]\h*$ j ] > # cleanup trailing white spaces on the previous line > try %{ execute-keys -draft kx s \h+$ d } > # align to opening paren of previous line > try %{ execute-keys -draft [( \A\([^\n]+\n[^\n]*\n?\z s \A\(\h*.|.\z '' & } > # indent after a switch's case/default statements > try %[execute-keys -draft kx ^\h*(case|default).*:$ j] > # indent after if|else|while|for > try %[execute-keys -draft )MB \A(if|else|while|for)\h*\(.*\)\h*\n\h*\n?\z s \A|.\z 11] > # deindent closing brace(s) when after cursor > try %[execute-keys -draft x ^\h*[})] gh / [})] m 1 ] > = > ~ > > define-command -hidden raku-indent-on-opening-curly-brace %[ > # align indent with opening paren when { is entered on a new line after the closing paren > try %[execute-keys -draft -itersel h)M \A\(.*\)\h*\n\h*\{) s \A|.\z 1] > ] > > define-command -hidden raku-indent-on-closing-curly-brace %[ > # align to opening curly brace when alone on a line > try %[execute-keys -itersel -draft ^\h+\}$hms\A|.\z1] > ] > > § > > ``` Raku highlighter screenshot with a solarized-dark editor colour scheme: ![Screenshot_From_2026_01_10_17_13_42](https://discuss.kakoune.com/uploads/default/original/2X/7/703f7a4b8482e5ebb3dd77c4e4a7c5734de055ee.png)