A view is the jEdit term for an editor window. It is possible to have multiple views open at once, and each view can be split into multiple panes. jEdit remembers the state of open views between editing sessions.

An open file is referred to as a buffer. Unlike some editors where each buffer gets its own view, jEdit completely separates the two concepts. A buffer might be visible in several views, or none at all.

The drop-down list at the top of the view shows all open buffers; selecting one will make it visible in the view's text area. Different emblems are displayed next to buffer names in the list, depending the buffer's state; a red disk is shown for buffers with unsaved changes, a lock is shown for read-only buffers, and a spark is shown for new buffers which don't yet exist on disk.

As with most other graphical applications, there is a tool bar at the top of the view which provides quick access to frequently-used commands. Also, clicking the text area with the right mouse button displays a popup menu which also facilitates quick access to various commands. Both the tool bar and the right-click menu can be completely customized to suit your tastes in the Utilities>Global Options dialog box; see the section called “The Context Menu Pane” and the section called “The Tool Bar Pane”.

Most of the view is taken up by the text area. If you've ever used a graphical user interface before, the text area will be instantly familiar. Text can be inserted simply by typing. More details on text insertion and deletion can be found in the section called “Inserting and Deleting Text”.

The strip on the left of the text area is called a gutter. The gutter displays marker and register locations, as well as folding arrows; it will also display line numbers if the View>Line Numbers (shortcut: C+e C+t) command is invoked. Note this command only takes effect until the view is closed. To have line numbers visible all the time, enable the appropriate setting in the Gutter pane of the Utilities>Global Options dialog box.