Configuring Kate (text editor)

This is more of a user question than developer but I'll post here because I use Kate all day to review build scripts, patches, source files, etc. In my KDE 3.5.10 version of Kate I have been long able to use a kludge to keep Kate in MDI (multiple document interface) mode. That is, regardless of what I do, all documents I want to open in Kate all open in the same window. I never have more than one window of Kate open. I use the Documents list window and the tabbar plugin to identify my files. Now that I am using Trinity too, I no longer can apply my kludge. Kate 3.5.13 is very much an SDI (single document interface) app and that frustrates me. I don't like multiple windows being open. Forced grouping does not really help. I am struggling with multiple Kate windows. I get confused when I double-click on a file in Konqueror and the file opens in Yet Another Window of Kate rather than the one I have open. Seems the only way I can control this is to open all files from within Kate and that is inconvenient too. How do I go about forcing all documents that I open in Kate to appear in the same window? Second, is there a better Quick Launch button that just opens Kate? I dislike the popup menu where I have to select how I want Kate to open. To me the idea of Quick Launch buttons is one click. Thanks. Darrell