How to Learn Helix Editor, an Alternative to Neovim and Vim

Helix is a CLI text editor with alternative modal support for Neovim and VIM. This editor is written in the Rust programming language, making it faster with a single binary.

Key Features#

Helix has minimal configuration. Unlike Neovim and VIM, which require managing configurations by installing plugins to suit the desired workflow. Here is a list of features that Helix has, quoted from its official website:

• Multiple selections simultaneously. Multi-cursor code editing is built into Helix.
• Integration with Tree-sitter. Enables syntax highlighting, indentation calculation, and code navigation.
• Code manipulation. Easy navigation and selection of functions, classes, comments, and so on.
• Language server support. With language-specific autocomplete, go to definition, documentation, diagnostics, and IDE features without additional configuration.
• Built with the Rust programming language. High performance and more battery efficient.
• Built-in features. Fuzzy search for files, symbols, projects, themes, fugitive, surround, and much more.

Helix is equipped with a variety of features including syntax highlight which makes it easy for Platform Engineer (Wyssmann, Adrian).

Shock therapy#

When using Helix, you have no choice but to learn again. Even with minimal configuration, Helix has a keymap that is 30% different from neovim/vim and must be memorized to get used to. The rest of the keymap is almost the same. Fortunately, the Helix developers have provided a built-in tutorial like vimtutor in vim.

hx --tutor

Moreover, there is no need to think about how LSP configuration in Helix, because it has been well configured. If using vim/neovim, too many vimscripts need to be taken care of all of them. While in Helix checking can be done with hx --health markdown and see what LSP needs to be installed (Hårek, Tim).

Installation#

OpenBSD#

doas pkg_add install helix

FreeBSD#

doas pkg install helix

For complete installation instructions, please refer to the Helix Docs page.

Basic usage#

Cursor navigation directions#

Like navigation in vim, helix uses h, j, k, and l to move the cursor. You can also use the arrow keys, but hjkl is faster.

Opening files#

Open helix by running hx.

hx

Open with a specific file.

hx filename.xyz

Closing helix#

Helix also has normal, insert, and visual modes like vim. Some of the following normal mode shortcuts are still common and compatible with helix.

Buffer is a file or directory that has been opened.

Configuration#

Some basic configurations that may need to be added. For example, theme type and line number.

Permanent configurations can be opened in config.toml.

theme = "tokyonight"

[editor]
line-number = "relative"
cursorline = true

[editor.lsp]
display-messages = true

Yep, that’s right. The additional configuration is just a few lines above. For more details, please refer to the Helix Docs page.

If you are working on a project that is quite large. Suggested enable multiple to make the helix display the tab in a built-in language not single file (Frere, Jonathan).

[editor]
bufferline = "multiline"

Advanced usage#

Deleting characters#

Unlike vim, deleting characters in helix uses the keymap d.

Entering characters#

Similar to vim, the insert mode still uses i.

Saving files#

Can be combined with q to exit the helix.

Insert mode#

As previously mentioned, the keymap i for insert mode is right before the cursor. Meanwhile, there are several other keymaps such as:

Starting a new line#

The above commands are similar to those in neovim or vim.

Movement and selection#

Movement and selection in helix are performed automatically and simultaneously. This is slightly different from vim.

The keymaps shift+w, shift+e, and shift+b also have similar functions, except that the movement depends on whitespace such as spaces and tabs.

Moving by count#

Moving by count is also possible, for example 2w, 4e, 5b. The explanation is as follows:

Changing characters#

The shortcut used is the keymap r.

For example, select a word with w, then replace it with the keymap c, which immediately enters insert mode.

Visual/selection mode#

Visual mode in helix is almost the same as in vim.

Selecting lines#

Select a line using the x keymap. If you want to select the next line, press x again. Sometimes you may intend to delete a character, but instead select it in helix. (This is because your subconscious is used to using x to delete characters in vim.)

Undoing changes#

Commands for undoing changes:

Repeat several times until the changes are as expected.

Copying and pasting#

Copying in helix can be done in the internal helix or in the clipboard system.

This can also be done with calculations to determine the number of copies/pastes.

Basically, the keymaps d (delete character) and c (change character) can also be considered yank mode, where the deleted/changed characters are stored in the buffer so that the paste command p or shift+p can be executed.

To avoid storing in the buffer, use alt+d or alt+c. To copy or paste from the system clipboard, use the keymaps below.

Character search#

Search for characters like in vim or neovim.

Unlike in vim, in helix, when searching with shift+/, the n direction remains forward and shift n remains backward/previous.

Multiple cursors#

Adding cursors is very useful for changing characters simultaneously. For example, for deleting, replacing, and regex functions.

Selecting from the selection results#

This is intended to replace a selected character or text. Usually to replace a word, similar to the sed regex function in vim.

For example, the pattern works like this: select several times with x or % for all lines. Press s, then enter the desired character and press enter. It will automatically become a multi-cursor. You can then change it as desired.

Additional selection with regex#

This selection can use the plus sign + when using the s keymap in the selection area. For example: space and plus +.

Straightening from selection#

For example, there is a line like this.

 * 98) lorem
 * 99) ipsum
 * 100) dolor
 * 101) sit
 * 102) amet

Becoming:

 *  97) lorem
 *  99) ipsum
 * 100) dolor
 * 101) sit
 * 102) amet

Dividing the selection into rows#

    | FRUIT   | AMOUNT |
    |---------|--------|
 | Apples  | 8      |
    | Bananas | 6      |
  | Oranges | 3      |
     | Donuts  | 4      |

Becoming:

     | FRUIT   | AMOUNT |
     |---------|--------|
     | Apples  | 8      |
     | Bananas | 6      |
     | Oranges | 3      |
     | Donuts  | 4      |

Selecting down to specific characters#

shift+f and shift+t also have similar functions, except that they skip over whitespace characters such as spaces or tabs.

Replacing characters or words#

Repetition#

Repetition can be used to repeat the same command, or to repeat the previous search results f and t.

Replacing text from the yank/clipboard copy#

Once text has been copied, either by yanking or from the system clipboard, it can be used to replace other text if it has been selected.

Merging lines#

Multiple lines must first be selected with x, then press shift+j.

Line indentation#

Indents the current line or selected lines.

Addition and subtraction#

Incrementing and decrementing values can be done in helix. This is usually done to change values in a list.

For example:

1) list a
3) list b
4) list c
5) list d
6) list e

Becoming,

1) list a
2) list b
3) list c
4) list d
5) list e

Register Function#

This function is used to store different copies, which can be called up at any time. Unlike the usual yank, which only stores one copy, the register can store many different copies. register key is shift+'.

For example, register:

• condition a: copy sentence one
• condition b: copy sentence two
• condition c: copy sentence three

There are 3 conditions consisting of a, b, and c. To store the register, use the command:

After storing, next paste the text from a register.

The copied text can also be used to replace selected text.

Macro Function#

Useful for storing command steps in a register. Default key is @.

Searching with selection#

Search for text using / and then type the word you want to find. In addition to typing characters, another way is to select characters as search characters.

After selecting a character word, for example with w/e/b, press * to save it as a search register. Then the word can be searched for with n or shift+n.

Using Jumplist#

With jumplist, you can save the cursor position at a specific location.

Rotate and delete primary selection#

After selecting, there may be times when some selections are not needed. By using alt+,, the selected results can be deleted.

Changing uppercase/lowercase letters#

To change uppercase letters to lowercase letters, use `, while to change lowercase letters to uppercase letters, use alt+`.

Separating selections with regex patterns#

Separating selections has specific use cases, such as capitalizing a sentence, separating combined lines into multiple lines, and other conditions that require separating selected words/sentences.

The general steps are as follows.

• Select a line, using either x, w, e, or b.
• Press shift+s to split the selection.
• Select the regex pattern. For example, separate by a period space ., exclamation mark space !, or question mark space ?. Sentences are usually separated by separators and spaces. So, the regex is \. |! |\?. Periods and question marks need to be preceded by a backslash \.
• Select the cursor position to be in front of or behind the separated sentence. Move it using alt+;.
• In multi-cursor mode, replace the desired changes with r, c, or i.

For example, there are 3 sentences. Separate them and capitalize the first letter.

learn programming languages! python is a high-level programming language? created by guido van rossum.

Becomes:

Learn programming languages!
python is a high-level programming language?
Created by guido van rossum.

Conclusion#

Helix is ideal because it uses minimal configuration with built-in autocomplete, fuzzy search, and multi-cursor features. Although each programming language’s language-server is installed separately with Helix (as with other editors), Helix still has features such as autopairs, fugitive, and others to support program writing. Settings for LSP are available on the Helix Wiki. More complete keymap configurations and usage instructions are available in the official documentation.

Helix is considered to have fairly fast performance. It even supports modals such as space, f, and g, which make navigation maneuvers easier (Evans, Julia). Good to go to definition, declaration, reference.

New users migrating from vim or neovim will certainly like it, and it is definitely worth trying. Even if you are a veteran vim/neovim with decades of experience (Lafdzun, Kalamuna).