About OpenBSD, data privacy, security, programming and data science with open source software. Zola 2026-06-05T00:00:00+00:00 https://hervyqa.srht.site/categories/development/atom.xml 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00 2026-06-05T00:00:00+00:00 Hervy Qurrotul https://hervyqa.srht.site/blog/sourcehut-git-forge/ <p>As a software developer, you are certainly familiar with GitHub as a git repository hosting provider, also known as a <em>git forge</em>. Besides GitHub, there are other alternatives such as Gitlab, Codeberg, SourceForge, and Bitbucket. I have used all of them, but I will not discuss them here.</p> <h2 id="benefits-of-using-git-forge">Benefits of using Git Forge<a class="post-anchor" href="#benefits-of-using-git-forge" aria-label="Anchor link for: benefits-of-using-git-forge"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>Before using a <em>git forge</em> such as SourceHut, it is important to understand the general benefits of using a <em>git forge</em>.</p> <ul> <li>Facilitates code collaboration. If you are working with a team, it is recommended to use a <em>git forge</em> because of the many features it offers.</li> <li>Monitors code changes before they are merged into the main branch. Monitoring code results is very important for project managers who need to check code quality.</li> <li>Serves as a portfolio for developers. Various projects that have been worked on can be made into a public portfolio that can be used as a reference.</li> </ul> <p>With the various benefits mentioned above, developers should have one of these <em>git forge</em> institutions.</p> <h2 id="why-sourcehut">Why SourceHut?<a class="post-anchor" href="#why-sourcehut" aria-label="Anchor link for: why-sourcehut"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p> <a href="https://sourcehut.org/">SourceHut</a> is a cloud-based git repository hosting provider for managing project code. Of course, SourceHut is also open source software that can be customized by its users.</p> <p><img src="https://hervyqa.srht.site/blog/sourcehut-git-forge/sourcehut-website.webp" alt="SourceHut website" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /></p> <p>So, what are the benefits of using SourceHut over other git forges? There are several interesting facts that have been discovered.</p> <h2 id="">Free and open source software<a class="post-anchor" href="#" aria-label="Anchor link for: "><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p> <a href="https://sourcehut.org/">SourceHut</a> is a free and open source <em>git forge</em> software under the <em>GNU Affero General Public License</em> (AGPL 3.0). Unlike GitHub or GitLab, SourceHut is 100% open source. You can view, access, and modify the sourcehut source code at <a href="https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/sourcehut/">SourceHut Source</a>. Compared to other <em>git forges</em> such as GitHub, this is impossible to access because only authorized personnel within the company know the source code. Sourcehut can even be installed independently.</p> <p>Some <em>git forges</em> that have been used along with their source code.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Git Forge</th><th style="text-align: left">Source</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left">SourceHut</td><td style="text-align: left"> <a href="https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/sourcehut/">Open Source</a></td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">GitLab</td><td style="text-align: left"> <a href="https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/">Open Source</a><sup class="footnote-reference" id="fr-1-1"><a href="#fn-1">1</a></sup></td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">GitHub</td><td style="text-align: left">Proprietary</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">BitBucket</td><td style="text-align: left">Proprietary</td></tr> </tbody></table> <blockquote class="markdown-alert-important"> <p>Open source is software code that is open, while proprietary is closed program code that is not shared publicly. Only those with authorization can access it.</p> </blockquote> <p>Sourcehut was not founded by a large company. It was founded by <a href="https://drewdevault.com/">Drew DeVault</a> as CEO and maintainer of the <a href="https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/wlroots/wlroots/">Wlroot</a> project and <a href="https://swaywm.org/">Swaywm</a> projects, along with <a href="https://emersion.fr/">Simon Ser</a> as release manager of the <a href="https://wayland.freedesktop.org/">Wayland</a> project. In addition, Sourcehut is supported by the talented engineer <a href="https://bitfehler.srht.site/">Conrad Hoffmann</a>, who contributes to the <a href="https://kde.org/">KDE</a> project, <a href="https://www.haproxy.org/">HAProxy</a>, and the <a href="https://prometheus.io/">Prometheus ecosystem</a>.</p> <h2 id="-1">Owned code data<a class="post-anchor" href="#-1" aria-label="Anchor link for: -1"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>No party at sourcehut allows for data sharing, whether code data or user data. Judging from the founders’ track record, they have long been creating various types of free software that allows for extreme caution regarding user privacy.</p> <p>Are you familiar with <a href="https://github.com/features/copilot/">Github Copilot</a>, some of you may have used it. The code generated by AI is code under the GPL license that is used as a <em>proprietary</em> product, which of course violates the license policy itself. At sourcehut, the program code belongs entirely to the <em>programmer</em> or <em>developer</em>.</p> <h2 id="-2">Quick and lightweight access<a class="post-anchor" href="#-2" aria-label="Anchor link for: -2"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>Sourcehut’s performance is faster than other git forges. It’s as light as opening plain text. Sourcehut’s workflow itself also uses plain text email to send patches, reviews, replies, or comments. There is no pull request (PR) feature, but it uses email-based communication similar to that used in Linux kernel development, which uses plain text email. For your information, Git itself is basically developed <a href="https://lore.kernel.org/git/">based on email</a> to this day, not based on pull requests like commercial git forges currently do.</p> <blockquote class="markdown-alert-tip"> <p>If you are interested in why <em>plain text email</em> is used instead of HTML email, we recommend visiting <a href="https://useplaintext.email/">Use Plain Text</a>.</p> </blockquote> <p>Drew DeVault is also the developer of <a href="https://aerc-mail.org/">Aerc</a>, a TUI-based <em>email client</em> that supports <em>vim workflow</em>, making it easier for <em>keyboard centric</em> developers.</p> <p>Sourcehut even claims to be the fastest of other <em>git forge</em> software such as Pagure, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Codeberg. For more details, please refer to the link <a href="https://forgeperf.org/">Forgeperf</a> to find out more detailed differences.</p> <p><img src="https://hervyqa.srht.site/blog/sourcehut-git-forge/forgeperf-website.webp" alt="Forgeperf website" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /></p> <h2 id="-3">Independent and modular<a class="post-anchor" href="#-3" aria-label="Anchor link for: -3"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>SourceHut can be installed independently by users. For installation instructions, refer to the SourceHut installation section at <a href="https://man.sr.ht/installation.md/">SourceHut Installation</a>. The <code>sr.ht</code> service requires a <a href="https://www.postgresql.org/">PostgreSQL</a> server, <a href="https://redis.io/">Redis</a> server, and mail server. Since the sourcehut source code is open, it can be installed as long as you have the infrastructure for CI and CD <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="parasrah2022">(<a href="#ref-parasrah2022">Parasrah</a>)</span>. Of course, there are no subscription or licensing fees if you install sourcehut yourself. Anyone can also contribute to sourcehut for service development <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="marcin_strus2022">(<a href="#ref-marcin_strus2022">Marcin Struś</a>)</span>.</p> <p><img src="https://hervyqa.srht.site/blog/sourcehut-git-forge/sourcehut-sources.webp" alt="SourceHut sources" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /></p> <p>Sourcehut not only provides git repository services, but also many other services, including.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Service</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left">builds.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left"><em>Continuous integration</em> service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">git.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Git repository service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">hg.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Mercurial repository service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">hub.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Project index and organization service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">lists.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Mailing list service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">man.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Project wiki service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">meta.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Authentication and user account service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">pages.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Static web service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">paste.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Code pasting service.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left">todo.sr.ht</td><td style="text-align: left">Issue and bug tracker service.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>It does require more effort to build the infrastructure, manage CI/CD, ensure stability, and patch system vulnerabilities. It would be troublesome if that happened. But sourcehut also has several parameters that can be considered for installation and use in production.</p> <ul> <li>How much is it tied to third-party agencies?</li> <li>How good is the code quality?</li> <li>How many bugs have been found?</li> <li>How are these bugs resolved?</li> <li>How many people are involved?</li> <li>And so on.</li> </ul> <p>Based on these parameters, sourcehut is still in the “safe” category. In fact, one of the Android-based operating systems called PostMarketOS is also seriously considering using sourcehut for its independent infrastructure <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="postmarketos2022">(<a href="#ref-postmarketos2022">PostMarketOS</a>)</span>.</p> <p>If you use a Nix-based operating system, it is very easy to install sourcehut, because there is already an option to declare it that is integrated with PostgreSQL and Redis.</p> <h2 id="-4">Affordable costs<a class="post-anchor" href="#-4" aria-label="Anchor link for: -4"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>Currently, sourcehut is entering the <em>alpha</em> development stage, where users can use all available features except the <em>build</em>/<em>deploy</em> system at <a href="https://build.sr.ht/">SourceHut Build</a>. To use this feature, users are required to pay for the <em>build</em> system service. If anything, this is not a payment, but rather a contribution or donation to cover living expenses. For example, to cover the electricity, taxes, and accommodation costs of sourcehut developers. Uniquely, sourcehut does not have any mandatory pricing plan categories, meaning that each category has the same facilities despite having different prices. More details are available at sourcehut <a href="https://sourcehut.org/pricing/">SourceHut Pricing</a>.</p> <p><img src="https://hervyqa.srht.site/blog/sourcehut-git-forge/sourcehut-pricing.webp" alt="SourceHut Pricing" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /></p> <ul> <li>Amateur Hacker: 2 USD/month or 20 USD/year</li> <li>Typical Hacker: 5 USD/month or 50 USD/year</li> <li>Professional Hacker: 10 USD/month or 100 USD/year</li> </ul> <p>Converted to Indonesian rupiah at a rate of Rp16,000, this becomes:</p> <ul> <li>Amateur Hacker: Rp320,000/year</li> <li>Typical Hacker: Rp800,000/year</li> <li>Professional Hacker: Rp1,600,000/year</li> </ul> <p>The facilities and features are the same for all three categories. Users are free to choose the category they want depending on their financial needs. Payment is also easy via credit card, Stripe, or cryptocurrency.</p> <p>How can it be so cheap? For example, renting a VPS costs Rp50,000 per month, or Rp600,000 per year. This is cheaper than Sourcehut, which costs Rp320,000 (Amateur Hacker), or 46.6% cheaper than renting a VPS yourself.</p> <p>Why pay for a CI/CD deployment system when other Git forges like GitHub and GitLab are free? Actually, other Git forges aren’t free. Users don’t pay because someone else is paying behind the scenes, like many venture capital firms (investors) sponsoring those Git forge companies. As for Sourcehut, we all know where it stands.</p> <h2 id="-5">No tracking and advertising<a class="post-anchor" href="#-5" aria-label="Anchor link for: -5"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>So far, since this article was written, no advertisements have been found on SourceHut. The SourceHut homepage also states that there is no tracking or advertising displayed on SourceHut. In fact, all features work without JavaScript.</p> <p>SourceHut is simple and lightweight. Don’t be fooled by the classic look of the website, which lacks any artistic flair. Visually (UI), it may be considered poor because there are no animations, motion, pop-ups, or other bells and whistles. However, in terms of user experience (UX), sourcehut is very responsive, although it takes some getting used to using the email workflow.</p> <h2 id="hut">The existence of <code>hut</code> as a CLI tool supporting sourcehut<a class="post-anchor" href="#hut" aria-label="Anchor link for: hut"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p> <a href="https://sr.ht/~emersion/hut/">Hut</a> is a CLI application for interacting with <a href="https://sourcehut.org/">SourceHut</a>. It functions to monitor system deployment work, view tickets, patch lists, git repositories, and more. It can even be specified by name, owner, or URL.</p> <p>With <code>hut</code>, it is easier to manage sourcehut repositories, eliminating the need to open the website to access sourcehut. For the first setup, <code>hut init</code> is required to initialize a token that identifies the user account.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="shellscript"><span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #DCDCAA;">$</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> hut help</span></span></code></pre><pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>hut is a CLI tool for sr.ht</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>Usage:</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> hut [command]</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>Available Commands:</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> builds Use the builds API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> export Exports your account data</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> git Use the git API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> graphql Execute a GraphQL query</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> help Help about any command</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> hg Use the hg API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> init Initialize hut</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> lists Use the lists API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> meta Use the meta API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> pages Use the pages API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> paste Use the paste API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> todo Use the todo API</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>Flags:</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> --config string config file to use</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> -h, --help help for hut</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> --instance string sr.ht instance to use</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>Use &quot;hut [command] --help&quot; for more information about a command.</span></span></code></pre> <p>In sourcehut, you can also view repositories with <code>hut</code>.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="shellscript"><span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #DCDCAA;">hut</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> git list</span></span></code></pre><pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>website (public)</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> Learn about data science and statistics in bahasa.</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>swayhome (public)</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> Nixos configuration, sway and home-manager.</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>oldblog (public)</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> Personal blog of Hervy qurrotul</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>dotfire (public)</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> Nixos KDE Plasma configuration for data science.</span></span></code></pre><h2 id="-6">Hosting websites with <em>sourcehut pages</em><a class="post-anchor" href="#-6" aria-label="Anchor link for: -6"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>You can create website pages for free with <em>sourcehut pages</em> using the domain name <code>username.srht.site</code>. The website whose repository is located at <a href="https://git.sr.ht/~hervyqa/termivy/">~hervyqa&#x2F;termivy</a> is also built using sourcehut pages, but it uses a custom domain. Creating sourcehut pages is also very simple, just by creating a <code>.build.yml</code> file.</p> <p>For example, deploying a static website with <code>hugo</code>. Several other examples can be found at <a href="https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/pages.sr.ht-examples/tree/master/">SourceHut Pages examples</a>.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="yaml" data-name=".build.yml"><span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #569CD6;">image</span><span>:</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> alpine/latest</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #569CD6;">packages</span><span>:</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> -</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> hugo</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #569CD6;">oauth</span><span>:</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> pages.sr.ht/PAGES:RW</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #569CD6;">environment</span><span>:</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #569CD6;"> site</span><span>:</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> namasitus.com</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #569CD6;"> files</span><span>:</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> site.tar.gz</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #569CD6;">tasks</span><span>:</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>-</span><span style="color: #569CD6;"> package</span><span>:</span><span style="color: #C586C0;"> |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #CE9178;"> cd $site</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #CE9178;"> hugo</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #CE9178;"> tar -C public -cvz . &gt; ../$files</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>-</span><span style="color: #569CD6;"> upload</span><span>:</span><span style="color: #C586C0;"> |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #CE9178;"> hut pages publish -d $site $files</span></span></code></pre> <p>Optionally, change the DNS server in your domain provider’s <em>domain management</em> to support <a href="https://srht.site/custom-domains/">custom domain</a> on sourcehut.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>@ IN A 46.23.81.157</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>@ IN AAAA 2a03:6000:1813:1337::157</span></span></code></pre><h2 id="-7">Diverse Continuous Integration Architecture<a class="post-anchor" href="#-7" aria-label="Anchor link for: -7"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>SourceHut is equipped with various Linux distribution operating systems with different architectures for Continuous Integration (CI) needs. Supported operating systems include BSD and linux-based.</p> <ol> <li>Alpine linux</li> <li>Arch linux</li> <li>Debian</li> <li>Fedora</li> <li>FreeBSD</li> <li>Guix System</li> <li>NetBSD</li> <li>OpenBSD</li> <li>Rocky linux</li> <li>Ubuntu</li> </ol> <p>Supported architectures:</p> <ol> <li><code>aarch64</code></li> <li><code>arm64</code></li> <li><code>armel</code></li> <li><code>armhf</code></li> <li><code>i386</code></li> <li><code>ppc64el</code></li> <li><code>s390x</code></li> <li><code>x86_64</code></li> <li><code>x86</code></li> </ol> <p>And many other architectures. If you use the <code>x86_64</code> or <code>amd64</code> architecture, then that architecture uses <em>native</em> hardware. For more information, refer to the <a href="https://man.sr.ht/builds.sr.ht/compatibility.md/">compatibility</a> page.</p> <h2 id="-8">Closing<a class="post-anchor" href="#-8" aria-label="Anchor link for: -8"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>Personally, I think sourcehut is worth using for <em>developers</em>. Several important personal repositories have been migrated to sourcehut, including this website’s repository. When I first started using sourcehut, the repository was still quiet and not very popular at the time this article was written. But after researching its features and how sourcehut works, I became interested in some of the advantages that other <em>git forges</em> don’t have. The initial considerations for choosing SourceHut were its speed, minimal bugs, the availability of a CLI application (hut), a well-built system, and of course, its open source nature.</p> <p>SourceHut is not a viral and well-known git forge. It does not have features that make it famous on social media. For example, there is no star rating or total number of stars in a repository, no special badges, and no repository banners, so the thumbnail images look elegant. Even its users don’t have the feature to upload profile photos. But despite these shortcomings, many large project repositories are on SourceHut, and the famous button feature is not really needed. By leaving out these bells and whistles, SourceHut becomes more minimalist and faster. Back to the concept of <em>less is more</em>.</p> <p><img src="https://hervyqa.srht.site/blog/sourcehut-git-forge/sourcehut-hervyqa.webp" alt="Hervyqa’s SourceHut" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /></p> <p>Profile display <a href="https://git.sr.ht/~hervyqa/">~hervyqa</a> on sourcehut.</p> <p>Paying for the <em>deploy</em> feature on sourcehut still makes sense. First, the price is still affordable. And second, the money stays within the realm of FOSS (Free Open Source Software), rather than flowing to investors. This may be a matter of debate, but it still doesn’t make sense to argue about it. The simplest logic is, is there such a thing as free electricity? Even the most free things still require effort. And effort requires accommodation and supplies.</p> <p>The word “free” in the principle of <em>free software</em> has a specific meaning that cannot be generalized. Roughly speaking, “if it’s <em>free</em>, then it’s <em>free</em> everything” is clearly impossible. Some features are indeed free, while others are not, and each has its own limitations. Sourcehut’s business model is clear and transparent. There are also annual financial reports, for example for <a href="https://lists.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/sr.ht-discuss/%3CBVRVZEWYB30Q.3HGIC803LDBH7@homura%3E/">2019</a>, <a href="https://sourcehut.org/blog/2022-04-08-2021-financial-report/">2021</a>, and <a href="https://sourcehut.org/blog/2023-03-27-2022-financial-report/">2022</a>.</p> <p>If you are accustomed to using an email-based workflow and prioritize performance, then Sourcehut is worth trying.</p> <section class="footnotes"> <ol class="footnotes-list"> <li id="fn-1"> <p>The source code <a href="https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/">Gitlab Source</a> is open source but not completely open, as there is some proprietary (closed) code. If you want to use open source code, you can use <a href="https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/">Gitlab Floss</a>. <a href="#fr-1-1">↩</a></p> </li> </ol> </section> 2023-02-07T00:00:00+00:00 2026-04-07T00:00:00+00:00 Hervy Qurrotul https://hervyqa.srht.site/blog/how-to-learn-helix-editor/ <p> <a href="https://helix-editor.com/">Helix</a> 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 <em>single binary</em>.</p> <h2 id="key-features">Key Features<a class="post-anchor" href="#key-features" aria-label="Anchor link for: key-features"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>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:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Multiple selections simultaneously.</strong> Multi-cursor code editing is built into Helix.</li> <li><strong>Integration with Tree-sitter.</strong> Enables syntax highlighting, indentation calculation, and code navigation.</li> <li><strong>Code manipulation.</strong> Easy navigation and selection of functions, classes, comments, and so on.</li> <li><strong>Language server support.</strong> With language-specific autocomplete, go to definition, documentation, diagnostics, and IDE features without additional configuration.</li> <li><strong>Built with the Rust programming language.</strong> High performance and more battery efficient.</li> <li><strong>Built-in features.</strong> Fuzzy search for files, symbols, projects, themes, fugitive, surround, and much more.</li> </ul> <figure id="fig-matplotlib-sample" class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="matplotlib-sample" class="figure-center"> <img src="./matplotlib-sample.webp" alt="matplotlib-sample" /> <figcaption class="center">Figure: Programming with Helix Editor</figcaption> </figure> <p>Helix is equipped with a variety of features including syntax highlight which makes it easy for <em>Platform Engineer</em> <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="wyssmann22">(<a href="#ref-wyssmann22">Wyssmann, Adrian</a>)</span>.</p> <h2 id="shock-therapy">Shock therapy<a class="post-anchor" href="#shock-therapy" aria-label="Anchor link for: shock-therapy"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>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 <code>vimtutor</code> in vim.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="shellscript"><span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #DCDCAA;">hx</span><span style="color: #569CD6;"> --tutor</span></span></code></pre> <p>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 <code>hx --health markdown</code> and see what LSP needs to be installed <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="timh23">(<a href="#ref-timh23">Hårek, Tim</a>)</span>.</p> <h2 id="installation">Installation<a class="post-anchor" href="#installation" aria-label="Anchor link for: installation"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <h3 id="openbsd">OpenBSD<a class="post-anchor" href="#openbsd" aria-label="Anchor link for: openbsd"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="shellscript"><span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #DCDCAA;">doas</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> pkg_add install helix</span></span></code></pre><h3 id="freebsd">FreeBSD<a class="post-anchor" href="#freebsd" aria-label="Anchor link for: freebsd"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="shellscript"><span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #DCDCAA;">doas</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> pkg install helix</span></span></code></pre> <p>For complete installation instructions, please refer to the <a href="https://docs.helix-editor.com">Helix Docs</a> page.</p> <h2 id="basic-usage">Basic usage<a class="post-anchor" href="#basic-usage" aria-label="Anchor link for: basic-usage"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <h3 id="cursor-navigation-directions">Cursor navigation directions<a class="post-anchor" href="#cursor-navigation-directions" aria-label="Anchor link for: cursor-navigation-directions"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Like navigation in vim, <code>helix</code> uses <kbd>h</kbd>, <kbd>j</kbd>, <kbd>k</kbd>, and <kbd>l</kbd> to move the cursor. You can also use the arrow keys, but hjkl is faster.</p> <table><thead><tr><th>Key</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td><kbd>h</kbd></td><td>Left</td></tr> <tr><td><kbd>j</kbd></td><td>Down</td></tr> <tr><td><kbd>k</kbd></td><td>Up</td></tr> <tr><td><kbd>l</kbd></td><td>Right</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="opening-files">Opening files<a class="post-anchor" href="#opening-files" aria-label="Anchor link for: opening-files"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Open helix by running <code>hx</code>.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>hx</span></span></code></pre> <p>Open with a specific file.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>hx filename.xyz</span></span></code></pre><h3 id="closing-helix">Closing helix<a class="post-anchor" href="#closing-helix" aria-label="Anchor link for: closing-helix"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Helix also has <code>normal</code>, <code>insert</code>, and <code>visual</code> modes like vim. Some of the following <code>normal</code> mode shortcuts are still common and compatible with helix.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Command</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:q</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Close the file and application.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:q!</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Force close the application.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:qa!</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Force close all open buffers and the application.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <blockquote class="markdown-alert-note"> <p>Buffer is a file or directory that has been opened.</p> </blockquote> <h2 id="configuration">Configuration<a class="post-anchor" href="#configuration" aria-label="Anchor link for: configuration"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>Some basic configurations that may need to be added. For example, theme type and line number.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Command</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:theme tokyonight</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Change the theme.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>Permanent configurations can be opened in <code>config.toml</code>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Command</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:config-open</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Opens the helix configuration.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:config-reload</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Reloads the helix configuration.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="toml" data-name=""~/.config/helix/config.toml""><span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #9CDCFE;">theme</span><span> =</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> &quot;tokyonight&quot;</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>[editor]</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #9CDCFE;">line-number</span><span> =</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> &quot;relative&quot;</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #9CDCFE;">cursorline</span><span> =</span><span style="color: #569CD6;"> true</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>[editor.lsp]</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #9CDCFE;">display-messages</span><span> =</span><span style="color: #569CD6;"> true</span></span></code></pre> <p>Yep, that’s right. The additional configuration is just a few lines above. For more details, please refer to the <a href="https://docs.helix-editor.com">Helix Docs</a> page.</p> <p>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 <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="jonathanf24">(<a href="#ref-jonathanf24">Frere, Jonathan</a>)</span>.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="toml" data-name=""~/.config/helix/config.toml""><span class="giallo-l"><span>[editor]</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span style="color: #9CDCFE;">bufferline</span><span> =</span><span style="color: #CE9178;"> &quot;multiline&quot;</span></span></code></pre><h2 id="advanced-usage">Advanced usage<a class="post-anchor" href="#advanced-usage" aria-label="Anchor link for: advanced-usage"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <h3 id="deleting-characters">Deleting characters<a class="post-anchor" href="#deleting-characters" aria-label="Anchor link for: deleting-characters"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Unlike vim, deleting characters in helix uses the keymap <kbd>d</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>d</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Deletes 1 character.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="entering-characters">Entering characters<a class="post-anchor" href="#entering-characters" aria-label="Anchor link for: entering-characters"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Similar to vim, the <code>insert</code> mode still uses <kbd>i</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>i</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>insert</code> mode.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>esc</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>normal</code> mode (exit insert mode).</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="saving-files">Saving files<a class="post-anchor" href="#saving-files" aria-label="Anchor link for: saving-files"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Command</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:w</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Save the file in the current buffer.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:w filename.xyz</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Save the file in the buffer with a specific name.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>Can be combined with <code>q</code> to exit the helix.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Command</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:wq</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Save and close the application.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><code>:wqa</code></td><td style="text-align: left">Save and close all buffers.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="insert-mode">Insert mode<a class="post-anchor" href="#insert-mode" aria-label="Anchor link for: insert-mode"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>As previously mentioned, the keymap <kbd>i</kbd> for insert mode is right before the cursor. Meanwhile, there are several other keymaps such as:</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>i</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>insert</code> mode before the cursor.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>a</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>insert</code> mode after the cursor.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>i</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>insert</code> mode at the beginning of the line.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>a</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>insert</code> mode at the end of the line.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="starting-a-new-line">Starting a new line<a class="post-anchor" href="#starting-a-new-line" aria-label="Anchor link for: starting-a-new-line"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>o</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>insert</code> mode after the current line.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>o</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>insert</code> mode before the current line.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>The above commands are similar to those in neovim or vim.</p> <h3 id="movement-and-selection">Movement and selection<a class="post-anchor" href="#movement-and-selection" aria-label="Anchor link for: movement-and-selection"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Movement and selection in helix are performed automatically and simultaneously. This is slightly different from vim.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>w</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Move and select 1 word, including its space.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>e</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Move and select 1 word from the cursor to the end of the word.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>b</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Move and select 1 word from the cursor to the beginning of the word.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>The keymaps <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>w</kbd>, <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>e</kbd>, and <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>b</kbd> also have similar functions, except that the movement depends on whitespace such as spaces and tabs.</p> <h3 id="moving-by-count">Moving by count<a class="post-anchor" href="#moving-by-count" aria-label="Anchor link for: moving-by-count"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Moving by count is also possible, for example <kbd>2</kbd><kbd>w</kbd>, <kbd>4</kbd><kbd>e</kbd>, <kbd>5</kbd><kbd>b</kbd>. The explanation is as follows:</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>2</kbd><kbd>w</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Move 2 words forward.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>4</kbd><kbd>e</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Move 4 words forward ending at the end of a word.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>5</kbd><kbd>b</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Move 5 words backward.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="changing-characters">Changing characters<a class="post-anchor" href="#changing-characters" aria-label="Anchor link for: changing-characters"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>The shortcut used is the keymap <kbd>r</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>c</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Changes the selected character or word/sentence.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>For example, select a word with <kbd>w</kbd>, then replace it with the keymap <kbd>c</kbd>, which immediately enters insert mode.</p> <h3 id="visual-selection-mode">Visual/selection mode<a class="post-anchor" href="#visual-selection-mode" aria-label="Anchor link for: visual-selection-mode"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Visual mode in helix is almost the same as in vim.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>v</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>visual</code> mode.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>v</kbd> again, or <kbd>esc</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left"><code>normal</code> mode (exit visual mode).</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="selecting-lines">Selecting lines<a class="post-anchor" href="#selecting-lines" aria-label="Anchor link for: selecting-lines"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Select a line using the <kbd>x</kbd> keymap. If you want to select the next line, press <kbd>x</kbd> again. Sometimes you may intend to delete a character, but instead select it in helix. (This is because your subconscious is used to using <kbd>x</kbd> to delete characters in vim.)</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>x</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Select 1 row.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>5</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Select 5 rows.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>;</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Deselect rows.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>;</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Flip row selection.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="undoing-changes">Undoing changes<a class="post-anchor" href="#undoing-changes" aria-label="Anchor link for: undoing-changes"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Commands for undoing changes:</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>u</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Undo</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>u</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Redo.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>Repeat several times until the changes are as expected.</p> <h3 id="copying-and-pasting">Copying and pasting<a class="post-anchor" href="#copying-and-pasting" aria-label="Anchor link for: copying-and-pasting"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Copying in helix can be done in the internal helix or in the clipboard system.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>y</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Yank/copy, copies the selected characters.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Paste, pastes the copied content.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Paste, pastes the copied content before the cursor.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>This can also be done with calculations to determine the number of copies/pastes.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>2</kbd> <kbd>y</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">2x Yank/copy, copies the selected characters.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>4</kbd> <kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">4x Paste, pastes the copied characters.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>10</kbd> <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">10x Paste, pastes the copied characters before the cursor.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>Basically, the keymaps <kbd>d</kbd> (delete character) and <kbd>c</kbd> (change character) can also be considered yank mode, where the deleted/changed characters are stored in the buffer so that the paste command <kbd>p</kbd> or <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>p</kbd> can be executed.</p> <p>To avoid storing in the buffer, use <kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>d</kbd> or <kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>c</kbd>. To copy or paste from the system clipboard, use the keymaps below.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>space</kbd><kbd>y</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Copy to system clipboard.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>space</kbd><kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Paste from system clipboard.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="character-search">Character search<a class="post-anchor" href="#character-search" aria-label="Anchor link for: character-search"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Search for characters like in vim or neovim.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>&#x2F;</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Search for characters/words.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>n</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Go to the next search result.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>n</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Go to the previous search result.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>?</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Search for characters/words backwards.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>Unlike in vim, in helix, when searching with <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x2F;</kbd>, the <kbd>n</kbd> direction remains forward and <kbd>shift n</kbd> remains backward/previous.</p> <h3 id="multiple-cursors">Multiple cursors<a class="post-anchor" href="#multiple-cursors" aria-label="Anchor link for: multiple-cursors"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Adding cursors is very useful for changing characters simultaneously. For example, for deleting, replacing, and regex functions.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>c</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Search for characters/words.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>c</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Go to the next search result.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>,</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Go to the previous search result.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="selecting-from-the-selection-results">Selecting from the selection results<a class="post-anchor" href="#selecting-from-the-selection-results" aria-label="Anchor link for: selecting-from-the-selection-results"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>This is intended to replace a selected character or text. Usually to replace a word, similar to the sed regex function in vim.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>s</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Selects the appropriate character according to the selection.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>For example, the pattern works like this: select several times with <kbd>x</kbd> or <kbd>%</kbd> for all lines. Press <kbd>s</kbd>, then enter the desired character and press <kbd>enter</kbd>. It will automatically become a multi-cursor. You can then change it as desired.</p> <h3 id="additional-selection-with-regex">Additional selection with <em>regex</em><a class="post-anchor" href="#additional-selection-with-regex" aria-label="Anchor link for: additional-selection-with-regex"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>This selection can use the plus sign <code>+</code> when using the <kbd>s</kbd> keymap in the selection area. For example: space and plus <code>+</code>.</p> <h3 id="straightening-from-selection">Straightening from selection<a class="post-anchor" href="#straightening-from-selection" aria-label="Anchor link for: straightening-from-selection"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>&amp;</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Straighten the selection results.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>For example, there is a line like this.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span> * 98) lorem</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 99) ipsum</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 100) dolor</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 101) sit</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 102) amet</span></span></code></pre> <p>Becoming:</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span> * 97) lorem</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 99) ipsum</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 100) dolor</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 101) sit</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> * 102) amet</span></span></code></pre><h3 id="dividing-the-selection-into-rows">Dividing the selection into rows<a class="post-anchor" href="#dividing-the-selection-into-rows" aria-label="Anchor link for: dividing-the-selection-into-rows"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>s</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">To split into options on each line. Generally used to straighten tables.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span> | FRUIT | AMOUNT |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> |---------|--------|</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Apples | 8 |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Bananas | 6 |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Oranges | 3 |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Donuts | 4 |</span></span></code></pre> <p>Becoming:</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span> | FRUIT | AMOUNT |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> |---------|--------|</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Apples | 8 |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Bananas | 6 |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Oranges | 3 |</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span> | Donuts | 4 |</span></span></code></pre><h3 id="selecting-down-to-specific-characters">Selecting down to specific characters<a class="post-anchor" href="#selecting-down-to-specific-characters" aria-label="Anchor link for: selecting-down-to-specific-characters"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>f</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Selects the line up to and including the specified character.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>t</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Selects the line up to but not including the specified character.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>f</kbd> and <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>t</kbd> also have similar functions, except that they skip over whitespace characters such as spaces or tabs.</p> <h3 id="replacing-characters-or-words">Replacing characters or words<a class="post-anchor" href="#replacing-characters-or-words" aria-label="Anchor link for: replacing-characters-or-words"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Paste with special characters.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Paste with the contents of the buffer or the system clipboard.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="repetition">Repetition<a class="post-anchor" href="#repetition" aria-label="Anchor link for: repetition"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Repetition can be used to repeat the same command, or to repeat the previous search results <kbd>f</kbd> and <kbd>t</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>.</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Repeats the previous insert mode result.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>.</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Repeats the command from the previous <kbd>f</kbd> or <kbd>t</kbd> result.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="replacing-text-from-the-yank-clipboard-copy">Replacing text from the <em>yank/clipboard</em> copy<a class="post-anchor" href="#replacing-text-from-the-yank-clipboard-copy" aria-label="Anchor link for: replacing-text-from-the-yank-clipboard-copy"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>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.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Replaces the selected text with the contents of the clipboard.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="merging-lines">Merging lines<a class="post-anchor" href="#merging-lines" aria-label="Anchor link for: merging-lines"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Multiple lines must first be selected with <kbd>x</kbd>, then press <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>j</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>j</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Merges multiple selected lines.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="line-indentation">Line indentation<a class="post-anchor" href="#line-indentation" aria-label="Anchor link for: line-indentation"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Indents the current line or selected lines.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>&gt;</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Indentation protrudes outward/to the right.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>&lt;</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Indentation protrudes inward/to the left.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="addition-and-subtraction">Addition and subtraction<a class="post-anchor" href="#addition-and-subtraction" aria-label="Anchor link for: addition-and-subtraction"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Incrementing and decrementing values can be done in helix. This is usually done to change values in a list.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>a</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Increases the value.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>x</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Decreases the value.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>For example:</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>1) list a</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>3) list b</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>4) list c</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>5) list d</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>6) list e</span></span></code></pre> <p>Becoming,</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>1) list a</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>2) list b</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>3) list c</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>4) list d</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>5) list e</span></span></code></pre><h3 id="register-function"><em>Register</em> Function<a class="post-anchor" href="#register-function" aria-label="Anchor link for: register-function"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>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 <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd>.</p> <p>For example, register:</p> <ul> <li>condition a: copy <code>sentence one</code></li> <li>condition b: copy <code>sentence two</code></li> <li>condition c: copy <code>sentence three</code></li> </ul> <p>There are 3 conditions consisting of <code>a</code>, <code>b</code>, and <code>c</code>. To store the register, use the command:</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>a</kbd> <kbd>y</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Stores (yanks) the copy to register <code>a</code>.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>b</kbd> <kbd>y</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Stores (yanks) the copy to register <code>b</code>.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>c</kbd> <kbd>y</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Stores (yanks) a copy to register <code>c</code>.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>After storing, next paste the text from a register.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>a</kbd> <kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Paste text from register <code>a</code>.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>b</kbd> <kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Paste text from register <code>b</code>.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>c</kbd> <kbd>p</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Pastes text from register <code>c</code>.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <p>The copied text can also be used to replace selected text.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>a</kbd> <kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Replaces the text from register <code>a</code>.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>b</kbd> <kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Replaces the text from register <code>b</code>.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>&#x27;</kbd> <kbd>c</kbd> <kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Replaces text from register <code>c</code>.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="macro-function"><em>Macro</em> Function<a class="post-anchor" href="#macro-function" aria-label="Anchor link for: macro-function"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Useful for storing command steps in a register. Default key is <kbd>@</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>q</kbd> <kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Start macro recording.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>q</kbd> <kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Stop macro recording.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>q</kbd> <kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Run the macro function.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>5</kbd><kbd>q</kbd> <kbd>r</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Run the macro function 5 times, can be replaced with <code>nq</code>.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="searching-with-selection">Searching with selection<a class="post-anchor" href="#searching-with-selection" aria-label="Anchor link for: searching-with-selection"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>Search for text using <kbd>&#x2F;</kbd> and then type the word you want to find. In addition to typing characters, another way is to select characters as search characters.</p> <p>After selecting a character word, for example with <kbd>w</kbd>/<kbd>e</kbd>/<kbd>b</kbd>, press <kbd>*</kbd> to save it as a search register. Then the word can be searched for with <kbd>n</kbd> or <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>n</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>*</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Keep selection results into search registers <kbd>&#x2F;</kbd>.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="using-jumplist">Using Jumplist<a class="post-anchor" href="#using-jumplist" aria-label="Anchor link for: using-jumplist"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>With jumplist, you can save the cursor position at a specific location.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>s</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Save jumplist.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>o</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Next jumplist.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>i</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Previous jumplist.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="rotate-and-delete-primary-selection">Rotate and delete primary selection<a class="post-anchor" href="#rotate-and-delete-primary-selection" aria-label="Anchor link for: rotate-and-delete-primary-selection"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>After selecting, there may be times when some selections are not needed. By using <kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>,</kbd>, the selected results can be deleted.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>)</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Go to the next selection.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>(</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Go to the previous selection.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>,</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Clear the main selection.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="changing-uppercase-lowercase-letters">Changing uppercase/lowercase letters<a class="post-anchor" href="#changing-uppercase-lowercase-letters" aria-label="Anchor link for: changing-uppercase-lowercase-letters"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>To change uppercase letters to lowercase letters, use <kbd>`</kbd>, while to change lowercase letters to uppercase letters, use <kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>`</kbd>.</p> <table><thead><tr><th style="text-align: left">Key</th><th style="text-align: left">Description</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>`</kbd> or <kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>`</kbd> &gt;}}</td><td style="text-align: left">Switch between lowercase and uppercase letters.</td></tr> <tr><td style="text-align: left"><kbd>~</kbd></td><td style="text-align: left">Switch between uppercase and lowercase letters.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3 id="separating-selections-with-regex-patterns">Separating selections with <em>regex patterns</em><a class="post-anchor" href="#separating-selections-with-regex-patterns" aria-label="Anchor link for: separating-selections-with-regex-patterns"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h3> <p>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.</p> <p>The general steps are as follows.</p> <ul> <li>Select a line, using either <kbd>x</kbd>, <kbd>w</kbd>, <kbd>e</kbd>, or <kbd>b</kbd>.</li> <li>Press <kbd>shift</kbd>+<kbd>s</kbd> to split the selection.</li> <li>Select the regex pattern. For example, separate by a period space <code>.</code>, exclamation mark space <code>!</code>, or question mark space <code>?</code>. Sentences are usually separated by separators and spaces. So, the regex is <code>\. |! |\?</code>. Periods and question marks need to be preceded by a backslash <code>\</code>.</li> <li>Select the cursor position to be in front of or behind the separated sentence. Move it using <kbd>alt</kbd>+<kbd>;</kbd>.</li> <li>In multi-cursor mode, replace the desired changes with <kbd>r</kbd>, <kbd>c</kbd>, or <kbd>i</kbd>.</li> </ul> <p>For example, there are 3 sentences. Separate them and capitalize the first letter.</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>learn programming languages! python is a high-level programming language? created by guido van rossum.</span></span></code></pre> <p>Becomes:</p> <pre class="giallo" style="color: #D4D4D4; background-color: #1E1E1E;"><code data-lang="plain"><span class="giallo-l"><span>Learn programming languages!</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>python is a high-level programming language?</span></span> <span class="giallo-l"><span>Created by guido van rossum.</span></span></code></pre> <figure id="vid-helix-regex" class="video-wrapper ref-placeholder" data-ref="helix-regex" class="video-center"> <video src=".&#x2F;regex-helix.webm" preload="metadata" playsinline controls > Your browser does not support the video tag. </video> <figcaption class="center">Video: Helix Regex</figcaption> </figure> <h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion<a class="post-anchor" href="#conclusion" aria-label="Anchor link for: conclusion"><span aria-hidden="true">#</span></a> </h2> <p>Helix is ideal because it uses minimal configuration with built-in autocomplete, fuzzy search, and multi-cursor features. Although each programming language’s <code>language-server</code> 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 <a href="https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/wiki/How-to-install-the-default-language-servers">Helix Wiki</a>. More complete keymap configurations and usage instructions are available in the <a href="https://docs.helix-editor.com">official documentation</a>.</p> <p>Helix is considered to have fairly fast performance. It even supports modals such as <kbd>space</kbd>, <kbd>f</kbd>, and <kbd>g</kbd>, which make navigation maneuvers easier <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="evans25">(<a href="#ref-evans25">Evans, Julia</a>)</span>. Good to go to definition, declaration, reference.</p> <p>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 <span class="ref-placeholder" data-ref="lafdzun25">(<a href="#ref-lafdzun25">Lafdzun, Kalamuna</a>)</span>.</p>