Helix editor: https://helix-editor.com/
A command-line, Vim-like editor written in Rust (there's a simple demo video above 👆, so I won't take a screenshot). I stumbled upon it on YouTube a few days ago and after trying it for a few days, I've found both highlights and pain points.
It claims to be "post-modern," which seems to mock those editors that call themselves "modern."
The so-called Vim-like aspect inherits keybindings from Vim and Kakoune, so if you're familiar with Vim, you can jump right in (most familiar commands like still work), but the operational logic is different, which is both enjoyable and frustrating:
For example, when you want to dd, it can be quite uncomfortable in Helix: the key for selecting a line is x, while d can replace the function of x. In Helix, w and b will default to selecting text, so dw needs to become wd.
As for multiple selections, I can't comment on the experience since I haven't used other editors before. (Is it similar to the option dropdown in IDEA? If so, then it’s indeed quite useful.)
Regarding the highlights:
For VSCode, you can start it directly from the command line without having to wait for the code . window to pop up.
For Vim/Nvim, you don't need to worry about XXX-complete, XXX-line, fzf, or leaderf; Helix provides comprehensive support.
The built-in file-picker and buffer-picker are designed in a way that aligns with my aesthetic—simple and functional without unnecessary flair.
LSP and Tree-sitter support are good, and the LSP configuration for frequently edited JSON and TOML files is straightforward. I tried writing Rust under rust-analyzer, and it actually worked quite well. (I still prefer an IDE 🙃️)
The basic functionality is restrained, sufficient, and easy to use, but on the flip side, there's almost no extensibility; I didn't see any mention of extensions/plugins in the documentation.
For me, I usually used VSCode to edit simple text, and Helix should be my go-to for editing simple text in the future, but the pain points are quite significant, and the differences in keybindings from Vim can sometimes feel disorienting:
dd uu xd
So I went to Nvim to try configuring Helix-style file-picker and buffer-picker (then gave up, since editing text is still possible).
By the way, does anyone know of similar editors?
- Vim-support, not LIKE
- Built-in language server support.
- Syntax highlighting and code editing using Tree-sitter.
- Built with XXX. No Electron. No VimScript. No JavaScript.
- Runs in a terminal.