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< ol class = "chapter" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded affix " > < a href = "title-page.html" > Helix< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "install.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 1.< / strong > Installation< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "usage.html" class = "active" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.< / strong > Usage< / a > < / li > < li > < ol class = "section" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "keymap.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.1.< / strong > Keymap< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "commands.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.2.< / strong > Commands< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "lang-support.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 2.3.< / strong > Language Support< / a > < / li > < / ol > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "from-vim.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 3.< / strong > Migrating from Vim< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "configuration.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.< / strong > Configuration< / a > < / li > < li > < ol class = "section" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "themes.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.1.< / strong > Themes< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "remapping.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.2.< / strong > Key Remapping< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "languages.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 4.3.< / strong > Languages< / a > < / li > < / ol > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "guides/index.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 5.< / strong > Guides< / a > < / li > < li > < ol class = "section" > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "guides/adding_languages.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 5.1.< / strong > Adding Languages< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "guides/textobject.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 5.2.< / strong > Adding Textobject Queries< / a > < / li > < li class = "chapter-item expanded " > < a href = "guides/indent.html" > < strong aria-hidden = "true" > 5.3.< / strong > Adding Indent Queries< / a > < / li > < / ol > < / li > < / ol >
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< h1 id = "usage" > < a class = "header" href = "#usage" > Usage< / a > < / h1 >
< p > (Currently not fully documented, see the < a href = "./keymap.html" > keymappings< / a > list for more.)< / p >
< p > See < a href = "https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/blob/master/runtime/tutor" > tutor< / a > (accessible via < code > hx --tutor< / code > or < code > :tutor< / code > ) for a vimtutor-like introduction.< / p >
< h2 id = "registers" > < a class = "header" href = "#registers" > Registers< / a > < / h2 >
< p > Vim-like registers can be used to yank and store text to be pasted later. Usage is similar, with < code > " < / code > being used to select a register:< / p >
< ul >
< li > < code > " ay< / code > - Yank the current selection to register < code > a< / code > .< / li >
< li > < code > " op< / code > - Paste the text in register < code > o< / code > after the selection.< / li >
< / ul >
< p > If there is a selected register before invoking a change or delete command, the selection will be stored in the register and the action will be carried out:< / p >
< ul >
< li > < code > " hc< / code > - Store the selection in register < code > h< / code > and then change it (delete and enter insert mode).< / li >
< li > < code > " md< / code > - Store the selection in register < code > m< / code > and delete it.< / li >
< / ul >
< h3 id = "special-registers" > < a class = "header" href = "#special-registers" > Special Registers< / a > < / h3 >
< div class = "table-wrapper" > < table > < thead > < tr > < th > Register character< / th > < th > Contains< / th > < / tr > < / thead > < tbody >
< tr > < td > < code > /< / code > < / td > < td > Last search< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > :< / code > < / td > < td > Last executed command< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > " < / code > < / td > < td > Last yanked text< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > _< / code > < / td > < td > Black hole< / td > < / tr >
< / tbody > < / table >
< / div >
< blockquote >
< p > There is no special register for copying to system clipboard, instead special commands and keybindings are provided. See the < a href = "keymap.html#space-mode" > keymap< / a > for the specifics.
The black hole register works as a no-op register, meaning no data will be written to / read from it.< / p >
< / blockquote >
< h2 id = "surround" > < a class = "header" href = "#surround" > Surround< / a > < / h2 >
< p > Functionality similar to < a href = "https://github.com/tpope/vim-surround" > vim-surround< / a > is built into
helix. The keymappings have been inspired from < a href = "https://github.com/machakann/vim-sandwich" > vim-sandwich< / a > :< / p >
< p > < img src = "https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/23398472/122865801-97073180-d344-11eb-8142-8f43809982c6.gif" alt = "surround demo" / > < / p >
< ul >
< li > < code > ms< / code > - Add surround characters< / li >
< li > < code > mr< / code > - Replace surround characters< / li >
< li > < code > md< / code > - Delete surround characters< / li >
< / ul >
< p > < code > ms< / code > acts on a selection, so select the text first and use < code > ms< char> < / code > . < code > mr< / code > and < code > md< / code > work
on the closest pairs found and selections are not required; use counts to act in outer pairs.< / p >
< p > It can also act on multiple selections (yay!). For example, to change every occurrence of < code > (use)< / code > to < code > [use]< / code > :< / p >
< ul >
< li > < code > %< / code > to select the whole file< / li >
< li > < code > s< / code > to split the selections on a search term< / li >
< li > Input < code > use< / code > and hit Enter< / li >
< li > < code > mr([< / code > to replace the parens with square brackets< / li >
< / ul >
< p > Multiple characters are currently not supported, but planned.< / p >
< h2 id = "syntax-tree-motions" > < a class = "header" href = "#syntax-tree-motions" > Syntax-tree Motions< / a > < / h2 >
< p > < code > A-p< / code > , < code > A-o< / code > , < code > A-i< / code > , and < code > A-n< / code > (or < code > Alt< / code > and arrow keys) move the primary
selection according to the selection's place in the syntax tree. Let's walk
through an example to get familiar with them. Many languages have a syntax like
so for function calls:< / p >
< pre > < code > func(arg1, arg2, arg3)
< / code > < / pre >
< p > A function call might be parsed by tree-sitter into a tree like the following.< / p >
< pre > < code class = "language-tsq" > (call
function: (identifier) ; func
arguments:
(arguments ; (arg1, arg2, arg3)
(identifier) ; arg1
(identifier) ; arg2
(identifier))) ; arg3
< / code > < / pre >
< p > Use < code > :tree-sitter-subtree< / code > to view the syntax tree of the primary selection. In
a more intuitive tree format:< / p >
< pre > < code > ┌────┐
│call│
┌─────┴────┴─────┐
│ │
┌─────▼────┐ ┌────▼────┐
│identifier│ │arguments│
│ " func" │ ┌────┴───┬─────┴───┐
└──────────┘ │ │ │
│ │ │
┌─────────▼┐ ┌────▼─────┐ ┌▼─────────┐
│identifier│ │identifier│ │identifier│
│ " arg1" │ │ " arg2" │ │ " arg3" │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘
< / code > < / pre >
< p > Say we have a selection that wraps < code > arg1< / code > . The selection is on the < code > arg1< / code > leaf
in the tree above.< / p >
< pre > < code > func([arg1], arg2, arg3)
< / code > < / pre >
< p > Using < code > A-n< / code > would select the next sibling in the syntax tree: < code > arg2< / code > .< / p >
< pre > < code > func(arg1, [arg2], arg3)
< / code > < / pre >
< p > While < code > A-o< / code > would expand the selection to the parent node. In the tree above we
can see that we would select the < code > arguments< / code > node.< / p >
< pre > < code > func[(arg1, arg2, arg3)]
< / code > < / pre >
< p > There is also some nuanced behavior that prevents you from getting stuck on a
node with no sibling. If we have a selection on < code > arg1< / code > , < code > A-p< / code > would bring us
to the previous child node. Since < code > arg1< / code > doesn't have a sibling to its left,
though, we climb the syntax tree and then take the previous selection. So < code > A-p< / code >
will move the selection over to the " func" < code > identifier< / code > .< / p >
< pre > < code > [func](arg1, arg2, arg3)
< / code > < / pre >
< h2 id = "textobjects" > < a class = "header" href = "#textobjects" > Textobjects< / a > < / h2 >
< p > < img src = "https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/23398472/124231131-81a4bb00-db2d-11eb-9d10-8e577ca7b177.gif" alt = "textobject-demo" / >
< img src = "https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/23398472/132537398-2a2e0a54-582b-44ab-a77f-eb818942203d.gif" alt = "textobject-treesitter-demo" / > < / p >
< ul >
< li > < code > ma< / code > - Select around the object (< code > va< / code > in vim, < code > < alt-a> < / code > in kakoune)< / li >
< li > < code > mi< / code > - Select inside the object (< code > vi< / code > in vim, < code > < alt-i> < / code > in kakoune)< / li >
< / ul >
< div class = "table-wrapper" > < table > < thead > < tr > < th > Key after < code > mi< / code > or < code > ma< / code > < / th > < th > Textobject selected< / th > < / tr > < / thead > < tbody >
< tr > < td > < code > w< / code > < / td > < td > Word< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > W< / code > < / td > < td > WORD< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > p< / code > < / td > < td > Paragraph< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > (< / code > , < code > [< / code > , < code > '< / code > , etc< / td > < td > Specified surround pairs< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > m< / code > < / td > < td > Closest surround pair< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > f< / code > < / td > < td > Function< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > c< / code > < / td > < td > Class< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > a< / code > < / td > < td > Argument/parameter< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > o< / code > < / td > < td > Comment< / td > < / tr >
< tr > < td > < code > t< / code > < / td > < td > Test< / td > < / tr >
< / tbody > < / table >
< / div >
< blockquote >
< p > NOTE: < code > f< / code > , < code > c< / code > , etc need a tree-sitter grammar active for the current
document and a special tree-sitter query file to work properly. < a href = "./lang-support.html" > Only
some grammars< / a > currently have the query file implemented.
Contributions are welcome!< / p >
< / blockquote >
< h2 id = "tree-sitter-textobject-based-navigation" > < a class = "header" href = "#tree-sitter-textobject-based-navigation" > Tree-sitter Textobject Based Navigation< / a > < / h2 >
< p > Navigating between functions, classes, parameters, etc is made
possible by leveraging tree-sitter and textobjects queries. For
example to move to the next function use < code > ]f< / code > , to move to previous
class use < code > [c< / code > , and so on.< / p >
< p > < img src = "https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/23398472/152332550-7dfff043-36a2-4aec-b8f2-77c13eb56d6f.gif" alt = "tree-sitter-nav-demo" / > < / p >
< p > See the < a href = "./keymap.html#unimpaired" > unimpaired< / a > section of the keybind
documentation for the full reference.< / p >
< blockquote >
< p > NOTE: This feature is dependent on tree-sitter based textobjects
and therefore requires the corresponding query file to work properly.< / p >
< / blockquote >
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