23.03 brings some long-awaited and exciting features. Thank you to everyone involved! This release saw changes from 102 contributors.
For the full log, check out the [git log](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/compare/22.12..23.03).
Also check out the [release notes](https://helix-editor.com/news/release-23-03-highlights/) for more commentary on larger features.
Breaking changes:
- Select diagnostic range in `goto_*_diag` commands ([#4713](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4713), [#5164](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5164), [#6193](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6193))
- Remove jump behavior from `increment`/`decrement` ([#4123](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4123), [#5929](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5929))
- Select change range in `goto_*_change` commands ([#5206](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5206))
- Split file modification indicator from filename statusline elements ([#4731](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4731), [#6036](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6036))
- Jump to symbol ranges in LSP goto commands ([#5986](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5986))
- Workspace detection now stops at the first `.helix/` directory (merging multiple `.helix/languages.toml` configurations is no longer supported) ([#5748](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5748))
Features:
- Dynamic workspace symbol picker ([#5055](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5055))
- Initial support for LSP snippet completions ([#5864](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5864), [b1f7528](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/b1f7528), [#6263](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6263), [bbf4800](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/bbf4800), [90348b8](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/90348b8), [f87299f](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/f87299f), [#6371](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6371), [9fe3adc](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/9fe3adc))
- Add a statusline element for showing the current version control HEAD ([#5682](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5682))
- Display LSP type hints ([#5420](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5420), [#5934](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5934), [#6312](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6312))
- Enable the Kitty keyboard protocol on terminals with support ([#4939](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4939), [#6170](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6170), [#6194](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6194), [#6438](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6438))
- Add a statusline element for the basename of the current file ([#5318](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5318))
- Add substring matching syntax for the picker ([#5658](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5658))
- Support LSP `textDocument/prepareRename` ([#6103](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6103))
- Allow multiple runtime directories with priorities ([#5411](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5411))
- Allow configuring whether to insert or replace completions ([#5728](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5728))
- Add `workspace-lsp-roots` config option to support multiple LSP roots for use with monorepos ([#5748](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5748))
Commands:
- `:pipe-to` which pipes selections into a shell command and ignores output ([#4931](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4931))
- `merge_consecutive_selections` (`A-_`) combines all consecutive selections ([#5047](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5047))
- `rotate_view_reverse` which focuses the previous view ([#5356](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5356))
- `goto_declaration` (`gD`, requires LSP) which jumps to a symbol's declaration ([#5646](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5646))
- `:character-info` which shows information about the character under the cursor ([#4000](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4000))
- `:toggle-option` for toggling config options at runtime ([#4085](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4085))
- `dap_restart` for restarting a debug session in DAP ([#5651](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5651))
- `:lsp-stop` to stop the language server of the current buffer ([#5964](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5964))
- `:reset-diff-change` for resetting a diff hunk to its original text ([#4974](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4974))
- `:config-open-workspace` for opening the config file local to the current workspace ([#5748](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5748))
Usability improvements:
- Remove empty detail section in completion menu when LSP doesn't send details ([#4902](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4902))
- Pass client information on LSP initialization ([#4904](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4904))
- Allow specifying environment variables for language servers in language config ([#4004](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4004))
- Allow detached git worktrees to be recognized as root paths ([#5097](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5097))
- Improve error message handling for theme loading failures ([#5073](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5073))
- Print the names of binaries required for LSP/DAP in health-check ([#5195](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5195))
- Improve sorting in the picker in cases of ties ([#5169](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5169))
- Add theming for prompt suggestions ([#5104](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5104))
- Open a file picker when using `:open` on directories ([#2707](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/2707), [#5278](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5278))
- Reload language config with `:config-reload` ([#5239](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5239), [#5381](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5381), [#5431](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5431))
- Improve indent queries for python when the tree is errored ([#5332](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5332))
- Picker: Open files without closing the picker with `A-ret` ([#4435](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4435))
- Allow theming cursors by primary/secondary and by mode ([#5130](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5130))
- Allow configuration of the minimum width for the line-numbers gutter ([#4724](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4724), [#5696](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5696))
- Use filename completer for `:run-shell-command` command ([#5729](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5729))
- Surround with line-endings with `ms<ret>` ([#4571](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/4571))
- Hide duplicate symlinks in file pickers ([#5658](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5658))
- Run shell commands asynchronously ([#6373](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6373))
- Show diagnostic codes in LSP diagnostic messages ([#6378](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6378))
- Highlight the current line in a DAP debug session ([#5957](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5957))
- Hide signature help if it overlaps with the completion menu ([#5523](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5523), [7a69c40](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/7a69c40))
Fixes:
- Fix behavior of `auto-completion` flag for completion-on-trigger ([#5042](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5042))
- Reset editor mode when changing buffers ([#5072](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5072))
- Respect scrolloff settings in mouse movements ([#5255](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5255))
- Avoid trailing `s` when only one file is opened ([#5189](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5189))
- Fix erroneous indent between closers of auto-pairs ([#5330](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5330))
- Expand `~` when parsing file paths in `:open` ([#5329](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5329))
- Fix theme inheritance for default themes ([#5218](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5218))
- Fix `extend_line` with a count when the current line(s) are selected ([#5288](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5288))
- Prompt: Fix autocompletion for paths containing periods ([#5175](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5175))
- Skip serializing JSONRPC params if params is null ([#5471](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5471))
- Fix interaction with the `xclip` clipboard provider ([#5426](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5426))
- Fix undo/redo execution from the command palette ([#5294](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5294))
- Fix highlighting of non-block cursors ([#5575](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5575))
- Fix panic when nooping in `join_selections` and `join_selections_space` ([#5423](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5423))
- Fix selecting a changed file in global search ([#5639](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5639))
- Fix initial syntax highlight layer sort order ([#5196](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5196))
- Fix UTF-8 length handling for shellwords ([#5738](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5738))
- Remove C-j and C-k bindings from the completion menu ([#5070](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5070))
- Always commit to history when pasting ([#5790](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5790))
- Properly handle LSP position encoding ([#5711](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5711))
- Fix infinite loop in `copy_selection_on_prev_line` ([#5888](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/5888))
- Fix highlighting in picker results with multiple columns ([#6333](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6333))
- Canonicalize paths before stripping the current dir as a prefix ([#6290](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6290))
- Fix truncation behavior for long path names in the file picker ([#6410](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/pull/6410), [67783dd](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/67783dd))
- Fix theme reloading behavior in `:config-reload` ([ab819d8](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/commit/ab819d8))
@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ You can use a custom configuration file by specifying it with the `-c` or
Additionally, you can reload the configuration file by sending the USR1
signal to the Helix process on Unix operating systems, such as by using the command `pkill -USR1 hx`.
Finally, you can have a `config.toml` local to a project by putting it under a `.helix` directory in your repository.
Its settings will be merged with the configuration directory `config.toml` and the built-in configuration.
## Editor
### `[editor]` Section
@ -57,7 +60,8 @@ signal to the Helix process on Unix operating systems, such as by using the comm
| `rulers` | List of column positions at which to display the rulers. Can be overridden by language specific `rulers` in `languages.toml` file | `[]` |
| `bufferline` | Renders a line at the top of the editor displaying open buffers. Can be `always`, `never` or `multiple` (only shown if more than one buffer is in use) | `never` |
| `color-modes` | Whether to color the mode indicator with different colors depending on the mode itself | `false` |
| `text-width` | Maximum line length. Used for the `:reflow` command and soft-wrapping if `soft-wrap.wrap_at_text_width` is set | `80` |
| `text-width` | Maximum line length. Used for the `:reflow` command and soft-wrapping if `soft-wrap.wrap-at-text-width` is set | `80` |
| `workspace-lsp-roots` | Directories relative to the workspace root that are treated as LSP roots. Should only be set in `.helix/config.toml` | `[]` |
### `[editor.statusline]` Section
@ -123,6 +127,7 @@ The following statusline elements can be configured:
| `auto-signature-help` | Enable automatic popup of signature help (parameter hints) | `true` |
Helix's editing model is strongly inspired from Vim and Kakoune, and a notable
difference from Vim (and the most striking similarity to Kakoune) is that Helix
follows the `selection → action` model. This means that the whatever you are
going to act on (a word, a paragraph, a line, etc) is selected first and the
action itself (delete, change, yank, etc) comes second. A cursor is simply a
follows the `selection → action` model. This means that whatever you are
going to act on (a word, a paragraph, a line, etc.) is selected first and the
action itself (delete, change, yank, etc.) comes second. A cursor is simply a
single width selection.
See also Kakoune's [Migrating from Vim](https://github.com/mawww/kakoune/wiki/Migrating-from-Vim) and Helix's [Migrating from Vim](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/wiki/Migrating-from-Vim).
@ -91,8 +90,8 @@ If you are using a version of Nix without flakes enabled,
### AppImage
Install Helix using [AppImage](https://appimage.org/).
Download Helix AppImage from the [latest releases](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/releases/latest) page.
Install Helix using the Linux [AppImage](https://appimage.org/) format.
Download the official Helix AppImage from the [latest releases](https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/releases/latest) page.
```sh
chmod +x helix-*.AppImage # change permission for executable mode
@ -109,9 +108,17 @@ brew install helix
## Windows
Install on Windows using [Scoop](https://scoop.sh/), [Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org/)
Install on Windows using [Winget](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/package-manager/winget/), [Scoop](https://scoop.sh/), [Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org/)
or [MSYS2](https://msys2.org/).
### Winget
Windows Package Manager winget command-line tool is by default available on Windows 11 and modern versions of Windows 10 as a part of the App Installer.
You can get [App Installer from the Microsoft Store](https://www.microsoft.com/p/app-installer/9nblggh4nns1#activetab=pivot:overviewtab). If it's already installed, make sure it is updated with the latest version.
- The [Rust toolchain](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install)
- The [Git version control system](https://git-scm.com/)
- A c++14 compatible compiler to build the tree-sitter grammars, for example GCC or Clang
If you are using the `musl-libc` standard library instead of `glibc` the following environment variable must be set during the build to ensure tree-sitter grammars can be loaded correctly:
```sh
RUSTFLAGS="-C target-feature=-crt-static"
```
1. Clone the repository:
```sh
git clone https://github.com/helix-editor/helix
cd helix
```
Compile from source:
2. Compile from source:
```sh
cargo install --path helix-term --locked
```
This command will create the `hx` executable and construct the tree-sitter
grammars in the local `runtime` folder. To build the tree-sitter grammars requires
a c++ compiler to be installed, for example `gcc-c++`.
> 💡 If you are using the musl-libc instead of glibc the following environment variable must be set during the build
> to ensure tree-sitter grammars can be loaded correctly:
>
> ```sh
> RUSTFLAGS="-C target-feature=-crt-static"
> ```
grammars in the local `runtime` folder.
> 💡 Tree-sitter grammars can be fetched and compiled if not pre-packaged. Fetch
> grammars with `hx --grammar fetch`(requires `git`) and compile them with
> `hx --grammar build` (requires a C++ compiler). This will install them in
> grammars with `hx --grammar fetch` and compile them with
> `hx --grammar build`. This will install them in
> the `runtime` directory within the user's helix config directory (more
@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ These configuration keys are available:
| `config` | Language Server configuration |
| `grammar` | The tree-sitter grammar to use (defaults to the value of `name`) |
| `formatter` | The formatter for the language, it will take precedence over the lsp when defined. The formatter must be able to take the original file as input from stdin and write the formatted file to stdout |
| `text-width` | Maximum line length. Used for the `:reflow` command and soft-wrapping if `soft-wrap.wrap_at_text_width` is set, defaults to `editor.text-width` |
| `text-width` | Maximum line length. Used for the `:reflow` command and soft-wrapping if `soft-wrap.wrap-at-text-width` is set, defaults to `editor.text-width` |
| `workspace-lsp-roots` | Directories relative to the workspace root that are treated as LSP roots. Should only be set in `.helix/config.toml`. Overwrites the setting of the same name in `config.toml` if set. |