Commands

Command mode can be activated by pressing :, similar to vim. Built-in commands:

Name	Description
`:quit`, `:q`	Close the current view.
`:quit!`, `:q!`	Close the current view forcefully (ignoring unsaved changes).
`:open`, `:o`	Open a file from disk into the current view.
`:buffer-close`, `:bc`, `:bclose`	Close the current buffer.
`:buffer-close!`, `:bc!`, `:bclose!`	Close the current buffer forcefully (ignoring unsaved changes).
`:buffer-close-others`, `:bco`, `:bcloseother`	Close all buffers but the currently focused one.
`:buffer-close-others!`, `:bco!`, `:bcloseother!`	Close all buffers but the currently focused one.
`:buffer-close-all`, `:bca`, `:bcloseall`	Close all buffers, without quiting.
`:buffer-close-all!`, `:bca!`, `:bcloseall!`	Close all buffers forcefully (ignoring unsaved changes), without quiting.
`:buffer-next`, `:bn`, `:bnext`	Go to next buffer.
`:buffer-previous`, `:bp`, `:bprev`	Go to previous buffer.
`:write`, `:w`	Write changes to disk. Accepts an optional path (:write some/path.txt)
`:write!`, `:w!`	Write changes to disk forcefully (creating necessary subdirectories). Accepts an optional path (:write some/path.txt)
`:new`, `:n`	Create a new scratch buffer.
`:format`, `:fmt`	Format the file using the LSP formatter.
`:indent-style`	Set the indentation style for editing. ('t' for tabs or 1-8 for number of spaces.)
`:line-ending`	Set the document's default line ending. Options: crlf, lf, cr, ff, nel.
`:earlier`, `:ear`	Jump back to an earlier point in edit history. Accepts a number of steps or a time span.
`:later`, `:lat`	Jump to a later point in edit history. Accepts a number of steps or a time span.
`:write-quit`, `:wq`, `:x`	Write changes to disk and close the current view. Accepts an optional path (:wq some/path.txt)
`:write-quit!`, `:wq!`, `:x!`	Write changes to disk and close the current view forcefully. Accepts an optional path (:wq! some/path.txt)
`:write-all`, `:wa`	Write changes from all views to disk.
`:write-quit-all`, `:wqa`, `:xa`	Write changes from all views to disk and close all views.
`:write-quit-all!`, `:wqa!`, `:xa!`	Write changes from all views to disk and close all views forcefully (ignoring unsaved changes).
`:quit-all`, `:qa`	Close all views.
`:quit-all!`, `:qa!`	Close all views forcefully (ignoring unsaved changes).
`:cquit`, `:cq`	Quit with exit code (default 1). Accepts an optional integer exit code (:cq 2).
`:cquit!`, `:cq!`	Quit with exit code (default 1) forcefully (ignoring unsaved changes). Accepts an optional integer exit code (:cq! 2).
`:theme`	Change the editor theme.
`:clipboard-yank`	Yank main selection into system clipboard.
`:clipboard-yank-join`	Yank joined selections into system clipboard. A separator can be provided as first argument. Default value is newline.
`:primary-clipboard-yank`	Yank main selection into system primary clipboard.
`:primary-clipboard-yank-join`	Yank joined selections into system primary clipboard. A separator can be provided as first argument. Default value is newline.
`:clipboard-paste-after`	Paste system clipboard after selections.
`:clipboard-paste-before`	Paste system clipboard before selections.
`:clipboard-paste-replace`	Replace selections with content of system clipboard.
`:primary-clipboard-paste-after`	Paste primary clipboard after selections.
`:primary-clipboard-paste-before`	Paste primary clipboard before selections.
`:primary-clipboard-paste-replace`	Replace selections with content of system primary clipboard.
`:show-clipboard-provider`	Show clipboard provider name in status bar.
`:change-current-directory`, `:cd`	Change the current working directory.
`:show-directory`, `:pwd`	Show the current working directory.
`:encoding`	Set encoding based on `https://encoding.spec.whatwg.org`
`:reload`	Discard changes and reload from the source file.
`:tree-sitter-scopes`	Display tree sitter scopes, primarily for theming and development.
`:debug-start`, `:dbg`	Start a debug session from a given template with given parameters.
`:debug-remote`, `:dbg-tcp`	Connect to a debug adapter by TCP address and start a debugging session from a given template with given parameters.
`:debug-eval`	Evaluate expression in current debug context.
`:vsplit`, `:vs`	Open the file in a vertical split.
`:vsplit-new`, `:vnew`	Open a scratch buffer in a vertical split.
`:hsplit`, `:hs`, `:sp`	Open the file in a horizontal split.
`:hsplit-new`, `:hnew`	Open a scratch buffer in a horizontal split.
`:tutor`	Open the tutorial.
`:goto`, `:g`	Go to line number.
`:set-language`, `:lang`	Set the language of current buffer.
`:set-option`, `:set`	Set a config option at runtime
`:sort`	Sort ranges in selection.
`:rsort`	Sort ranges in selection in reverse order.
`:tree-sitter-subtree`, `:ts-subtree`	Display tree sitter subtree under cursor, primarily for debugging queries.
`:config-reload`	Refreshes helix's config.
`:config-open`	Open the helix config.toml file.
`:pipe`	Pipe each selection to the shell command.