Commands

Command mode can be activated by pressing :. The built-in commands are:

Name	Description
`:quit`, `:q`	Close the current view.
`:quit!`, `:q!`	Force close the current view, ignoring unsaved changes.
`:open`, `:o`, `:edit`, `:e`	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!`	Force close all buffers but the currently focused one.
`:buffer-close-all`, `:bca`, `:bcloseall`	Close all buffers without quitting.
`:buffer-close-all!`, `:bca!`, `:bcloseall!`	Force close all buffers ignoring unsaved changes without quitting.
`:buffer-next`, `:bn`, `:bnext`	Goto next buffer.
`:buffer-previous`, `:bp`, `:bprev`	Goto previous buffer.
`:write`, `:w`	Write changes to disk. Accepts an optional path (:write some/path.txt)
`:write!`, `:w!`	Force write changes to disk creating necessary subdirectories. Accepts an optional path (:write! some/path.txt)
`:write-buffer-close`, `:wbc`	Write changes to disk and closes the buffer. Accepts an optional path (:write-buffer-close some/path.txt)
`:write-buffer-close!`, `:wbc!`	Force write changes to disk creating necessary subdirectories and closes the buffer. Accepts an optional path (:write-buffer-close! 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 1-16 for number of spaces.)
`:line-ending`	Set the document's default line ending. Options: crlf, lf.
`: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 buffers to disk.
`:write-all!`, `:wa!`	Forcefully write changes from all buffers to disk creating necessary subdirectories.
`:write-quit-all`, `:wqa`, `:xa`	Write changes from all buffers to disk and close all views.
`:write-quit-all!`, `:wqa!`, `:xa!`	Write changes from all buffers to disk and close all views forcefully (ignoring unsaved changes).
`:quit-all`, `:qa`	Close all views.
`:quit-all!`, `:qa!`	Force close all views ignoring unsaved changes.
`:cquit`, `:cq`	Quit with exit code (default 1). Accepts an optional integer exit code (:cq 2).
`:cquit!`, `:cq!`	Force quit with exit code (default 1) ignoring unsaved changes. Accepts an optional integer exit code (:cq! 2).
`:theme`	Change the editor theme (show current theme if no name specified).
`:yank-join`	Yank joined selections. A separator can be provided as first argument. Default value is newline.
`: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`.
`:character-info`, `:char`	Get info about the character under the primary cursor.
`:reload`, `:rl`	Discard changes and reload from the source file.
`:reload-all`, `:rla`	Discard changes and reload all documents from the source files.
`:update`, `:u`	Write changes only if the file has been modified.
`:lsp-workspace-command`	Open workspace command picker
`:lsp-restart`	Restarts the language servers used by the current doc
`:lsp-stop`	Stops the language servers that are used by the current doc
`:tree-sitter-scopes`	Display tree sitter scopes, primarily for theming and development.
`:tree-sitter-highlight-name`	Display name of tree-sitter highlight scope under the cursor.
`: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`	Goto line number.
`:set-language`, `:lang`	Set the language of current buffer (show current language if no value specified).
`:set-option`, `:set`	Set a config option at runtime. For example to disable smart case search, use `:set search.smart-case false`.
`:toggle-option`, `:toggle`	Toggle a boolean config option at runtime. For example to toggle smart case search, use `:toggle search.smart-case`.
`:get-option`, `:get`	Get the current value of a config option.
`:sort`	Sort ranges in selection.
`:rsort`	Sort ranges in selection in reverse order.
`:reflow`	Hard-wrap the current selection of lines to a given width.
`:tree-sitter-subtree`, `:ts-subtree`	Display tree sitter subtree under cursor, primarily for debugging queries.
`:config-reload`	Refresh user config.
`:config-open`	Open the user config.toml file.
`:config-open-workspace`	Open the workspace config.toml file.
`:log-open`	Open the helix log file.
`:insert-output`	Run shell command, inserting output before each selection.
`:append-output`	Run shell command, appending output after each selection.
`:pipe`	Pipe each selection to the shell command.
`:pipe-to`	Pipe each selection to the shell command, ignoring output.
`:run-shell-command`, `:sh`	Run a shell command
`:reset-diff-change`, `:diffget`, `:diffg`	Reset the diff change at the cursor position.
`:clear-register`	Clear given register. If no argument is provided, clear all registers.
`:redraw`	Clear and re-render the whole UI
`:move`	Move the current buffer and its corresponding file to a different path
`:yank-diagnostic`	Yank diagnostic(s) under primary cursor to register, or clipboard by default
`:read`, `:r`	Load a file into buffer