helix keybinds

keybinds

selection-first: actions act on the current selection, which is also the cursor. press Esc to return to normal mode from anywhere. (LSP) requires a language server, (TS) requires a tree-sitter grammar.

movement (normal mode)

key	description	command
`h`,`Left`	Move left	move_char_left
`j`,`Down`	Move down	move_visual_line_down
`k`,`Up`	Move up	move_visual_line_up
`l`,`Right`	Move right	move_char_right
`w`	Next word start	move_next_word_start
`b`	Previous word start	move_prev_word_start
`e`	Next word end	move_next_word_end
`W`	Next WORD start	move_next_long_word_start
`B`	Previous WORD start	move_prev_long_word_start
`E`	Next WORD end	move_next_long_word_end
`f`	Find next char (whole doc, not just line)	find_next_char
`t`	Find till next char	find_till_char
`F`	Find previous char	find_prev_char
`T`	Find till previous char	till_prev_char
`G`	Go to line number	goto_line
`Alt-.`	Repeat last motion (f, t, m, [ or ])	repeat_last_motion
`Home`	Start of line	goto_line_start
`End`	End of line	goto_line_end
`Ctrl-b`,`PgUp`	Page up	page_up
`Ctrl-f`,`PgDn`	Page down	page_down
`Ctrl-u`	Cursor + half page up	page_cursor_half_up
`Ctrl-d`	Cursor + half page down	page_cursor_half_down
`Ctrl-i`	Jump forward (jumplist)	jump_forward
`Ctrl-o`	Jump backward (jumplist)	jump_backward
`Ctrl-s`	Save selection to jumplist	save_selection

changes

key	description	command
`r`	Replace with a character	replace
`R`	Replace with yanked text	replace_with_yanked
`~`	Switch case of selection	switch_case
`	Lowercase selection	switch_to_lowercase
Alt-`	Uppercase selection	switch_to_uppercase
`i`	Insert before selection	insert_mode
`a`	Insert after selection (append)	append_mode
`I`	Insert at line start	insert_at_line_start
`A`	Insert at line end	insert_at_line_end
`o`	Open line below	open_below
`O`	Open line above	open_above
`.`	Repeat last insert	N/A
`u`	Undo	undo
`U`	Redo	redo
`Alt-u`	Earlier in history	earlier
`Alt-U`	Later in history	later
`y`	Yank selection	yank
`p`	Paste after	paste_after
`P`	Paste before	paste_before
`"`	Select register to yank/paste	select_register
`>`	Indent	indent
`<`	Unindent	unindent
`=`	Format selection (LSP)	format_selections
`d`	Delete selection	delete_selection
`Alt-d`	Delete without yanking	delete_selection_noyank
`c`	Change selection (delete + insert)	change_selection
`Alt-c`	Change without yanking	change_selection_noyank
`Ctrl-a`	Increment number under cursor	increment
`Ctrl-x`	Decrement number under cursor	decrement
`Q`	Start/stop macro recording	record_macro
`q`	Replay recorded macro	replay_macro

shell

key	description	command
`\|`	Pipe each selection through shell, replace with output	shell_pipe
`Alt-\|`	Pipe through shell, ignore output	shell_pipe_to
`!`	Insert shell output before each selection	shell_insert_output
`Alt-!`	Append shell output after each selection	shell_append_output
`$`	Pipe to shell, keep selections where exit code 0	shell_keep_pipe

selection manipulation

key	description	command
`s`	Select all regex matches inside selections	select_regex
`S`	Split selection on regex matches	split_selection
`Alt-s`	Split selection on newlines	split_selection_on_newline
`Alt--`	Merge selections	merge_selections
`&`	Align selection in columns	align_selections
`_`	Trim whitespace from selection	trim_selections
`;`	Collapse selection to single cursor	collapse_selection
`Alt-;`	Flip cursor and anchor	flip_selections
`,`	Keep only primary selection	keep_primary_selection
`Alt-,`	Remove primary selection	remove_primary_selection
`C`	Copy selection to next line (cursor below)	copy_selection_on_next_line
`Alt-C`	Copy selection to prev line (cursor above)	copy_selection_on_prev_line
`(`	Rotate main selection backward	rotate_selections_backward
`)`	Rotate main selection forward	rotate_selections_forward
`%`	Select entire file	select_all
`x`	Select current line (extend down if repeated)	extend_line_below
`X`	Extend selection to line bounds	extend_to_line_bounds
`J`	Join lines inside selection	join_selections
`Ctrl-c`	Toggle comment	toggle_comments
`Alt-o`,`Alt-Up`	Expand to parent syntax node (TS)	expand_selection
`Alt-i`,`Alt-Down`	Shrink syntax node (TS)	shrink_selection
`Alt-p`,`Alt-Left`	Previous sibling node (TS)	select_prev_sibling
`Alt-n`,`Alt-Right`	Next sibling node (TS)	select_next_sibling

search

operates on the / register by default; use " to pick another.

key	description	command
`/`	Search for regex pattern	search
`?`	Search for previous pattern	rsearch
`n`	Next search match	search_next
`N`	Previous search match	search_prev
`*`	Use selection as pattern (word-boundary aware)	search_selection_detect_word_boundaries
`Alt-*`	Use selection as pattern	search_selection

minor modes

key	description	command
`v`	Enter select (extend) mode	select_mode
`g`	Enter goto mode	N/A
`m`	Enter match mode	N/A
`:`	Enter command mode	command_mode
`z`	Enter view mode	N/A
`Z`	Enter sticky view mode	N/A
`Ctrl-w`	Enter window mode	N/A
`Space`	Enter space mode	N/A

view mode (z)

scroll/view adjustments without moving the selection. Z is the sticky variant (Esc to exit).

key	description	command
`z`,`c`	Vertically center the line	align_view_center
`t`	Align line to top of screen	align_view_top
`b`	Align line to bottom of screen	align_view_bottom
`m`	Align line to middle (horizontal)	align_view_middle
`j`,`down`	Scroll view downwards	scroll_down
`k`,`up`	Scroll view upwards	scroll_up
`Ctrl-f`	Page down	page_down
`Ctrl-b`	Page up	page_up

goto mode (g)

key	description	command
`g`	Go to line number, else start of file	goto_file_start
`e`	End of file	goto_last_line
`f`	Go to files in selections	goto_file
`h`	Start of line	goto_line_start
`l`	End of line	goto_line_end
`s`	First non-whitespace char of line	goto_first_nonwhitespace
`t`	Top of the screen	goto_window_top
`c`	Middle of the screen	goto_window_center
`b`	Bottom of the screen	goto_window_bottom
`d`	Go to definition (LSP)	goto_definition
`y`	Go to type definition (LSP)	goto_type_definition
`r`	Go to references (LSP)	goto_reference
`i`	Go to implementation (LSP)	goto_implementation
`a`	Last accessed (alternate) file	goto_last_accessed_file
`m`	Last modified (alternate) file	goto_last_modified_file
`n`	Next buffer	goto_next_buffer
`p`	Previous buffer	goto_previous_buffer
`.`	Last modification in current file	goto_last_modification
`w`	Label every word; jump to label	goto_word

match mode (m)

surround and textobject operations take an argument (e.g. m s ().

key	description	command
`m`	Go to matching bracket (TS)	match_brackets
`s` `<ch>`	Surround current selection with <ch>	surround_add
`r` `<a>` `<b>`	Replace surround <a> with <b>	surround_replace
`d` `<ch>`	Delete surround <ch>	surround_delete
`a` `<obj>`	Select around textobject	select_textobject_around
`i` `<obj>`	Select inside textobject	select_textobject_inner

window mode (Ctrl-w)

key	description	command
`w`,`Ctrl-w`	Switch to next window	rotate_view
`v`,`Ctrl-v`	Vertical right split	vsplit
`s`,`Ctrl-s`	Horizontal bottom split	hsplit
`h`,`Ctrl-h`,`Left`	Move to left split	jump_view_left
`j`,`Ctrl-j`,`Down`	Move to split below	jump_view_down
`k`,`Ctrl-k`,`Up`	Move to split above	jump_view_up
`l`,`Ctrl-l`,`Right`	Move to right split	jump_view_right
`q`,`Ctrl-q`	Close current window	wclose
`o`,`Ctrl-o`	Close all windows but this one	wonly
`H`	Swap window to the left	swap_view_left
`J`	Swap window downwards	swap_view_down
`K`	Swap window upwards	swap_view_up
`L`	Swap window to the right	swap_view_right

space mode (Space)

mostly pickers and LSP actions (a kludge layer).

key	description	command
`f`	File picker (workspace root)	file_picker
`F`	File picker (current working dir)	file_picker_in_current_directory
`b`	Buffer picker	buffer_picker
`j`	Jumplist picker	jumplist_picker
`k`	Hover documentation (LSP)	hover
`s`	Document symbol picker (LSP)	symbol_picker
`S`	Workspace symbol picker (LSP)	workspace_symbol_picker
`d`	Document diagnostics (LSP)	diagnostics_picker
`D`	Workspace diagnostics (LSP)	workspace_diagnostics_picker
`r`	Rename symbol (LSP)	rename_symbol
`a`	Apply code action (LSP)	code_action
`w`	Enter window mode	N/A
`c`	Toggle comment	toggle_comments
`y`	Yank to clipboard	yank_to_clipboard
`p`	Paste clipboard after	paste_clipboard_after
`P`	Paste clipboard before	paste_clipboard_before
`'`	Open last fuzzy picker	last_picker

insert mode

minimal by design — changes are only checkpointed for undo on return to normal mode.

key	description	command
`Esc`	Switch to normal mode	normal_mode
`Ctrl-s`	Commit undo checkpoint	commit_undo_checkpoint
`Ctrl-x`	Autocomplete	completion
`Ctrl-r`	Insert register content	insert_register
`Ctrl-w`,`Alt-Bksp`	Delete previous word	delete_word_backward
`Alt-d`	Delete next word	delete_word_forward
`Ctrl-u`	Delete to start of line	kill_to_line_start
`Ctrl-k`	Delete to end of line	kill_to_line_end
`Ctrl-h`	Delete previous char	delete_char_backward
`Ctrl-d`	Delete next char	delete_char_forward

picker & prompt

navigation within the fuzzy picker (and the : command prompt).

key	description	command
`Up`,`Ctrl-p`	Previous item	focus_previous
`Down`,`Ctrl-n`	Next item	focus_next
`Ctrl-u`	Scroll preview up	scroll_up
`Ctrl-d`	Scroll preview down	scroll_down
`Enter`	Confirm selection	select_input
`Esc`,`Ctrl-c`	Cancel	close
`Ctrl-h`	Delete previous char	delete_char_backward
`Ctrl-w`	Delete previous word	delete_word_backward
`Ctrl-r`	Insert register content	insert_register