I've been a vim dropout too. I changed back to VSCode after a couple of months trying to use Neovim, because I realized that I can't for the life of mine decide on how I want to config my Neovim setup. I used VSCode instead because it just works without needing to be configured, I was productive with it. With that said, that's part of the reason why I'm loving Helix now: it is fully usable out of the box. More than that, Helix's defaults almost perfectly match my preferences and needs in a code editor, which makes it all the better for me. I like it and I can actually use it because I don't spend all the time configuring it: there isn't really all that much to configure in the first place.
I couldnt agree more. As much as i'm a nerd running Linux, I really just wanna code and stop faffing around with my editor. Helix has been a breath of fresh air. Glad you got into it as well.. cheers!
Nice - thanks for the helpful tips. Regarding hjkl and avoiding moving to the cursor keys, it's definitely worth it. I've been using VIM mode in VS Code for a while now - just the basics - and it's great. One thing I learned this week is Ctrl+N/P for navigating search results, etc., where j/k isn't an option. That also works in VS code menus. :)
This looks awesome, i tried using neo vim for some time, but had to go back to vscode, but this looks really exciting, will be trying it for sure. Thanks for sharing the review.
Yeah... I understand that. I bounced off vim many times and just couldn't handle it. Helix has been a really nice change. It still takes some getting used to, not point and clicking.. but at least you're not fighting your config
Thanks Mike! Good video. I like how the fuzzy file-find shows the full path of the files before the file-name. It helps visualize the structure better. I wish VSCode worked the same way! BTW: VSCode has all that multi-cursor goodness. I love that feature.
i would have been a Helix user but I am too dependent on vim motions. I do like the way it toggles to select text so when I made my most recent vim config, I added it to it. But now I am using Emacs with evil-mode because Vim wasn't enough, and emacs has a lot of the things available but you just need to enable it and Org-mode (my most favorite thing about emacs). If your up for it, you can use the Doom Emacs distribution. I uses vim keybindings (although some bindings does what it suppose to do but not in the way you expect it. Like when pasting text, in vim, lowercase p pastes text on the same line, I got it to paste on the line below, and Capital p, pastes it on the line above. Emacs copies it where ever the cursor is regardless if its a upper or lower. but besides that, all of the bindings I normally use work as intended.
Understood! I've been flirting with Zed too.. but now that I'm used to Helix, its tough to go back to a GUI editor. If you DO ever want to play with a modal editor again in the terminal, do check out Helix. And it's rust based just like zed
Totally know what you mean. The vim bindings never made full sense to me, and I seem to get along more with the Helix ones. However, vim bindings ARE the standard. So def a brain twister if you use them. Luckily for me, I don't really use any tools that do vim bindings. Its Helix, terminal and a bunch of GUI things.
Sublime is a fantastic editor to consider using as well. Its technically modeless, but you can add key bindings to create custom modes if you want a modal experience
Yup. tried that, along with lunar vim and a couple others. You STILL have a big messy config.. you just don't have to manage it. My issue with those vim distros is that they add in TOO MUCH stuff. For me, Helix strikes that really nice balance of minmalism while also including all the basic stuff you'd need out of the box.. but they dont take it too far
Not half way through the video yet, but if he didn't feel he really got used to VIM and he gets used to Helix, why not? He didn't complain about the looks of VIM
just simpler to get into. There are also less things that could go wrong (!in my experience!) in comparison to vim. I like the keybindings more as well: instead of `dw` you would do `wd`, since it selects the word. Makes it a little easier to see the selection before you do an action. the obvious downside is: no plugin support, but it's being worked on. But honestly just use a vim plugin in vscode if you want to get things done xd. The largest ecosystem with great keybindings.
It's not about looks. That's just a theme. But I do feel like the minimalist look and workflow are better than neovim. Anyone can theme anything. That's not what this is about. It's about not faffing around with tons of config and get started coding. Been like a year now and still very very happy
It's all cool but can it beat micro? 😄 Helix is pre configured out of the box but if you face any limitation no one can help you (while other editors have multiple extension for any use case). This is a big flaw in a long run.
I've been a vim dropout too. I changed back to VSCode after a couple of months trying to use Neovim, because I realized that I can't for the life of mine decide on how I want to config my Neovim setup. I used VSCode instead because it just works without needing to be configured, I was productive with it. With that said, that's part of the reason why I'm loving Helix now: it is fully usable out of the box. More than that, Helix's defaults almost perfectly match my preferences and needs in a code editor, which makes it all the better for me. I like it and I can actually use it because I don't spend all the time configuring it: there isn't really all that much to configure in the first place.
I couldnt agree more. As much as i'm a nerd running Linux, I really just wanna code and stop faffing around with my editor. Helix has been a breath of fresh air. Glad you got into it as well.. cheers!
Nice - thanks for the helpful tips. Regarding hjkl and avoiding moving to the cursor keys, it's definitely worth it. I've been using VIM mode in VS Code for a while now - just the basics - and it's great.
One thing I learned this week is Ctrl+N/P for navigating search results, etc., where j/k isn't an option. That also works in VS code menus. :)
Thank you for your introduction to Helix. ❤❤❤
This looks awesome, i tried using neo vim for some time, but had to go back to vscode, but this looks really exciting, will be trying it for sure. Thanks for sharing the review.
Yeah... I understand that. I bounced off vim many times and just couldn't handle it. Helix has been a really nice change. It still takes some getting used to, not point and clicking.. but at least you're not fighting your config
Thanks Mike! Good video. I like how the fuzzy file-find shows the full path of the files before the file-name. It helps visualize the structure better. I wish VSCode worked the same way! BTW: VSCode has all that multi-cursor goodness. I love that feature.
Exactly the video i was looking for.
Excellent! I'm glad you found it useful!
In the file picker use tab and shift-tab to move up and down the list.
good tip! Thanks
i would have been a Helix user but I am too dependent on vim motions. I do like the way it toggles to select text so when I made my most recent vim config, I added it to it. But now I am using Emacs with evil-mode because Vim wasn't enough, and emacs has a lot of the things available but you just need to enable it and Org-mode (my most favorite thing about emacs). If your up for it, you can use the Doom Emacs distribution. I uses vim keybindings (although some bindings does what it suppose to do but not in the way you expect it. Like when pasting text, in vim, lowercase p pastes text on the same line, I got it to paste on the line below, and Capital p, pastes it on the line above. Emacs copies it where ever the cursor is regardless if its a upper or lower. but besides that, all of the bindings I normally use work as intended.
yeah I get that. Lots of Vim users have that muscle memory. I'm "lucky" in that I didn't have that yet. So Helix is the muscle memory now.
theres also evil helix with most of the vim motions
HEATHEN!
LOL
Nice vid.
Hahahah thanks! I'm still living that arrow key lifestyle
Awesome video sir
Thank you! Glad it helped
I dropped out of nvim due to waste of time and steep learning curve but finally settled with Zed.
Understood! I've been flirting with Zed too.. but now that I'm used to Helix, its tough to go back to a GUI editor. If you DO ever want to play with a modal editor again in the terminal, do check out Helix. And it's rust based just like zed
Thank you so much, your situation was so relatable for me. I was looking for this!
And good joke about light themes, btw.
So glad it was helpful for you! And yes, those light themes will get you!
I tried helix and loved it. My only issue is when I need to work outside my editor. Many platforms support vim key binds but not helix bindings
Totally know what you mean. The vim bindings never made full sense to me, and I seem to get along more with the Helix ones. However, vim bindings ARE the standard. So def a brain twister if you use them. Luckily for me, I don't really use any tools that do vim bindings. Its Helix, terminal and a bunch of GUI things.
You can set helix keybindings to also open commands or apps as a buffer! for example i have C-g to open lazygit. You can do that with yazi
Ohhh, can you share the command for that? I can't seem to find it in the docs. How to open a command in a buffer
@@mikekellytech
[keys.normal]
C-g = [":new", ":insert-output lazygit", ":buffer-close!", ":redraw"]
(from ua-cam.com/video/p3qvSz4RJts/v-deo.html&ab_channel=SourceSyrup)
[keys.normal]
C-g = [":new", ":insert-output lazygit", ":buffer-close!", ":redraw"]
does your setup do auto pair tags?
Yup! If you mean if you open a tag it will autocomplete the close tag, yes. Same with opening an if statement braces, it will add the close, etc
@@mikekellytechhow did you do that can you make the config video i am struggling with writing html and php code
Tried to use helix, liked it, but the lack of snippet support made me go back to neovim for now.
I'm not a snippet user, but I did see recent news that Helix v25 is expanding snippet support.
helix-editor.com/news/release-25-01-highlights/
Sublime is a fantastic editor to consider using as well. Its technically modeless, but you can add key bindings to create custom modes if you want a modal experience
sublime? 🤮
but that's a lot of work. If you want modal editing, why not just use vim, helix... If you hate modal editing, why not just use vs code, sublime?
or just using plugin in sublime?
Using helix from vscode means: having helix experience in vscode, like vim extension for vim
I changed it to: Using Helix - Coming from VSCode (3 weeks in)
Does that make more sense?
@@mikekellytech yes, now it's more appropriate and more catchy as well
You can use lazyvim to make the configuration simpler
Yup. tried that, along with lunar vim and a couple others. You STILL have a big messy config.. you just don't have to manage it.
My issue with those vim distros is that they add in TOO MUCH stuff. For me, Helix strikes that really nice balance of minmalism while also including all the basic stuff you'd need out of the box.. but they dont take it too far
the best way to syart using vim is use it as a text editor not a ide, and use it in oplace of nano. But you dnt have to use it lol its fine
man the only thing i really miss is co pilot
Yup, I hate AI in my editor, but I do know there is work to build an LSP that is AI backed, and that would work in Helix.
github.com/leona/helix-gpt
whats the point of an editor that as it bests, will looks like neovim?
Not half way through the video yet, but if he didn't feel he really got used to VIM and he gets used to Helix, why not? He didn't complain about the looks of VIM
just simpler to get into. There are also less things that could go wrong (!in my experience!) in comparison to vim. I like the keybindings more as well: instead of `dw` you would do `wd`, since it selects the word. Makes it a little easier to see the selection before you do an action.
the obvious downside is: no plugin support, but it's being worked on.
But honestly just use a vim plugin in vscode if you want to get things done xd. The largest ecosystem with great keybindings.
None, you’re right-use the incumbent.
It's not about looks. That's just a theme. But I do feel like the minimalist look and workflow are better than neovim. Anyone can theme anything. That's not what this is about. It's about not faffing around with tons of config and get started coding.
Been like a year now and still very very happy
It's all cool but can it beat micro? 😄
Helix is pre configured out of the box but if you face any limitation no one can help you (while other editors have multiple extension for any use case). This is a big flaw in a long run.
micro is closer to nano than a real IDE, you can sort of get lsp working but its not very good and theres many other missing features