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From VS Code to Helix

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Re: From VS Code to Helix

#121

Post by eviks »

tux1968 wrote: post #118
eviks wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not really, vim's visual mode always extends selection, while in Helix the base mode selects with your base commands so you can act on the selection, but it doesn't extend to the next one. For example, moving by 2 words only selects the 2nd one, not both like in Visual mode. (although in this specific case of selecting everything this difference isn't visible)

The details are different, but they're both select-then-act. Admittedly, I've never used Helix, but I don't see how what you've described is a game changer. Surely, at least sometimes, what you want to do is exactly what visual-mode provides: explicitly select a region, using the combined movement of any available operator, and then act on that region.

> at least sometimes

Surely you understand the difference between sometimes and all the other times? This is a game changer for all those other times. Otherwise helix has a similar extending selection mode like visual

Re: From VS Code to Helix

#122

Post by scuff3d »

eviks wrote: post #72

> Being a lazy person, I never bothered looking up VS Code shortcuts. Because the learning curve for Helix is slightly steeper, you have to learn those shortcuts that make moving around feel so easy. This doesn't make sense: if you were truly lazy, you wouldn't spend any effort learning a more complicated app, you'd simply not switch! > with a few knobs for minor preferences. I am subject to choice paralysis, so maki…

I use NeoVim, not Helix, but I think it's more about sane defaults then the amount of customization. Out of the box NeoVim is just a basic modal text editor and not much more. You have to dive in and start configuring to get the real power out of it.

Helix does a lot of the heavy lifting for you.

Also, as a side note, I feel like trying to use someone else's config in NeoVim is a path to madeness.

Re: From VS Code to Helix

#123

Post by scuff3d »

jsmailes wrote: post #2

Helix and other new editors (kakoune comes to mind) always appealed to me because they seemed to have slightly more intuitive approaches to editing than vim, but I just don't think I can ever switch, purely because vim just exists everywhere I need it. It (or vi) is installed on practically every system I ever touch by default, and almost every IDE/editor under the sun supports vim keybinds either natively or via wel…

This and to be honest no small amount of sunk cost are keeping me with NeoVim. I spent so much time learning how to get the damn thing to work the way I want I just can't bring myself to leave lol

Re: From VS Code to Helix

#124

Post by eviks »

cnhajzwgz wrote: post #114
eviks wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what way do vim default keybinds not work vs Helix's since they seem to be very similar (outside of the whole selection-first behavior inversion)? In general, I agree that good defaults is the way to go, and vim is worse here (except for the theme, helix's default is bad), though again, the alternative isn't a many knobs paralysis, but a better starting set.

Not sure this is what the OP had in mind but in my experience Helix just ships with more keybinds than bare vim/nvim. Many of the nice keybinds shipped by LazyVim that I can't live without now (symbol search, LSP jumps, treesitter navigation etc) work out of the box in Helix.

Right, the extra basics!

Re: From VS Code to Helix

#125

Post by lycopodiopsida »

mm_aa wrote: post #117

I try to get on helix from time to time but the lack of built in terminal emulator stops me every time. What is the suggested story of going from location in compiler output in a different tab to the editor? In vs code it is just one ctrl click away.

Since it is a tui editor, a terminal split

Re: From VS Code to Helix

#126

Post by Ferret7446 »

torben-friis wrote: post #7

A few days ago I was randomly reading about ed (after stumbling with the 'ed is the standard editor' joke) and reflecting over how much historical baggage we accumulate in computing. Commands like a for appending text are unchanged from the teletype era, which are so old that most people don't know computers used printers as an output before screens! It's pushed me to learn about projects that try to move beyond acum…

That "accumulated baggage" is though not entirely mostly knowledge and progress won through sweat and tears from many mistakes over many lifetimes.

There's a reason we moved on from paper tape to visual displays, and then from line editors to freeform buffer editors. We didn't abandon paper tape due to "baggage", we did it because it sucked and was inefficient.

Though certainly, I agree with studying and learning from history. It doesn't hurt to know how to use ed, especially since it doesn't take long to learn.

Re: From VS Code to Helix

#128

Post by DanOpcode »

boterock wrote: post #32
lycopodiopsida wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm sure I could learn to be slightly faster on dvorak/colemak, but nothing beats the convenience of always having guaranteed access to qwerty, everywhere I go. Colemak/Dvorak is not about speed, but about comfort and avoiding RSI (though I would place the actual layout somewhere far down on the list, a proper ergonomic KB is top priority). Also, in my ~8 years on Colemak lack of access to it was a problem exactly…

And regarding availability, Colemak is now included in Windows 11, which makes it available out of the box in all 3 major OS's. Also, Colemak is an easy way to upgrade comfort in cases where you can't change the keyboard, like a laptop or shared computer.

Awesome to hear! Many organizations are restrictive with what's allowed to be installed on the computer, so this will be awesome. In one project I'm getting upgraded from Windows 10 to 11 any day now. Will be great to be able to use Colemak there as well.

Re: From VS Code to Helix

#130

Post by Oreb »

nikolay wrote: post #127

Why not Zed?!

The Helix mode in Zed is promising, but still nowhere near complete, and has a long way to go before it is as user-friendly as the Helix editor. For instance, the nice pop-up display of available commands. When I press “g” in Helix, I get a nice list of all the “goto” commands. This is very useful for discovering new features, and when you have forgotten something. This feature does not yet exist in Zed. And this is just one of many examples.
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