Spacelix

Spacelix is Spacemacs for Helix! This project consists of two Helix configurations:

• spacemacs-compat.toml ports Spacemacs keybindings to Helix. It's useful for Spacemacs users who would like to try Helix and gradually learn new keybindings, rather than all at once.
• spacelix.toml is a Helix configuration built with Spacemacs-style principles in mind, but it does not strive to emulate Spacemacs. It often has shorter key sequences than spacemacs-compat.toml.

The remainder of this README discusses spacelix.toml, AKA Spacelix.

The Spacelix keybindings are designed according to the following goals:

• Mnemonic: Key bindings are organized using mnemonic prefixes like b for buffer, w for window, f for file, etc…
• Consistent: Similar functionalities have the same key binding everywhere thanks to a clearly defined set of conventions.
• Safe: Spacelix avoids modifier keys (shift, ctrl) to reduce the risk of RSI.

Bindings

Some of these bindings match Helix defaults, those are marked with "(default)".

• SPC
  • SPC SPC: Command palette
  • SPC a: Code action (default)
  • SPC b: Buffers
    • SPC b b: Buffer picker
    • SPC b d: Close buffer (mnemonic: "delete")
    • SPC b D: Force close buffer (:buffer-close!)
    • SPC b n: Next buffer
    • SPC b p: Previous buffer
    • SPC b r: Reload buffer (:reload)
    • SPC b s: Scratch buffer (:new)
    • SPC b y: Yank buffer (select_all, yank)
    • SPC b Y: Yank buffer to system clipboard (select_all, :clipboard-yank)
  • SPC c: Case (select mode only)
    • SPC c c: Toggle case
    • SPC c u: Uppercase
    • SPC c l: Lowercase
  • SPC d: Debug (default)
  • SPC e: Errors
    • SPC e g: Go to first error
    • SPC e G: Go to last error
    • SPC e l: List errors (diagnostic picker)
    • SPC e n: Go to next error
    • SPC e p: Go to previous error
  • SPC f: File picker
  • SPC o: Reserved for user mappings
  • SPC q: Quit
    • SPC q a: Quit all (:quit-all)
    • SPC q A: Force quit all (:quit-all!)
    • SPC q c: Quit with exit code (:cquit)
    • SPC q C: Force quit with exit code (:cquit!)
    • SPC q q: Quit (:quit)
    • SPC q Q: Force quit (:quit!)
    • SPC q w: Write and quit (:write-quit)
    • SPC q W: Force write and quit (:write-quit!)
  • SPC g: Go to
    • SPC g f: Go to file
      • SPC g f a: Go to last accessed file
      • SPC g f f: Go to files in selection
      • SPC g f m: Go to last modified file
      • SPC g f h: Go to files in selection (horizontal split)
      • SPC g f v: Go to files in selection (vertical split)
    • SPC g d: Go to definition
    • SPC g g: Go to first line of file
    • SPC g G: Go to last line of file
    • SPC g h: Go to start of line
    • SPC g i: Go to implementation
    • SPC g l: Go to end of line
    • SPC g m: Go to last modification
    • SPC g t: Go to top of window
    • SPC g b: Go to bottom of window
    • SPC g c: Go to center of window
    • SPC g r: Go to references
    • SPC g s: Go to symbol definition (symbol picker)
    • SPC g w: Go to first non-whitespace character in line
    • SPC g y: Go to type definition
  • SPC h: Global search
  • SPC j: Jumplist
    • SPC j j: Open the jumplist picker
    • SPC j n: Jump forward in the jumplist (mnemonic: "next")
    • SPC j p: Jump backward in the jumplist (mnemonic: "previous")
    • SPC j s: Save current selection in the jumplist
  • SPC s: Save (:write)
  • SPC r: Rename symbol (default)
  • SPC w: Windows
    • SPC w d: Close window (mnemonic: "delete")
    • SPC w h: Go to window (left) (default)
    • SPC w j: Go to window (down) (default)
    • SPC w k: Go to window (up) (default)
    • SPC w l: Go to window (right) (default)
    • SPC w o: Close windows other than current (default)
    • SPC w H: Swap window (left) (default)
    • SPC w J: Swap window (down) (default)
    • SPC w K: Swap window (up) (default)
    • SPC w L: Swap window (right) (default)
  • SPC X: Helix
    • SPC X f: Open configuration file
    • SPC X l: Open the Helix log file
    • SPC X r: Reload configuration
    • SPC X t: Tutor

The following key bindings are for vi/Spacemacs-emulation purposes.

• Normal mode:
  • 0: Go to start of line
  • $: Go to end of line
  • H: Go to top of window
  • L: Go to bottom of window
  • M: Go to center of window
• Select mode:
  • 0: Go to start of line
  • $: Go to end of line
  • H: Select previous sibling

And the following are just for good measure:

• Select mode:
  • J: Shrink selection
  • K: Expand selection
  • L: Select next sibling
  • M: Go to center of window

Installation

Back up your existing Helix configuration, then:

curl -L -o ~/.config/helix/config.toml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/langston-barrett/spacelix/main/src/spacelix.toml

Conventions and Mnemonics

• n means "next", preferred over "forward"
• p means "previous", preferred over "backward"