hx

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr helix

hx [OPTIONS] [+LINE[:COLUMN]] [FILE...]
hx --health | --repair | --print-query LANG:QUERY

-c, --config <FILE>
    Load configuration from specified file

-g, --grammar <GRAMMAR>
    Install/update language grammar

-h, --help
    Print help information

-l, --log <FILE>
    Write logs to specified file

--cmd <COMMAND>
    Execute picker or command on startup

+<LINE>[:<COLUMN>]
    Jump to line (and column) on startup

--health
    Check runtime dependencies and grammars

--print-ir <PATH>
    Print concrete syntax tree to stdout

--print-query <LANG:QUERY>
    Print s-expression query for language

--repair
    Repair broken configuration file

-s, --vsplit
    Open file(s) in vertical split

-v, --version
    Print version information

Helix (hx) is a post-modern modal text editor designed for speed and ergonomics. Inspired by Kakoune and Vim, it uses a selection-first editing model where operators act on existing selections rather than motions. Key features include tree-sitter powered syntax highlighting and querying, multiple cursors, LSP integration for autocompletion, diagnostics, and refactoring, soft-wrap, smooth scrolling, and a highly customizable keymap and theme system. Written in Rust, it supports over 100 languages out-of-the-box via pre-built grammars. Helix emphasizes keyboard-centric workflows with composable actions like select to next change or extend line selection. Configuration is declarative in TOML, located at $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/helix/config.toml. It runs in any terminal supporting 24-bit color and true color.

Requires terminals with truecolor support; some LSP features need external language servers; grammars downloaded on first use.

Main config at $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/helix/config.toml. Themes in languages.toml and keymap.toml.

hx file.rs — edit Rust file.
hx --vsplit *.md — vertical splits for Markdown files.
hx +42:5 README.md — jump to line 42, column 5.

Developed by Jesse van den Kieboom starting in 2021. Written in Rust for performance. First stable release 23.05 in 2023. Actively maintained on GitHub with community contributions for grammars and plugins.

vim(1), nvim(1), kak(1), micro(1)