Like Vim, but Helix

The text presents Helix as a text editor that already brings useful support right after installation. The author values how easy it is to start using, the clear documentation, and the learning curve that, according to him, is smoother than in Vim, Neovim, or Emacs.

It also states that Helix follows a Unix philosophy, does not use plugins for now, and has no traditional file tree or tabs. For the author, this makes the editor a fast, intuitive option focused on text editing.

Reading notes

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• Helix is described as a text editor with multiple cursors, imports, Tree-sitter, LSP, and themes already available after installation.
• The author says that it is enough to adjust some LSP settings for Deno or Node.js projects and start using it.
• The proposal is to avoid long configuration, reading obscure manuals, and installing many plugins.
• The text compares Helix with Vim, Neovim, and Emacs, saying that in these editors he often did not even get to start editing because of the configuration.
• The author states that the built-in tips and clear documentation help to learn the shortcuts and modes quickly.
• He reports that it took him a few days to adapt and that, after a week, using it started to become automatic.
• Helix is presented as complex, but intuitive, and efficient after learning it.
• The text says that the editor has nothing excessive, but offers what is necessary to start programming.
• According to the author, Helix follows the Unix philosophy, does not have plugins at the moment, and does not use a file tree or traditional tabs.
• The author recommends the editor for those who are curious about editors similar to Vim, but fear the learning curve.
• He says that Helix keeps several personal and work projects accessible and that he could not do this with IDEs or editors like VSCode.
• The text ends by treating Helix as a tool made only for text editing and suitable for a daily workflow.