---
.title = "Helix Mode",
.date = @date("2025-10-10T00:00:00"),
.author = "Igor Támara",
.layout = "index.shtml",
.draft = false,
---

This document describes implementation of Helix Mode.

## What and what not

The first and biggest difference is that Flow has a mode that
emulates Helix, or at least has equivalent of the worthiest
actions that can be done in Helix. The conversely is not true.

`:` opens up Flow's rich command palette that might have
functionalities Helix users are used to have, if you find
something missing, it's possible to
[open a Feature Request](https://github.com/neurocyte/flow/issues)
to see if there is anyone interested in porting it.  Or maybe
someone is already creating or interested in the one you are
missing.  [Join Discord](https://discord.gg/kzJC9fA7) to ask
if anyone is working on something similar or there is a
workaoround.

## Enhancing hx mode

This is a programmer editor, you are more than welcome to
enhance to suit your needs that maybe coincide with others.

Please take a look at [architecture](/docs/architecture) and
[contributing](/docs/contributing) for an overview and the
mechanics of getting your changes into Flow.

hx mode is modal kind, the same as vim mode, and the file
that has the particular work to make it real is in
`src/tui/mode/helix.zig`, adding a `command` and the
corresponding `meta` is what is required.
[More on commands](/docs/architecture/command).

### Pickers

Flow hx mode offers most of the picker types equivalents
with `panels` and `palettes`.  Example of panels are
the `g` `r` (go to reference from lsp) and `space` `/`
(a.k.a find in files). Examples of `palettes` are
`space` `b` to pick a buffer or `space` `f` to open a
file in your project. Panels open below the editor
while palettes open overlapping the working area.

One medium sized project is to create a widget that
has one input widget, two panels, on the left the
list of options and on the right the preview of
the selected option and offer various keybindings
to manipulate the objects inside both panels with
filtering.

Given this, it's possible to start contributing via
pull requesting [keybinds](/docs/architecture/keybind),
[commands](/docs/architecture/command),
[palettes](/docs/architecture/palette), or the
special widget mentioned previously.


More about the [architecture](/docs/architecture) or jump to
[contribution guidelines](/docs/contributing).