Helix – tree file picker... TODAY?!?

config.toml

[keys.normal]
C-f = [":new", ":insert-output lf-pick", ":theme default", "select_all", "split_selection_on_newline", "goto_file", "goto_last_modified_file", ":buffer-close!", ":theme tokyonight_storm"]

lf-pick

# touch ~/.local/bin/lf-pick
# chmod +x ~/.local/bin/lf-pick

function lfp(){
  local TEMP=$(mktemp)
  lf -selection-path=$TEMP
  cat $TEMP
}

lfp

Great workaround! But for me on both macOS and WSL2 the UI reloading doesn't work. I use a custom theme but still, the only thing I changed compared to the above was the last command with my theme name. The theme gets re-applied but half of the UI still shows the lf stuff.
If I then manually change the theme again back and forth the UI becomes OK.
Any other way I could trigger a UI refresh, maybe adding a delay of some sort (could help)?

I'm not familiar with anything, unfortunately. Scripting is very limited in Helix right now!

that helix config code block sure is a mouthful aint she lol

lfp(){
  local TEMP=$(mktemp)
  lf -selection-path=$TEMP
  cat $TEMP
}

lfp

worked for me

Hello, can someone provide a translated script for powershell windows?

WSL2 + Ubuntu + Helix is lighter than vscode on windows. I don't see a reason to not use WSL if you've already switched to Helix. You're going to have issues all the time making things compatible with Windows.

I have wsl installed but I dont know how to use it. I will get learn. Thank you for the advice @mikaeilorfanian

if you do want to use this script please use this version: https://gist.github.com/gabydd/570f0dd5f71dda35241500c18f5d27e3 it should mitigate most if not all of the problems with this script

also I've faced with the issue when some key bindings does not work after file opening (for example Alt-d) :(

WSL2 + Ubuntu + Helix is lighter than vscode on windows. I don't see a reason to not use WSL if you've already switched to Helix. You're going to have issues all the time making things compatible with Windows.

I'm using WSL2 + Arch + Helix + Java in my job and works fine! Only in cases I need to debug in Weblogic I do with Apache Netbeans.

""
But, this hack with LF not work in my notebook. UI broken.
""
Correction: using keybinding works like a charm!!! thanks rs.

I want to see how will work in my desktop.

@lukepighetti use the redraw function to update the helix window instead of changing your theme:

[keys.normal]
C-f = [":new", ":insert-output lf-pick", "select_all", "split_selection_on_newline", "goto_file", "goto_last_modified_file", ":buffer-close!", ":redraw"]

@lukepighetti use the redraw function to update the helix window instead of changing your theme:

[keys.normal]
C-f = [":new", ":insert-output lf-pick", "select_all", "split_selection_on_newline", "goto_file", "goto_last_modified_file", ":buffer-close!", ":redraw"]

nice, thanks!

WSL2 + Ubuntu + Helix is lighter than vscode on windows. I don't see a reason to not use WSL if you've already switched to Helix. You're going to have issues all the time making things compatible with Windows.

Agree.. though

I noticed helix running slow in WSL.

If you benchmark the disks WSL create for you (lsblk, sudo gnome-disks or dd equivalent) you'll notice /sda inside WSL is 1000x times slower than your regular disk (some Mbps vs Gbps). 😵‍💫

WSL is virtualized and won't compare to native performance ever.
All programs inside WSL run slow as hell: e.g. chrome, webstorm, neovim, etc.

Some inconveniences i personally find in wsl:

• Official instructions to setup nerd font doesn't work.
• There's no official arch image with AUR (Apt repos does not compare in size and quality to aur / see repology.org)

Alternatives

• windows containers: actually not a solution (windows in windows??)
• docker desktop: you have to pay for it (uninstalled immediately)
• if you have to deal with windows virtualized in azure (even worse):
  • vm in vm doesnt work either (virtualbox)
  • alacritty and other terms doesn't work well or just crashes
• podman (virtualized with wsl ???)

The only benefit i see with wsl is the networking setup that works out of the box in windows (if you need vpn).

Still looking for a better workflow, maybe hyper-v with garuda, though require network setup for vpn access.

lfp(){
  local TEMP=$(mktemp)
  lf -selection-path=$TEMP
  cat $TEMP
}

lfp

worked for me

Yep, thanks, worked for me too on linux

Hei!
I really missed the functionality of open lf in the current directory. With helix itself seems impossibile to get the file path of the current buffer, but this guy is using wezterm to do that: https://quantonganh.com/2023/08/19/turn-helix-into-ide.md

Here what is working for me:

#!/bin/bash

function lfp(){
  status_line=$(wezterm cli get-text | rg -e "(?:NOR\s+|NORMAL|INS\s+|INSERT|SEL\s+|SELECT)\s+[\x{2800}-\x{28FF}]*\s+(\S*)\s[^│]* (\d+):*.*" -o --replace '$1 $2')
  filename=$(echo $status_line | awk '{ print $1}')
  local TEMP=$(mktemp)
  lf -selection-path=$TEMP $filename
  cat $TEMP
}

lfp

Is there a way to set the current working directory with this as well?