From Helix

Select, then act

As in Helix, you select the text first and then act on the selection. w, b and e select by words, and x selects the lines of each selection. Then d deletes the selection, c deletes it and enters Insert mode, and y yanks it.

dk has multiple selections too. Each selection is a Range, and every key acts on all of them:

, keeps only the primary selection.
C adds a selection on the line below each one, at the same display column.
K keeps the selections whose text matches, and A-K removes them.
s opens the select: prompt, and each regex match inside each selection becomes a selection. S splits each selection at the matches.
v enters Select mode, where h, j, k, l, w, b, e, W, B and E extend every selection instead of moving it. Esc or v takes you back to Normal mode.

The same keys start a sequence: [, ], C-w, g, m, space and z. After you press one, a box at the bottom right shows the keys that can come next. Keys are spelled the same way too: A-x for Alt, C-x for Control, S-tab for Shift, and names such as space, esc and minus.

What differs

dk has a Block mode. C-v enters it and puts a Range on each line of a rectangle.

Command names in the [keys] table of config.toml are kebab-case, with whole words. Helix’s move_char_left is move-character-left in dk, and goto_prev_function is goto-previous-function. The Manual lists every name.

Where a key in the table below does something different in dk, the note on its row says what dk does.

Keys

The table lists the Helix keys that have a close match in dk. The dk column has only default keys.

Task	Helix	dk	Note
move left one grapheme	`h` or `left`	`h` or `left`
move down one line	`j` or `down`	`j` or `down`
move up one line	`k` or `up`	`k` or `up`
move right one grapheme	`l` or `right`	`l` or `right`
select to before the next match of the next key	`t`	`t`
select to the next match of the next key	`f`	`f`
select back to after the match of the next key	`T`	`T`
select back to the match of the next key	`F`	`F`
replace each character of the selection with the next key	`r`	`r`
put the register in place of each selection	`R`	`R`
run the last motion again	`A-.`	`A-.`
switch the case of each selection	`~`	`~`
make each selection lower case	`	`
make each selection upper case	A-`	A-`
go to the start of the line	`home`	`home`
go to the last grapheme of the line	`end`	`end`
select to the start of the next word	`w`	`w`
select to the start of the previous word	`b`	`b`
select to the end of the next word	`e`	`e`
select to the start of the next long word	`W`	`W`
select back to the start of a long word	`B`	`B`
select to the end of the next long word	`E`	`E`
enter Select mode	`v`	`v`
go to line N with a count, or to the last line	`G`	`G`	With no count, dk goes to the last line.
go to the first line, or to line N with a count	`g g`	`g g`
go to grapheme N of the line	`g \|`	`g \|`
go to the last line	`g e`	`g e`
open the file named at the cursor or by each selection	`g f`	`g f`
go to the start of the line	`g h`	`g h`
go to the last grapheme of the line	`g l`	`g l`
go to the first character of the line that is not whitespace	`g s`	`g s`
go to the definition of the symbol	`g d`	`g d`
go to the declaration of the symbol	`g D`	`g D`
go to the type definition of the symbol	`g y`	`g y`
go to the references of the symbol	`g r`	`g r`
go to the implementation of the symbol	`g i`	`g i`
go to the top of the view	`g t`	`H`	dk puts the cursor on the first character of the line that is not whitespace.
go to the middle of the view	`g c`	`M`	dk puts the cursor on the first character of the line that is not whitespace.
go to the bottom of the view	`g b`	`L`	dk puts the cursor on the first character of the line that is not whitespace.
show the document that the view showed last	`g a`	`g a`
show the document that the view left last with a change	`g m`	`g m`
show the next open document	`g n`	`g n`
show the previous open document	`g p`	`g p`
move up one text line	`g k`	`g k`
move down one text line	`g j`	`g j`
go to the revision position of the current revision	`g .`	`g .`
go to a two-character label	`g w`	`g w`
open the prompt	`:`	`:`
enter Insert mode	`i`	`i`
insert at the first character of the line	`I`	`I`
insert after the selection	`a`	`a`
insert at the end of the line	`A`	`A`
add a line below each range, then insert	`o`	`o`
add a line above each range, then insert	`O`	`O`
delete the selection	`d`	`d`
delete the selection with no yank	`A-d`	`A-d`
delete the selection, then insert	`c`	`c`
delete the selection with no yank, then insert	`A-c`	`A-c`
add a range on the line below each range	`C`	`C`
add a range on the line above each range	`A-C`	`A-C`
select each regex match inside the selections	`s`	`s`
split the selections into their lines	`A-s`	`A-s`
merge the selections into one	`A-minus`	`A-minus`
merge the selections that touch	`A-_`	`A-_`
split the selections at each regex match	`S`	`S`
make each selection a cursor	`;`	`;`
swap the anchor and the cursor of each selection	`A-;`	`A-;`
select the parent syntax node of each selection	`A-o` or `A-up`	`A-o` or `A-up`
go back to the selection before A-o, or select the first child node	`A-i` or `A-down`	`A-i` or `A-down`
select each named child node of each selection	`A-I` or `A-S-down`	`A-I` or `A-S-down`
select the previous named sibling node	`A-p` or `A-left`	`A-p` or `A-left`
select the next named sibling node	`A-n` or `A-right`	`A-n` or `A-right`
select each named sibling node of each selection	`A-a`	`A-a`
select the whole text	`%`	`%`
select the line, or add the line below	`x`	`x`
select the whole lines of each selection	`X`	`X`
shrink each selection to the whole lines in it	`A-x`	`A-x`
go to the bracket that matches the one at the cursor	`m m`	`m m`
surround each selection with the pair of the next key	`m s`	`m s`
replace the pair of the next key around each selection	`m r`	`m r`
delete the pair of the next key around each selection	`m d`	`m d`
select around the object of the next key	`m a`	`m a`
select inside the object of the next key	`m i`	`m i`
go to the previous change	`[ g`	`[ g`
go to the first change	`[ G`	`[ G`
go to the previous function	`[ f`	`[ f`
go to the previous type definition	`[ t`	`[ t`
go to the previous parameter	`[ a`	`[ a`
go to the previous comment	`[ c`	`[ c`
go to the previous pairing	`[ e`	`[ e`
go to the previous test	`[ T`	`[ T`
go to the previous paragraph	`[ p`	`[ p`
go to the previous (X)HTML element	`[ x`	`[ x`
go to the next change	`] g`	`] g`
go to the last change	`] G`	`] G`
go to the next function	`] f`	`] f`
go to the next type definition	`] t`	`] t`
go to the next parameter	`] a`	`] a`
go to the next comment	`] c`	`] c`
go to the next pairing	`] e`	`] e`
go to the next test	`] T`	`] T`
go to the next paragraph	`] p`	`] p`
go to the next (X)HTML element	`] x`	`] x`
search for a regex	`/`	`/`
search back for a regex	`?`	`?`
select the next search match	`n`	`n`
select the previous search match	`N`	`N`
use the selection as the search pattern, with word boundaries	`*`	`*`
use the selection as the search pattern	`A-*`	`A-*`
undo the last change	`u`	`u`
redo the last undone change	`U`	`U`
move back to the change made before	`A-u`	`A-u`
move on to the change made after	`A-U`	`A-U`
yank the selection to the register	`y`	`y`
paste the register after each selection	`p`	`p`
paste the register before each selection	`P`	`P`
indent the lines of each selection	`>`	`>`
unindent the lines of each selection	`<`	`<`
format the selection with a language server	`=`	`=`
join the lines of each selection	`J`	`J`
join the lines of each selection and select the spaces	`A-J`	`A-J`
keep the selections that match a regex	`K`	`K`
remove the selections that match a regex	`A-K`	`A-K`
keep only the primary range	`,`	`,`
remove the primary selection	`A-,`	`A-,`
align the selections of each line in columns	`&`	`&`
trim the whitespace of each selection	`_`	`_`
make the previous selection primary	`(`	`(`
make the next selection primary	`)`	`)`
move the text of each selection to the previous one	`A-(`	`A-(`
move the text of each selection to the next one	`A-)`	`A-)`
scroll up one page	`C-b` or `pageup`	`C-b` or `pageup`
scroll down one page	`C-f` or `pagedown`	`C-f` or `pagedown`
scroll and move every range up half a page	`C-u`	`C-u`
scroll and move every range down half a page	`C-d`	`C-d`
focus the next view	`C-w C-w` or `C-w w`	`C-w C-w` or `C-w w`
split the view: the new view goes below	`C-w C-s` or `C-w s`	`C-w C-s` or `C-w s`
split the view: the new view goes to the right	`C-w C-v` or `C-w v`	`C-w C-v` or `C-w v`
close the view	`C-w C-q` or `C-w q`	`C-w C-q` or `C-w q`
close every other view	`C-w C-o` or `C-w o`	`C-w C-o` or `C-w o`
focus the view to the left	`C-w h` or `C-w left`	`C-w h` or `C-w left`
focus the view below	`C-w j` or `C-w down`	`C-w j` or `C-w down`
focus the view above	`C-w k` or `C-w up`	`C-w k` or `C-w up`
focus the view to the right	`C-w l` or `C-w right`	`C-w l` or `C-w right`
swap the view with the view to the right	`C-w L`	`C-w L`	dk moves the view to the far right, with the full height.
swap the view with the view above	`C-w K`	`C-w K`	dk moves the view to the top, with the full width.
swap the view with the view to the left	`C-w H`	`C-w H`	dk moves the view to the far left, with the full height.
swap the view with the view below	`C-w J`	`C-w J`	dk moves the view to the bottom, with the full width.
comment or uncomment the lines of each selection	`C-c`	`C-c`
go to the next jump on the jumplist	`C-i` or `tab`	`C-i` or `tab`
go back to the jump before on the jumplist	`C-o`	`C-o`
save the selection to the jumplist	`C-s`	`C-s`
pick a file of the workspace	`space f`	`space f`
pick a file under the directory of the document	`space F`	`space F`
pick an open document	`space b`	`space b`
pick a jump of the jumplists	`space j`	`space j`
pick a symbol of the document	`space s`	`space s`
pick a symbol of the workspace	`space S`	`space S`
pick a diagnostic of the document	`space d`	`space d`
pick a diagnostic of an open document	`space D`	`space D`
pick a file that the working copy changes	`space g`	`space g`	dk lists the files that the jj working copy changes.
pick a code action of the language servers	`space a`	`space a`
open the picker that closed last	`space '`	`space '`
yank the selection to the system clipboard	`space y`	`space y`
yank the primary selection to the system clipboard	`space Y`	`space Y`
paste the system clipboard after each selection	`space p`	`space p`
paste the system clipboard before each selection	`space P`	`space P`
put the system clipboard in place of each selection	`space R`	`space R`
search the working directory for a regex	`space /`	`space /`
show docs for the item under the cursor	`space k`	`space k`
rename the symbol under the cursor with a language server	`space r`	`space r`
select each use of the symbol under the cursor	`space h`	`space h`
comment or uncomment the lines of each selection	`space c`	`space c`
pick a command and run it	`space ?`	`space ?`
show the change of the cursor line	`space B`	`space B`
put the cursor line on the middle row of the view	`z z` or `z c`	`z z` or `z c`
put the cursor line on the first row of the view	`z t`	`z t`
put the cursor line on the last row of the view	`z b`	`z b`
put the cursor column in the middle of the view	`z m`	`z m`
scroll the view up a count of lines	`z k` or `z up`	`z k` or `z up`
scroll the view down a count of lines	`z j` or `z down`	`z j` or `z down`
scroll up one page	`z C-b` or `z pageup`	`z C-b` or `z pageup`
scroll down one page	`z C-f` or `z pagedown`	`z C-f` or `z pagedown`
scroll and move every range up half a page	`z C-u` or `z backspace`	`z C-u` or `z backspace`
scroll and move every range down half a page	`z C-d` or `z space`	`z C-d` or `z space`
search for a regex	`z /`	`z /`
search back for a regex	`z ?`	`z ?`
select the next search match	`z n`	`z n`
select the previous search match	`z N`	`z N`
put the cursor line on the middle row of the view	`Z z` or `Z c`	`Z z` or `Z c`
put the cursor line on the first row of the view	`Z t`	`Z t`
put the cursor line on the last row of the view	`Z b`	`Z b`
put the cursor column in the middle of the view	`Z m`	`Z m`
scroll the view up a count of lines	`Z k` or `Z up`	`Z k` or `Z up`
scroll the view down a count of lines	`Z j` or `Z down`	`Z j` or `Z down`
scroll up one page	`Z C-b` or `Z pageup`	`Z C-b` or `Z pageup`
scroll down one page	`Z C-f` or `Z pagedown`	`Z C-f` or `Z pagedown`
scroll and move every range up half a page	`Z C-u` or `Z backspace`	`Z C-u` or `Z backspace`
scroll and move every range down half a page	`Z C-d` or `Z space`	`Z C-d` or `Z space`
search for a regex	`Z /`	`Z /`
search back for a regex	`Z ?`	`Z ?`
select the next search match	`Z n`	`Z n`
select the previous search match	`Z N`	`Z N`
pick the register of the next command	`"`	`"`
run the command for each selection, with its text as stdin, and put the output in its place	`\|`	`\|`
run the command for each selection, with its text as stdin, and drop the output	`A-\|`	`A-\|`
run the command once, and put its output before each selection	`!`	`!`
run the command once, and put its output after each selection	`A-!`	`A-!`
stop dk and go back to the shell; fg brings it back	`C-z`	`C-z`
increment item under cursor	`C-a`	`C-a`
decrement item under cursor	`C-x`	`C-x`
extend left one grapheme	`v h` or `v left`	`v h` or `v left`
extend down one line	`v j` or `v down`	`v j` or `v down`
extend up one line	`v k` or `v up`	`v k` or `v up`
extend right one grapheme	`v l` or `v right`	`v l` or `v right`
extend to the start of the next word	`v w`	`v w`
extend to the start of the previous word	`v b`	`v b`
extend to the end of the next word	`v e`	`v e`
extend to the start of the next long word	`v W`	`v W`
extend back to the start of a long word	`v B`	`v B`
extend to the end of the next long word	`v E`	`v E`
add the next search match as a selection	`v n`	`v n`
add the previous search match as a selection	`v N`	`v N`
extend to before the next match of the next key	`v t`	`v t`
extend to the next match of the next key	`v f`	`v f`
extend back to after the match of the next key	`v T`	`v T`
extend back to the match of the next key	`v F`	`v F`
extend to the start of the line	`v home`	`v home`
extend to the end of the line	`v end`	`v end`
return to Normal mode	`v esc`	`v esc`
return to Normal mode	`v v`	`v v`
extend to the first line, or to line N with a count	`v g g`	`v g g`
extend to grapheme N of the line	`v g \|`	`v g \|`
extend to the last line	`v g e`	`v g e`
extend up one text line	`v g k`	`v g k`
extend down one text line	`v g j`	`v g j`
extend to a two-character label	`v g w`	`v g w`
return to Normal mode	`i esc`	`i esc`
make an undo step of the text typed so far	`i C-s`	`i C-s`
ask the language servers for completions	`i C-x`	`i C-x`
paste a register at each cursor	`i C-r`	`i C-r`
delete back to the start of the word	`i C-w` or `i A-backspace`	`i C-w` or `i A-backspace`
delete to the end of the word	`i A-d` or `i A-del`	`i A-d` or `i A-del`
delete back to the indent, then to the line start	`i C-u`	`i C-u`
delete to the end of the line	`i C-k`	`i C-k`
delete the grapheme before the cursor	`i C-h` or `i backspace` or `i S-backspace`	`i C-h` or `i backspace` or `i S-backspace`
delete the grapheme at the cursor	`i C-d` or `i del`	`i C-d` or `i del`
add a line break	`i C-j` or `i ret`	`i C-j` or `i ret`
select the next tab stop of the snippet	`i tab`	`i tab`
insert a tab, or spaces to the next indent column	`i S-tab`	`i S-tab`
move up one line	`i up`	`i up`
move down one line	`i down`	`i down`
move left one grapheme	`i left`	`i left`
move right one grapheme	`i right`	`i right`
scroll up one page	`i pageup`	`i pageup`
scroll down one page	`i pagedown`	`i pagedown`
go to the start of the line	`i home`	`i home`
go to the line ending	`i end`	`i end`

Keys without a counterpart

dk has no match for these Helix keys:

$, which filters the selections with a shell command.
[ d, [ D, ] d and ] D, which go to a diagnostic. Use space d to pick one of the diagnostics in the document.
[ space and ] space, which add a newline above and below.
A-:, which makes each selection face forward. dk has the command ensure-ranges-forward for this. It has no default key, so bind it in [keys] if you want it.
A-b and A-e, which move to the start and the end of the parent syntax node.
C-w C-h, C-w C-j, C-w C-k and C-w C-l. Use C-w h, C-w j, C-w k and C-w l to move the focus between views.
C-w f, C-w F, C-w n and C-w t.
esc in Normal mode.
Q and q, which record and replay a macro.
space . and space e, which open the file explorer.
space A-c and space C, which comment and uncomment lines and blocks. In dk, C-c and space c toggle comments.
space G, which starts the debugger keys.
space w, which repeats the C-w keys.

Config

dk reads config.toml from ~/.config/ductus/. It has the same theme, keys and editor as a Helix config. A key that dk does not read gets a note on the last row, and the rest of the file still loads.

Helix’s bufferline has no counterpart. dk’s tabline is for tab pages, not buffers.

dk shows a language server’s diagnostics after the text of their line, and [editor] has no option to change that.

Options with a counterpart

These options have the same name and the same place in dk, under [editor]. Where the default differs, the note says how.

Option	Note
`auto-completion`
`auto-format`
`auto-info`
`auto-pairs`
`clipboard-provider`
`color-modes`	Off in Helix, on in dk.
`completion-replace`
`completion-timeout`
`completion-trigger-len`
`default-yank-register`
`file-picker.deduplicate-links`
`file-picker.follow-symlinks`
`file-picker.git-exclude`
`file-picker.git-global`
`file-picker.git-ignore`
`file-picker.hidden`
`file-picker.ignore`
`file-picker.max-depth`
`file-picker.parents`
`gutters.layout`
`gutters.line-numbers.min-width`
`indent-heuristic`
`inline-blame.auto-fetch`
`inline-blame.format`	`{author}` and `{commit}` in Helix, `{author-short}` and `{change}` in dk.
`inline-blame.show`
`jump-label-alphabet`
`line-number`
`lsp.auto-document-highlight`	Off in Helix, on in dk.
`lsp.auto-signature-help`
`lsp.display-signature-help-docs`
`lsp.goto-reference-include-declaration`
`lsp.snippets`
`middle-click-paste`
`mouse`
`mouse-yank-register`
`popup-border`	`none` in Helix, `popup` in dk.
`preview-completion-insert`
`rainbow-brackets`	Off in Helix, on in dk.
`rulers`
`scrolloff`
`search.smart-case`
`search.wrap-around`
`shell`
`smart-tab.enable`
`smart-tab.supersede-menu`
`soft-wrap.enable`
`soft-wrap.max-indent-retain`
`soft-wrap.max-wrap`
`soft-wrap.wrap-at-text-width`
`soft-wrap.wrap-indicator`
`statusline.center`
`statusline.left`	dk’s default adds `spacer` and `version-control`.
`statusline.mode.insert`
`statusline.mode.normal`
`statusline.mode.select`
`statusline.right`	dk’s default adds `total-line-numbers` and `file-type`.
`statusline.separator`
`text-width`

Options without a counterpart

dk does not read these Helix [editor] options:

atomic-save
auto-save.*
buffer-picker.start-position
bufferline
continue-comments
cursor-shape
cursorcolumn
cursorline
default-line-ending
editor-config
end-of-line-diagnostics
file-explorer.*
idle-timeout
indent-guides.*
inline-diagnostics.*
insert-final-newline
kitty-keyboard-protocol
lsp.display-color-swatches
lsp.display-inlay-hints
lsp.display-messages
lsp.display-progress-messages
lsp.enable
lsp.inlay-hints-length-limit
path-completion
scroll-lines
statusline.diagnostics
statusline.workspace-diagnostics
terminal.*
trim-final-newlines
trim-trailing-whitespace
true-color
undercurl
whitespace.*
word-completion.*
workspace-lsp-roots
workspace-trust.*

languages.toml

dk reads languages.toml from the same directory. Your languages and grammars join the shipped ones, and a [[language]] with a shipped name changes only the keys it sets. The tables are the same as in Helix: [[language]], [language-server.<name>], [[grammar]] and use-grammars.

In a [[language]], dk reads these keys: auto-format, auto-pairs, block-comment-tokens, comment-token, comment-tokens, file-types, formatter, grammar, hoist-locals, indent, injection-regex, language-id, language-servers, name, rainbow-brackets, roots, rulers and shebangs. In a [language-server.<name>] it reads args, command, config, environment and timeout, and in a [[grammar]] the name and the source. Helix has no hoist-locals key; that one is dk’s own.

Keys of languages.toml without a counterpart

dk does not read these Helix keys:

code-actions-on-save, debugger, diagnostic-severity, path-completion, persistent-diagnostic-sources, scope, soft-wrap, text-width, word-completion and workspace-lsp-roots of a [[language]].
language-server.required-root-patterns of a [language-server.<name>].
only-features and except-features of an entry of language-servers.

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