Hed is a highly efficient modal text editor which uses keyboard-only actions to edit text.
Why another text editor? Hed has much going for it:
- Lightweight: ~230KB on x64 linux
- Mark editing: operate on regions defined by a mark
- Modal editing: like Vim you know and love
- Intuitive & sane default keybinds: based on finger positions and not on "first-letter-of-word", etc.
- Just a single executable--no runtimes or external dependencies.
Why you shouldn't consider this editor: I made this editor to be as simple and lightweight as possible: if you need:
- An IDE-like editing experience,
- LSP-support,
- tree-sitter,
- Emacs-like customizability,
- GUI, etc
then this editor is not for you.
Keybindings (Normal mode)
| Key | Action | Key | Action | 
|---|---|---|---|
| i | switch to insert mode | , | open line below cursor | 
| w | delete char under cursor | d | set mark | 
| <backtick> | exit editor | f | cut marked region | 
| U | scroll page up | c | paste from clipboard | 
| M | scroll page down | b | repeat search forward | 
| a | goto beginning of line | B | repeat search backward | 
| ; | goto end of line | <A-m> | switch to command mode | 
| h | left | <A-s> | save file | 
| j | down | / | switch to search mode | 
| k | up | gg | goto first line | 
| l | right | G | goto last line | 
| o | forward word | e | undo | 
| n | backward word | E | redo | 
Keybindings (Insert mode)
| Key | Action | Key | Action | 
|---|---|---|---|
| <bksp> | delete char to left | <tab> | indent | 
| <left> | left | <right> | right | 
| <up> | up | <down> | down | 
| <esc> | switch to normal mode |