HX 0.5: shortcut = (format_selections) doesn't work / missing?

[Robert-M-Muench]

I tried to format a selection with = but that doesn't do anything. Using command mode, I only see format but not format_selections

Is there any trick how to use this feature?

[sudormrfbin]

Both :format and format_selections require an LSP active for the current file for it to work, I think it's not mentioned in the docs yet.

[Robert-M-Muench]

I added an LSP via a languages.toml section:

[[language]]
name = "javascript"
file-types = ["js", "mjs", "jsx"]
language-server = {command = "typescript-language-server --stdio"}

I assume that HX will start the language server. Is there a way to find out if this worked and an LSP connection is used?

[kirawi]

You can check the logs https://github.com/helix-editor/helix/wiki/FAQ#access-the-log-file

[archseer]

= is currently also disabled because it needed some work to do correctly with multiple selections.

helix/helix-term/src/commands.rs

Lines 4233 to 4279 in fa0cb01

	fn format_selections(cx: &mut Context) {
	let (view, doc) = current!(cx.editor);
	// via lsp if available
	// else via tree-sitter indentation calculations
	let language_server = match doc.language_server() {
	Some(language_server) => language_server,
	None => return,
	};
	let ranges: Vec<lsp::Range> = doc
	.selection(view.id)
	.iter()
	.map(|range| range_to_lsp_range(doc.text(), *range, language_server.offset_encoding()))
	.collect();
	// TODO: all of the TODO's and commented code inside the loop,
	// to make this actually work.
	for _range in ranges {
	let _language_server = match doc.language_server() {
	Some(language_server) => language_server,
	None => return,
	};
	// TODO: handle fails
	// TODO: concurrent map
	// TODO: need to block to get the formatting
	// let edits = block_on(language_server.text_document_range_formatting(
	// doc.identifier(),
	// range,
	// lsp::FormattingOptions::default(),
	// ))
	// .unwrap_or_default();
	// let transaction = helix_lsp::util::generate_transaction_from_edits(
	// doc.text(),
	// edits,
	// language_server.offset_encoding(),
	// );
	// doc.apply(&transaction, view.id);
	}
	doc.append_changes_to_history(view.id);
	}

Note that a lot of LSPs also don't implement formatting with ranges (I don't think rust-analyzer does yet) so we should add a fallback that uses tree-sitter indentation (should be as easy as calculating an indent level for each line, and adding or deleting indentation based on that value).

helix/helix-core/src/indent.rs

Lines 483 to 493 in fa0cb01

	for i in 0..doc.len_lines() {
	let line = text.line(i);
	let indent = indent_level_for_line(line, tab_width);
	assert_eq!(
	suggested_indent_for_line(&language_config, Some(&syntax), text, i, tab_width),
	indent,
	"line {}: {}",
	i,
	line
	);
	}

[Robert-M-Muench]

I think adding a simple indention formatter is good enough for 99% of all cases.

[MajorDallas]

If I may resurrect this one... I was about to make a new enhancement issue for this, but thought this might be better to try first.

I'm using Helix with some python code, the recommended LSP, and Black. :format works just fine as far as manipulating the text, but I have one gripe: it leaves the entire buffer selected so ; puts the cursor at the beginning of the buffer, and if I didn't do a save_selection before running it I can't go back to my place with C-o. I assume other LSP+formatters would exhibit the same behaviour, but haven't tested any.

Is this as-intended behaviour? Or would I be right to think of this as a bug?

[kirawi]

#3859