Helm layer

• Project wide grep like text search via helm-dir-smart-do-search
• Project wide text replacements using helm-edit-mode
• Buffer wide dynamic text search via helm-swoop
• Fuzzy matching for most helm-sources
• Detailed configuration parameters for helms appearance
• Intuitive transient state

Ivy layer is a replacement layer for Helm. When you add ivy to the existing list in your dotfile, it will completely replace the helm layer.

To switch from Ivy to Helm, modify your ~/.spacemacs. You will need to add helm to the existing dotspacemacs-configuration-layers list in this file, and remove ivy.

It is possible to have Helm to resize its buffer window to adapt to the length of the candidate list. By default the buffer size is fixed, to enable automatic resizing set the layer variable helm-enable-auto-resize to non-nil.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
  (helm :variables helm-enable-auto-resize t)))

Default value is nil.

To hide the header in the Helm buffer set the layer variable helm-no-header to non-nil.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
  (helm :variables helm-no-header t)))

Default value is nil.

To set the position of the Helm buffer add the layer variable helm-position to your dotfile.

The supported values are bottom, top, left and right.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
  (helm :variables helm-position 'top)))

Default value is bottom.

It is possible to control the fuzziness of Helm when searching for candidates. By default this layer enable fuzzy search for all supported Helm sources. It this creates issues please disable it by setting this value to 'source.

In this case please open an issue so that this can be fixed.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
  (helm :variables helm-use-fuzzy 'source)))

Default value is always.

If you use ripgrep the default value for --max-columns is 512. To change if set the layer variable spacemacs-helm-rg-max-column-number.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
  (helm :variables spacemacs-helm-rg-max-column-number 1024)))

When using the Vim style or Hybrid style with the variable hybrid-style-enable-hjkl-bindings set to t, Spacemacs adds navigation in the Helm buffers with hjkl.

Spacemacs defines a transient state for Helm to make it work like Vim's Unite plugin.

Initiate the transient state with M-SPC or s-M-SPC while in a Helm buffer.

In the helm-files buffer:

In the helm-buffers buffer:

In the helm-bookmarks buffer:

The command bound to C-z is much more useful than the one bound to Tab, so it makes sense to swap them. It's also recommended here.

If you find yourself unable to return focus to Helm (after a careless mouse-click for example), use SPC w b to return focus to the minibuffer.

Helm-swoop is very similar to moccur, it displays a helm buffer with all the occurrences of the word under point. You can then change the search query in real-time and navigate between them easily.

You can even edit the occurrences directly in the helm buffer and apply the modifications to the buffer.

SPC u is not working before helm-M-x (SPC SPC). Instead, call helm-M-x first, select the command you want to run, and press C-u before pressing <return>. For instance: SPC SPC org-reload C-u RET

If you have rg, ag, pt or ack installed, replacing an occurrence of text in several files can be performed via helm-ag.

To replace all occurrences of foo with bar in your current project:

• Initiate a search with SPC / (in a project)
• Open helm-ag-edit with C-c C-e
• Go to an occurrence of foo and enter iedit-mode with SPC s e
• Change foo to bar
• Save the modifications and leave helm-ag-edit with C-c C-c
• Alternatively, discard all changes and leave helm-ag-edit with C-c C-k

Note: In Spacemacs, helm-ag despite its name works with rg, pt and ack as well (but not with grep).

Use SPC r l to resume the last helm session. For instance it is handy to quickly toggle on and off a toggle using SPC h t.