A modern terminal-based editor written in Go, configurable with themes and standard keyboard shortcuts.

Overview

Micro is a modern terminal-based text editor that provides the familiarity of traditional editors with the performance and features developers expect today. Written in Go, it offers instant startup, syntax highlighting, and a clean, intuitive interface perfect for quick edits and AI agent workflows.

Key Features

  • Instant Startup: No loading delays, ready immediately
  • Standard Shortcuts: Uses familiar keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+S, Ctrl+C, etc.)
  • Syntax Highlighting: Support for 100+ languages and file types
  • Mouse Support: Click to position cursor, select text with mouse
  • Plugin System: Extensible with community plugins
  • Multiple Buffers: Work with multiple files simultaneously
  • Search and Replace: Powerful text search with regex support
  • Configuration: Extensive customization options

Common Use Cases

Quick File Editing

bash
# Edit a file
micro config.json

# Open multiple files
micro app.js style.css index.html

# Open at specific line
micro +10 app.js  # Start at line 10

AI Agent Integration

Perfect for quick edits when working with AI coding agents:

bash
# AI agent suggests changes, you quickly apply them
opencode "fix the bug in authentication.js"

# Rapid iteration with AI assistance
opencode api.py  # Make changes, save, AI reviews

Configuration Editing

bash
# Edit configuration files
micro ~/.config/nvim/init.vim
micro ~/.bashrc
micro ~/.gitconfig

Why Developers Choose Micro

  • No learning curve: Uses standard keyboard shortcuts everyone knows
  • Fast performance: Instant startup, even with large files
  • Modern features: Split panes, multiple cursors, macros
  • Cross-platform: Consistent behavior across all systems
  • Lightweight: Minimal resource usage
  • AI-friendly: Perfect for quick edits during AI-assisted coding

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

File Operations

Ctrl+S    - Save file
Ctrl+Q    - Quit
Ctrl+O    - Open file
Ctrl+N    - New file
Ctrl+W    - Close file

Editing

Ctrl+C    - Copy
Ctrl+X    - Cut
Ctrl+V    - Paste
Ctrl+Z    - Undo
Ctrl+Y    - Redo
Ctrl+F    - Find
Ctrl+H    - Replace
Ctrl+G    - Go to line
Home       - Start of line
End        - End of line
Ctrl+Home  - Start of file
Ctrl+End   - End of file

Advanced Features

Multiple Buffers

bash
# Buffer management
Ctrl+Tab     - Next buffer
Ctrl+Shift+Tab - Previous buffer
Ctrl+B       - Buffer list

Split Screen

bash
# Split panes
Ctrl+E       - Toggle split
Ctrl+Up/Down - Navigate between panes

Search and Replace

bash
# Advanced search
Ctrl+F       - Open search
Enter        - Find next
Shift+Enter  - Find previous
Ctrl+R       - Replace mode

Configuration

Basic Setup

bash
# Configuration file location
~/.config/micro/settings.json

# Common settings
{
    "tabsize": 4,
    "tabstospaces": true,
    "wordwrap": true,
    "syntax": true,
    "colortheme": "default"
}

Theme Customization

bash
# Available themes
micro -colors

# Set theme
micro -colors "solarized"

# Custom theme location
~/.config/micro/colors/

Plugin Management

bash
# Install plugins
micro -plugin install autocomplete

# List installed plugins
micro -plugin list

# Update plugins
micro -plugin update

Integration with Development Workflows

Git Integration

bash
# Git commit workflow
micro COMMIT_EDITMSG  # Edit commit message
git commit -F COMMIT_EDITMSG

# Merge conflict resolution
git mergetool  # Opens micro for conflict resolution

Configuration Management

bash
# Quick config edits
alias edit-bash='micro ~/.bashrc'
alias edit-vim='micro ~/.vimrc'
alias edit-git='micro ~/.gitconfig'

AI Agent Workflow

bash
# Perfect for AI-assisted development:
# 1. AI agent suggests changes
# 2. Quick edit with micro
# 3. Save and continue with AI

opencode component.js  # Make AI-suggested changes
:wq                   # Save and continue

Performance Features

Large File Handling

  • Efficient memory usage: Handles large files without slowdown
  • Syntax highlighting: Fast highlighting even for large codebases
  • Smooth scrolling: No lag when navigating large files

Startup Performance

  • Instant launch: Ready in milliseconds, not seconds
  • Minimal dependencies: Single binary, no external requirements
  • Fast file loading: Optimized file reading and parsing

Resources

Micro provides the perfect balance between traditional terminal editors and modern development needs, making it an essential tool for quick edits and AI-assisted coding workflows.

Visit Tool GitHub

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