Implement Discord RPC integration for discord rich presence

[vishalpaudel]

Can there be a way to implement the Discord RPC integration for helix-editor. Would this be better done through interface of steel?

I can't figure out a hack for this: Is there any way for me to emulate helix-editor to communicate its state:

1. The file its editing
2. Time elapsed (doable externally)
3. Repository/Project details

Maybe not so much of this applied to helix, "do one thing and do it well"?

Explicitly, the goal is to have something like this show up on discord, but for helix:

Some starting points:
Discord JS
Discord RPC (deprecated)
Discord GameSDK

[vishalpaudel]

BTW, the screenshots are from a vscode plugin: https://github.com/LeonardSSH/vscord

[vishalpaudel]

I want to contribute in this direction, although it really isn't that is of helix's focus currently, but I request some guidance/hints.

[gabydd]

Something like https://github.com/xhyrom/zed-discord-presence/tree/main/lsp is probably your best bet for now

[spotcache]

1. Helix + External State Monitoring>>
   Monitor Files in Use:

• Use Helix’s built-in features like the $HX_FILE environment variable to detect the current file being edited.

• Parse Helix’s hx commands output to track the state (current file path, active project, etc.).

Elapsed Time:

• Track start time by hooking into Helix’s launch using a wrapper script.

Repository/Project Details:

• Write a small program or script (e.g., Python or Node.js) to collect this data and send updates to Discord via RPC.

[vishalpaudel]

This is one approach, although some details are confusing:

$HX_FILE is a "built in feature"? (currently I don't think modifies this for env)
"hx commands output to track ..."?(currently, I don't think hx has any such commands)

Did you mean that these could be implemented in the future?

[vishalpaudel]

I don't know.. Once you open helix, you could change files, working directories. Unless you have a way for helix to communicate what it has and for how long, I don't think there is much scope trying state management externally?

I am unable to think of any hack around this.

[spotcache]

You're right—currently, Helix doesn’t have built-in features like $HX_FILE or command outputs for tracking state. (I didn't think that through..)

For now, external monitoring can be approached using a wrapper script to track launch time and the initial file or directory passed to Helix. Real-time updates (like active file changes) would require native support or plugins, which Helix currently lacks.