Microsoft Introduces Edit 5k4dy an Open-Source Command Line Text Editor for Windows at Build 2025

Microsoft says Edit is currently preview phase and will soon ship with Windows 11. 1f357

Written by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 20 May 2025 09:55 IST

Microsoft Introduces Edit, an Open-Source Command Line Text Editor for Windows at Build 2025

Photo Credit: Microsoft 3a34u

Microsoft Edit is a modeless command line text editor with a Text Interface (TUI)

Highlights

Microsoft Edit is a lightweight, open-source CLI text editor for Windows
It comes with keybindings for fast keyboard navigation without the mouse
The text editor will soon be available via the Windows Insider Program

ment

AI) agents and models, the company also released a new open-source command line text editor for Windows. Dubbed Edit, it arrives as a modeless editor with a Text Interface (TUI), enabling developers to edit files within the command line.

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As per Microsoft, Edit is an open source text editor, which means you can build its code yourself or install its latest version from GitHub. It is said to pay homage to the classic MS-DOS Editor but has a more modern interface and offers controls similar to VS Code. Thus, the company says it is more accessible and can be used by editors who are unfamiliar with terminals.

With Edit, the Redmond-based tech giant aims to address the infamous “How do I exit vim?” meme which referenced the difficulty in exiting the Vim text editor, explains Christopher Nguyen, Product Manager II, Windows Terminal at Microsoft. Further, the company also wanted to build a dedicated CLI editor for the 64-bit versions of Windows. While the 32-bit versions ship with MS-DOS Edit, there's no command line text editor in the 64-bit versions.

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To install Edit:

the latest release from Microsoft's releases page on GitHub
Extract the archive
Copy the edit binary to a directory in the system path
Delete any other files in the archive if they are not required

To build instructions:

Install RUST programming language
Install the nightly toolchain: rustup install nightly or set the environment variable to RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1
Clone the repository

4, Run cargo build --config .cargo/release.toml --release for a release build

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Microsoft says the command line (CLI) text editor is modeless, which eliminates the need for s to and recall different modes of operation. The menu options in Edit have keybindings which allows for quick action via keyboard instead of navigating through the interface (UI) with the mouse. Microsoft says it has a small footprint in the Windows 11 image with a size less than 250kB.

s can open multiple files in Edits and switch between them by clicking the file list on the lower-right of the screen. It also enables them to find and replace text and toggle word wrapping via the TUI.

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The company says Edit will be rolling out to the ed Windows Insider Program developers in the coming months. It will start shipping soon on all Windows 11 devices.

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Further reading: Windows 11

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More