return {
    -- gitignore generator
    {
        'wintermute-cell/gitignore.nvim',
        cmd = { 'Gitignore' },
        opts = {},
    },

    -- git signs
    {
        'lewis6991/gitsigns.nvim',
        events = { 'BufReadPost', 'BufNewFile' },
        opts = {
            signcolumn = true,
            current_line_blame = true,
            attach_to_untracked = false,
            current_line_blame_formatter = '<author>, <author_time:%R> - <summary>',
            watch_gitdir = {
                follow_files = true,
            },
            current_line_blame_opts = {
                virt_text = true,
                virt_text_pos = 'eol', -- 'eol' | 'overlay' | 'right_align'
                delay = 1000,
                ignore_whitespace = false,
                virt_text_priority = 100,
                use_focus = true,
            },
            signs = {
                add = { text = ' ' },
                change = { text = '󱗜 ' },
                delete = { text = '󰍵 ' },
                topdelete = { text = '󱥨 ' },
                changedelete = { text = '󰾟 ' },
                untracked = { text = '󰰧 ' },
            },
        },
    },

    -- lazygit integration
    {
        'kdheepak/lazygit.nvim',
        lazy = true,
        enabled = true,
        cmd = {
            'LazyGit',
            'LazyGitConfig',
            'LazyGitCurrentFile',
            'LazyGitFilter',
            'LazyGitFilterCurrentFile',
        },
        keys = {
            { '<leader>lg', '<cmd>LazyGit<cr>', desc = 'LazyGit' },
        },
        config = function()
            vim.g.lazygit_floating_window_winblend = 0
            vim.g.lazygit_floating_window_scaling_factor = 0.9
            vim.g.lazygit_floating_window_border_chars = { '╭', '─', '╮', '│', '╯', '─', '╰', '│' }
        end,
    },

    -- Todo Comments
    {
        'folke/todo-comments.nvim',
        event = 'BufRead',
        opts = {},
    },

    -- Working with file permissions
    {
        'lambdalisue/vim-suda',
        cmd = { 'SudaRead', 'SudaWrite' },
    },

    -- Undo History Visualizer
    {
        'mbbill/undotree',
        cmd = { 'UndotreeToggle' },
        keys = { { '<leader>u', '<cmd>UndotreeToggle<cr>', desc = 'Undo Tree' } },
        config = function()
            vim.g.undotree_WindowLayout = 2
            vim.g.undotree_SetFocusWhenToggle = 1
            vim.g.undotree_SplitWidth = 35
            vim.g.undotree_DiffpanelHeight = 15
            vim.g.undotree_DiffCommand = 'diff --unified=0'
            -- vim.g.undotree_DiffCommand = "git diff --no-index --unified=0 --patience"
        end,
    },

    -- visual multi
    {
        'mg979/vim-visual-multi',
        event = 'VeryLazy',
        init = function()
            vim.g.VM_maps = {
                ['Find Under'] = '<M-d>',
                ['Find Subword Under'] = '<M-d>',
                ['Select All'] = '<C-M-d>',
                ['Add Cursor Down'] = '<C-M-j>',
                ['Add Cursor Up'] = '<C-M-k>',
            }
        end,
    },

    -- dimming the highlights of unused functions, variables, parameters, and more
    {
        'zbirenbaum/neodim',
        enabled = false,
        event = 'LspAttach',
        config = function()
            require('neodim').setup({
                alpha = 0.5,
                blend_color = nil,
                hide = {
                    underline = true,
                    virtual_text = true,
                    signs = true,
                },
                regex = {
                    '[uU]nused',
                    '[nN]ever [rR]ead',
                    '[nN]ot [rR]ead',
                },
                priority = 128,
                disable = {},
            })
        end,
    },

    -- file operations
    {
        'chrisgrieser/nvim-genghis',
        keys = {
            {
                '<leader>fn',
                function()
                    require('genghis').createNewFile()
                end,
                desc = 'New File',
            },
            {
                '<leader>fd',
                function()
                    require('genghis').duplicateFile()
                end,
                desc = 'Duplicate File',
            },
            {
                '<leader>fr',
                function()
                    require('genghis').renameFile()
                end,
                desc = 'Rename File',
            },
            {
                '<leader>fx',
                function()
                    require('genghis').chmodx()
                end,
                desc = 'Make Executable',
            },
        },
    },

    -- Better folding
    {
        'kevinhwang91/nvim-ufo',
        dependencies = 'kevinhwang91/promise-async',
        event = 'BufReadPost',
        keys = {
            {
                'zR',
                function()
                    require('ufo').openAllFolds()
                end,
            },
            {
                'zM',
                function()
                    require('ufo').closeAllFolds()
                end,
            },
            {
                'zr',
                function()
                    require('ufo').openFoldsExceptKinds()
                end,
            },
            {
                'zm',
                function()
                    require('ufo').closeFoldsWith()
                end,
            },
        },
        config = function()
            vim.o.foldcolumn = '1'
            vim.o.foldlevel = 99
            vim.o.foldlevelstart = 99
            vim.o.foldenable = true

            require('ufo').setup({
                provider_selector = function()
                    return { 'treesitter', 'indent' }
                end,
            })
        end,
    },

    -- rendering for html and markdown
    {
        'OXY2DEV/markview.nvim',
        lazy = false,
        -- to load before treesitter
        priority = 45,
        opts = {
            preview = {
                icon_provider = 'mini',
                enable = false,
            },
        },
        keys = {
            { '<leader>cv', '<Cmd>Markview toggle<CR>', desc = 'Toggle markdown preview', mode = 'n' },
        },
    },

    -- markdown preview
    {
        'iamcco/markdown-preview.nvim',
        build = 'cd app && yarn install',
        init = function()
            vim.g.mkdp_filetypes = { 'markdown' }
        end,
        ft = 'markdown',
        cmd = { 'MarkdownPreviewToggle', 'MarkdownPreview' },
    },
}