return {
	-- vista-like outline view for code
	{
		"stevearc/aerial.nvim",
		config = true,
		-- Optional dependencies
		dependencies = {
			"nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
			"nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons",
		},
		cmd = {
			"AerialToggle",
			"AerialOpen",
			"AerialOpenAll",
			"AerialClose",
			"AerialCloseAll",
			"AerialNext",
			"AerialPrev",
			"AerialGo",
			"AerialInfo",
			"AerialNavToggle",
			"AerialNavOpen",
			"AerialNavClose",
		},
		opts = {
			backends = { "treesitter", "lsp", "markdown", "man" },
		},
	},

	-- lsp setup
	{
		"junnplus/lsp-setup.nvim",
		dependencies = {
			{
				"neovim/nvim-lspconfig",
				-- will sometimes not keep up with lsp changes if set to stable
				version = false,
			},
			{
				"williamboman/mason.nvim",
				cmd = {
					"Mason",
					"MasonInstall",
					"MasonUninstall",
					"MasonUninstallAll",
					"MasonLog",
					"MasonUpdate",
				},
				build = ":MasonUpdate",
				keys = {
					{ "<leader>vm", ":Mason<cr>", desc = "Mason" },
				},
			},
			{
				"williamboman/mason-lspconfig.nvim",
				cmd = { "LspInstall", "LspUninstall" },
			},
			{
				"WhoIsSethDaniel/mason-tool-installer.nvim",
			},
		},
		event = "BufReadPost",
		config = function()
			require("plugins.config.lsp")
		end,
		keys = { {
			"<leader>vs",
			":LspInfo<cr>",
			desc = "LspInfo",
		} },
	},

	-- linting setup
	{
		"mfussenegger/nvim-lint",
		config = function()
			local linters = {
				astro = {},
				bash = {},
				javascript = {},
				javascriptreact = {},
				markdown = {},
				quarto = {},
				sh = {},
				svelte = {},
				text = {},
				typescript = {},
				typescriptreact = {},
			}
			local per_cmd = function(cmd, ft_table)
				if vim.fn.executable(cmd) == 1 then
					for _, v in pairs(ft_table) do
						table.insert(v, cmd)
					end
				end
			end
			per_cmd("markdownlint", { linters.markdown, linters.quarto })
			per_cmd("vale", { linters.markdown, linters.text, linters.quarto })
			per_cmd("shellcheck", { linters.sh, linters.bash })
			per_cmd("eslint_d", {
				linters.astro,
				linters.javascript,
				linters.javascriptreact,
				linters.svelte,
				linters.typescript,
				linters.typescriptreact,
			})
			require("lint").linters_by_ft = linters
			vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({ "BufWritePost", "InsertLeave" }, {
				callback = function()
					require("lint").try_lint()
				end,
			})
		end,
		event = { "BufReadPost", "BufNewFile" },
	},

	-- formatting setup
	{
		"stevearc/conform.nvim",
		config = function()
			require("conform").setup({
				lsp_fallback = true,
				format_after_save = function(bufnr)
					if vim.g.disable_autoformat or vim.b[bufnr].disable_autoformat then
						return
					end
					return { lsp_fallback = true }
				end,
				formatters_by_ft = {
					angular = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					astro = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					bash = { "shfmt" },
					bib = { "bibtex-tidy" },
					css = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					graphql = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					html = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					javascript = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					javascriptreact = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					json = { "jq" },
					lua = { "stylua" },
					python = { "ruff_fix", "ruff_format" },
					sh = { "shfmt" },
					svelte = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					typescript = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					typescriptreact = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					vue = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					yaml = { { "prettierd", "prettier" } },
					zsh = { "shfmt" },
				},
				formatters = {
					-- enable python isort functionality
					ruff_fix = {
						prepend_args = { "--select", "I" },
					},
				},
			})
			vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("FormatDisable", function(args)
				if args.bang then
					-- FormatDisable! will disable formatting just for this buffer
					vim.b.disable_autoformat = true
				else
					vim.g.disable_autoformat = true
				end
			end, {
				desc = "Disable formatting on save",
				bang = true,
			})
			vim.api.nvim_create_user_command("FormatEnable", function()
				vim.b.disable_autoformat = false
				vim.g.disable_autoformat = false
			end, {
				desc = "Enable formatting on save",
			})
		end,
		cmd = { "ConformInfo" },
		event = { "BufReadPre" },
		keys = {
			{
				"<localleader>ll",
				function()
					require("conform").format({ async = true, lsp_fallback = true })
				end,
				desc = "Format buffer",
			},
			{
				"<localleader>lL",
				function()
					vim.g.disable_autoformat = not vim.g.disable_autoformat
				end,
				desc = "Toggle AutoFormat",
			},
			{
				"<leader>vf",
				":ConformInfo<cr>",
				desc = "ConformInfo",
			},
		},
		init = function()
			-- If you want the formatexpr, here is the place to set it
			vim.o.formatexpr = "v:lua.require'conform'.formatexpr()"
		end,
	},

	-- completion setup
	{
		"hrsh7th/nvim-cmp",
		branch = "main",
		dependencies = {
			"andersevenrud/cmp-tmux",
			"cbarrete/completion-vcard",
			"f3fora/cmp-spell",
			"hrsh7th/cmp-nvim-lsp",
			"hrsh7th/cmp-path",
			"hrsh7th/cmp-buffer",
			"hrsh7th/cmp-calc",
			"hrsh7th/cmp-cmdline",
			"hrsh7th/cmp-nvim-lua",
			"hrsh7th/cmp-nvim-lsp-signature-help",
			"dmitmel/cmp-digraphs",
			"jc-doyle/cmp-pandoc-references",
			"kdheepak/cmp-latex-symbols",
			"lukas-reineke/cmp-rg",
			"crispgm/cmp-beancount",
			"ray-x/cmp-treesitter",
			"saadparwaiz1/cmp_luasnip",
			{
				"L3MON4D3/LuaSnip",
				dependencies = { "rafamadriz/friendly-snippets" },
			},
		},
		config = function()
			require("plugins.config.cmp")
		end,
		event = { "InsertEnter", "CmdlineEnter", "VeryLazy" },
	},

	-- loading animations for some LSP
	{ "j-hui/fidget.nvim", config = true, tag = "legacy", event = "VeryLazy" },

	-- useful quickfix-like buffer
	{
		"folke/trouble.nvim",
		dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" },
		opts = {},
		cmd = {
			"Trouble",
			"TroubleRefresh",
			"TroubleToggle",
			"TroubleClose",
		},
	},

	-- testing setup
	{
		"nvim-neotest/neotest",
		dependencies = {
			"nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
			"nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
			"antoinemadec/FixCursorHold.nvim",

			"nvim-neotest/neotest-python",
		},
		config = function()
			require("neotest").setup({
				adapters = {
					require("neotest-python")({
						-- with coverage requires coverage.py and pytest-cov installed
						args = { "--cov" },
					}),
				},
			})
			local status, wk = pcall(require, "which-key")
			if status then
				wk.register({ ["<localleader>t"] = { name = "+test" } })
			end
		end,
		ft = { "python" },
		keys = {
			{
				"<leader>st",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').summary.toggle()<cr>]],
				desc = "toggle test list",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<leader>sT",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').output_panel.toggle()<cr>]],
				desc = "toggle test output",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>to",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').output.open()<cr>]],
				desc = "toggle test output",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>tt",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').run.run()<cr>]],
				desc = "run nearest test",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>td",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').run.run({strategy = "dap"})<cr>]],
				desc = "debug nearest test",
				silent = true,
			}, -- REQUIRES DAP
			{
				"<localleader>tT",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').run.run(vim.fn.expand("%"))<cr>]],
				desc = "test current file",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>tr",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').run.run_last()<cr>]],
				desc = "re-run last test",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>tw",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').watch.toggle()<cr>]],
				desc = "watch current test",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>tW",
				[[<cmd>lua require('neotest').watch.toggle(vim.fn.expand("%"))<cr>]],
				desc = "watch current file",
				silent = true,
			},
		},
	},
	-- TODO needs to pick up poetry env for python,
	-- currently just hard-codes running through poetry
	{
		"andythigpen/nvim-coverage",
		dependencies = {
			"nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
		},
		config = function()
			require("coverage").setup({
				lang = { python = { coverage_command = "poetry run coverage json -q -o -" } },
			})
		end,
		ft = { "python" },
		cmd = {
			"Coverage",
			"CoverageLoad",
			"CoverageLoadLcov",
			"CoverageShow",
			"CoverageHide",
			"CoverageToggle",
			"CoverageClear",
			"CoverageSummary",
		},
		keys = {
			{
				"<localleader>tp",
				[[<cmd>Coverage<cr>]],
				desc = "show coverage report",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>tP",
				[[<cmd>CoverageToggle<cr>]],
				desc = "toggle coverage gutter",
				silent = true,
			},
			{
				"<localleader>ts",
				[[<cmd>CoverageSummary<cr>]],
				desc = "show coverage summary",
				silent = true,
			},
		},
	},
}