# Vim documentation: usr_04

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    *usr_04.txt*	For Vim version 7.2.  Last change: 2006 Jun 21

    		     VIM USER MANUAL - by Bram Moolenaar

    			     Making small changes

    This chapter shows you several ways of making corrections and moving text
    around.  It teaches you the three basic ways to change text: operator-motion,
    Visual mode and text objects.

    |04.1|	Operators and motions
    |04.2|	Changing text
    |04.3|	Repeating a change
    |04.4|	Visual mode
    |04.5|	Moving text
    |04.6|	Copying text
    |04.7|	Using the clipboard
    |04.8|	Text objects
    |04.9|	Replace mode
    |04.10|	Conclusion

         Next chapter: |usr_05.txt|  Set your settings
     Previous chapter: |usr_03.txt|  Moving around
    Table of contents: |usr_toc.txt|

    ==============================================================================

    *04.1*	Operators and motions

    In chapter 2 you learned the "x" command to delete a single character.  And
    using a count: "4x" deletes four characters.
       The "dw" command deletes a word.  You may recognize the "w" command as the
    move word command.  In fact, the "d" command may be followed by any motion
    command, and it deletes from the current location to the place where the
    cursor winds up.
       The "4w" command, for example, moves the cursor over four words.  The d4w
    command deletes four words.

    	To err is human. To really foul up you need a computer.
    			 ------------------>
    				 d4w

    	To err is human. you need a computer.

    Vim only deletes up to the position where the motion takes the cursor.  That's
    because Vim knows that you probably don't want to delete the first character
    of a word.  If you use the "e" command to move to the end of a word, Vim
    guesses that you do want to include that last character:

    	To err is human. you need a computer.
    			-------->
    			   d2e

    	To err is human. a computer.

    Whether the character under the cursor is included depends on the command you
    used to move to that character.  The reference manual calls this "exclusive"
    when the character isn't included and "inclusive" when it is.

    The "$" command moves to the end of a line.  The "d$" command deletes from the
    cursor to the end of the line.  This is an inclusive motion, thus the last
    character of the line is included in the delete operation:

    	To err is human. a computer.
    		       ------------>
    			    d$

    	To err is human

    There is a pattern here: operator-motion.  You first type an operator command.
    For example, "d" is the delete operator.  Then you type a motion command like
    "4l" or "w".  This way you can operate on any text you can move over.

    ==============================================================================

    *04.2*	Changing text

    Another operator is "c", change.  It acts just like the "d" operator, except
    it leaves you in Insert mode.  For example, "cw" changes a word.  Or more
    specifically, it deletes a word and then puts you in Insert mode.

    	To err is human
    	   ------->
    	     c2wbe<Esc>

    	To be human

    This "c2wbe<Esc>" contains these bits:

    	c	the change operator
    	2w	move two words (they are deleted and Insert mode started)
    	be	insert this text
    	<Esc>	back to Normal mode

    If you have paid attention, you will have noticed something strange: The space
    before "human" isn't deleted.  There is a saying that for every problem there
    is an answer that is simple, clear, and wrong.  That is the case with the
    example used here for the "cw" command.  The c operator works just like the
    d operator, with one exception: "cw".  It actually works like "ce", change to
    end of word.  Thus the space after the word isn't included.  This is an
    exception that dates back to the old Vi.  Since many people are used to it
    now, the inconsistency has remained in Vim.

    MORE CHANGES

    Like "dd" deletes a whole line, "cc" changes a whole line.  It keeps the
    existing indent (leading white space) though.

    Just like "d$" deletes until the end of the line, "c$" changes until the end
    of the line.  It's like doing "d$" to delete the text and then "a" to start
    Insert mode and append new text.

    SHORTCUTS

    Some operator-motion commands are used so often that they have been given a
    single letter command:

    	x  stands for  dl  (delete character under the cursor)
    	X  stands for  dh  (delete character left of the cursor)
    	D  stands for  d$  (delete to end of the line)
    	C  stands for  c$  (change to end of the line)
    	s  stands for  cl  (change one character)
    	S  stands for  cc  (change a whole line)

    WHERE TO PUT THE COUNT

    The commands "3dw" and "d3w" delete three words.  If you want to get really
    picky about things, the first command, "3dw", deletes one word three times;
    the command "d3w" deletes three words once.  This is a difference without a
    distinction.  You can actually put in two counts, however.  For example,
    "3d2w" deletes two words, repeated three times, for a total of six words.

    REPLACING WITH ONE CHARACTER

    The "r" command is not an operator.  It waits for you to type a character, and
    will replace the character under the cursor with it.  You could do the same
    with "cl" or with the "s" command, but with "r" you don't have to press <Esc>

    	there is somerhing grong here
    	rT	     rt    rw

    	There is something wrong here

    Using a count with "r" causes that many characters to be replaced with the
    same character.  Example:

    	There is something wrong here
    			   5rx

    	There is something xxxxx here

    To replace a character with a line break use "r<Enter>".  This deletes one
    character and inserts a line break.  Using a count here only applies to the
    number of characters deleted: "4r<Enter>" replaces four characters with one
    line break.

    ==============================================================================

    *04.3*	Repeating a change

    The "." command is one of the most simple yet powerful commands in Vim.  It
    repeats the last change.  For instance, suppose you are editing an HTML file
    and want to delete all the <B> tags.  You position the cursor on the first <
    and delete the <B> with the command "df>".  You then go to the < of the next
    </B> and kill it using the "." command.  The "." command executes the last
    change command (in this case, "df>").  To delete another tag, position the
    cursor on the < and use the "." command.

    			      To <B>generate</B> a table of <B>contents
    	f<   find first <     --->
    	df>  delete to >	 -->
    	f<   find next <	   --------->
    	.    repeat df>			    --->
    	f<   find next <		       ------------->
    	.    repeat df>					    -->

    The "." command works for all changes you make, except for the "u" (undo),
    CTRL-R (redo) and commands that start with a colon (:).

    Another example: You want to change the word "four" to "five".  It appears
    several times in your text.  You can do this quickly with this sequence of
    commands:

    	/four<Enter>	find the first string "four"
    	cwfive<Esc>	change the word to "five"
    	n		find the next "four"
    	.		repeat the change to "five'
    	n		find the next "four"
    	.		repeat the change
    			etc.

    ==============================================================================

    *04.4*	Visual mode

    To delete simple items the operator-motion changes work quite well.  But often
    it's not so easy to decide which command will move over the text you want to
    change.  Then you can use Visual mode.

    You start Visual mode by pressing "v".  You move the cursor over the text you
    want to work on.  While you do this, the text is highlighted.  Finally type
    the operator command.
       For example, to delete from halfway one word to halfway another word:

    		This is an examination sample of visual mode
    			       ---------->
    				 velllld

    		This is an example of visual mode

    When doing this you don't really have to count how many times you have to
    press "l" to end up in the right position.  You can immediately see what text
    will be deleted when you press "d".

    If at any time you decide you don't want to do anything with the highlighted
    text, just press <Esc> and Visual mode will stop without doing anything.

    SELECTING LINES

    If you want to work on whole lines, use "V" to start Visual mode.  You will
    see right away that the whole line is highlighted, without moving around.
    When you move left or right nothing changes.  When you move up or down the
    selection is extended whole lines at a time.
       For example, select three lines with "Vjj":

    			  +------------------------+
    			  | text more text	   |
    		       >> | more text more text    | |
    	selected lines >> | text text text	   | | Vjj
    		       >> | text more		   | V
    			  | more text more	   |
    			  +------------------------+

    SELECTING BLOCKS

    If you want to work on a rectangular block of characters, use CTRL-V to start
    Visual mode.  This is very useful when working on tables.

    		name		Q1	Q2	Q3
    		pierre		123	455	234
    		john		0	90	39
    		steve		392	63	334

    To delete the middle "Q2" column, move the cursor to the "Q" of "Q2".  Press
    CTRL-V to start blockwise Visual mode.  Now move the cursor three lines down
    with "3j" and to the next word with "w".  You can see the first character of
    the last column is included.  To exclude it, use "h".  Now press "d" and the
    middle column is gone.

    GOING TO THE OTHER SIDE

    If you have selected some text in Visual mode, and discover that you need to
    change the other end of the selection, use the "o" command (Hint: o for other
    end).  The cursor will go to the other end, and you can move the cursor to
    change where the selection starts.  Pressing "o" again brings you back to the
    other end.

    When using blockwise selection, you have four corners.  "o" only takes you to
    one of the other corners, diagonally.  Use "O" to move to the other corner in
    the same line.

    Note that "o" and "O" in Visual mode work very different from Normal mode,
    where they open a new line below or above the cursor.

    ==============================================================================

    *04.5*	Moving text

    When you delete something with the "d", "x", or another command, the text is
    saved.  You can paste it back by using the p command.  (The Vim name for
    this is put).
       Take a look at how this works.  First you will delete an entire line, by
    putting the cursor on the line you want to delete and typing "dd".  Now you
    move the cursor to where you want to put the line and use the "p" (put)
    command.  The line is inserted on the line below the cursor.

    	a line		a line	      a line
    	line 2	  dd	line 3	  p   line 3
    	line 3			      line 2

    Because you deleted an entire line, the "p" command placed the text line below
    the cursor.  If you delete part of a line (a word, for instance), the "p"
    command puts it just after the cursor.

    	Some more boring try text to out commands.
    			 ---->
    			  dw

    	Some more boring text to out commands.
    			 ------->
    			    welp

    	Some more boring text to try out commands.

    MORE ON PUTTING

    The "P" command puts text like "p", but before the cursor.  When you deleted a
    whole line with "dd", "P" will put it back above the cursor.  When you deleted
    a word with "dw", "P" will put it back just before the cursor.

    You can repeat putting as many times as you like.  The same text will be used.

    You can use a count with "p" and "P".  The text will be repeated as many times
    as specified with the count.  Thus "dd" and then "3p" puts three copies of the
    same deleted line.

    SWAPPING TWO CHARACTERS

    Frequently when you are typing, your fingers get ahead of your brain (or the
    other way around?).  The result is a typo such as "teh" for "the".  Vim
    makes it easy to correct such problems.  Just put the cursor on the e of "teh"
    and execute the command "xp".  This works as follows: "x" deletes the
    character e and places it in a register.  "p" puts the text after the cursor,
    which is after the h.

    	teh     th     the
    	 x       p

    ==============================================================================

    *04.6*	Copying text

    To copy text from one place to another, you could delete it, use "u" to undo
    the deletion and then "p" to put it somewhere else.  There is an easier way:
    yanking.  The "y" operator copies text into a register.  Then a "p" command
    can be used to put it.
       Yanking is just a Vim name for copying.  The "c" letter was already used
    for the change operator, and "y" was still available.  Calling this
    operator "yank" made it easier to remember to use the "y" key.

    Since "y" is an operator, you use "yw" to yank a word.  A count is possible as
    usual.  To yank two words use "y2w".  Example:

    	let sqr = LongVariable *
    		 -------------->
    		       y2w

    	let sqr = LongVariable *
    			       p

    	let sqr = LongVariable * LongVariable

    Notice that "yw" includes the white space after a word.  If you don't want
    this, use "ye".

    The "yy" command yanks a whole line, just like "dd" deletes a whole line.
    Unexpectedly, while "D" deletes from the cursor to the end of the line, "Y"
    works like "yy", it yanks the whole line.  Watch out for this inconsistency!
    Use "y$" to yank to the end of the line.

    	a text line   yy	a text line	       a text line
    	line 2			line 2		p      line 2
    	last line		last line	       a text line
    						       last line

    ==============================================================================

    *04.7*	Using the clipboard

    If you are using the GUI version of Vim (gvim), you can find the "Copy" item
    in the "Edit" menu.  First select some text with Visual mode, then use the
    Edit/Copy menu.  The selected text is now copied to the clipboard.  You can
    paste the text in other programs.  In Vim itself too.

    If you have copied text to the clipboard in another application, you can paste
    it in Vim with the Edit/Paste menu.  This works in Normal mode and Insert
    mode.  In Visual mode the selected text is replaced with the pasted text.

    The "Cut" menu item deletes the text before it's put on the clipboard.  The
    "Copy", "Cut" and "Paste" items are also available in the popup menu (only
    when there is a popup menu, of course).  If your Vim has a toolbar, you can
    also find these items there.

    If you are not using the GUI, or if you don't like using a menu, you have to
    use another way.  You use the normal "y" (yank) and "p" (put) commands, but
    prepend "* (double-quote star) before it.  To copy a line to the clipboard:

    	"*yy

    To put text from the clipboard back into the text:

    	"*p

    This only works on versions of Vim that include clipboard support.  More about
    the clipboard in section |09.3| and here: |clipboard|.

    ==============================================================================

    *04.8*	Text objects

    If the cursor is in the middle of a word and you want to delete that word, you
    need to move back to its start before you can do "dw".  There is a simpler way
    to do this: "daw".

    	this is some example text.
    		       daw

    	this is some text.

    The "d" of "daw" is the delete operator.  "aw" is a text object.  Hint: "aw"
    stands for "A Word".  Thus "daw" is "Delete A Word".  To be precise, the white
    space after the word is also deleted (the white space before the word at the
    end of the line).

    Using text objects is the third way to make changes in Vim.  We already had
    operator-motion and Visual mode.  Now we add operator-text object.
       It is very similar to operator-motion, but instead of operating on the text
    between the cursor position before and after a movement command, the text
    object is used as a whole.  It doesn't matter where in the object the cursor
    was.

    To change a whole sentence use "cis".  Take this text:

    	Hello there.  This
    	is an example.  Just
    	some text.

    Move to the start of the second line, on "is an".  Now use "cis":

    	Hello there.    Just
    	some text.

    The cursor is in between the blanks in the first line.  Now you type the new
    sentence "Another line.":

    	Hello there.  Another line.  Just
    	some text.

    "cis" consists of the "c" (change) operator and the "is" text object.  This
    stands for "Inner Sentence".  There is also the "as" (a sentence) object.  The
    difference is that "as" includes the white space after the sentence and "is"
    doesn't.  If you would delete a sentence, you want to delete the white space
    at the same time, thus use "das".  If you want to type new text the white
    space can remain, thus you use "cis".

    You can also use text objects in Visual mode.  It will include the text object
    in the Visual selection.  Visual mode continues, thus you can do this several
    times.  For example, start Visual mode with "v" and select a sentence with
    "as".  Now you can repeat "as" to include more sentences.  Finally you use an
    operator to do something with the selected sentences.

    You can find a long list of text objects here: |text-objects|.

    ==============================================================================

    *04.9*	Replace mode

    The "R" command causes Vim to enter replace mode.  In this mode, each
    character you type replaces the one under the cursor.  This continues until
    you type <Esc>.
       In this example you start Replace mode on the first "t" of "text":

    	This is text.
    		Rinteresting.<Esc>

    	This is interesting.

    You may have noticed that this command replaced 5 characters in the line with
    twelve others.  The "R" command automatically extends the line if it runs out
    of characters to replace.  It will not continue on the next line.

    You can switch between Insert mode and Replace mode with the <Insert> key.

    When you use <BS> (backspace) to make correction, you will notice that the
    old text is put back.  Thus it works like an undo command for the last typed
    character.

    ==============================================================================

    *04.10*	Conclusion

    The operators, movement commands and text objects give you the possibility to
    make lots of combinations.  Now that you know how it works, you can use N
    operators with M movement commands to make N * M commands!

    You can find a list of operators here: |operator|

    For example, there are many other ways to delete pieces of text.  Here are a
    few often used ones:

    x	delete character under the cursor (short for "dl")
    X	delete character before the cursor (short for "dh")
    D	delete from cursor to end of line (short for "d$")
    dw	delete from cursor to next start of word
    db	delete from cursor to previous start of word
    diw	delete word under the cursor (excluding white space)
    daw	delete word under the cursor (including white space)
    dG	delete until the end of the file
    dgg	delete until the start of the file

    If you use "c" instead of "d" they become change commands.  And with "y" you
    yank the text.  And so forth.

    There are a few often used commands to make changes that didn't fit somewhere
    else:

    	~	change case of the character under the cursor, and move the
    		cursor to the next character.  This is not an operator (unless
    		'tildeop' is set), thus you can't use it with a motion
    		command.  It does works in Visual mode and changes case for
    		all the selected text then.

    	I	Start Insert mode after moving the cursor to the first
    		non-blank in the line.

    	A	Start Insert mode after moving the cursor to the end of the
    		line.

    ==============================================================================

    Next chapter: |usr_05.txt|  Set your settings

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