Vim multiline editing like in sublimetext

sublimetexttext-editorvim

I started to use gvim, and I can't quite understand how the multiline edit works in gvim.

For example:

Original text:

asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;

ctrl+q, jjjjjj , $
everything is selected, then i press I to do a multiline insert.

My intention is to insert quotes like in the first line, and then to press Esc:

asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;

What happened? I expected a behavior similar to sublimetext's one:

enter image description here

If you don't know how that works, it just repeats the actions for every line. How can achieve that? And what is vim doing here?

Best Answer

Do yourself a favor by dropping the Windows compatibility layer.

The normal shortcut for entering Visual-Block mode is <C-v>.

Others have dealt with recording macros, here are a few other ideas:

Using only visual-block mode.

  1. Put the cursor on the second word:

    asd |a|sd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;

  2. Hit <C-v> to enter visual-block mode and expand your selection toward the bottom:

    asd [a]sd asd asd asd;
asd [a]sd asd asd asd;
asd [a]sd asd asd asd;
asd [a]sd asd asd asd;
asd [a]sd asd asd asd;
asd [a]sd asd asd asd;
asd [a]sd asd asd asd;

  3. Hit I"<Esc> to obtain:

    asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;

  4. Put the cursor on the last char of the third word:

    asd "asd as|d| asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;
asd "asd asd asd asd;

  5. Hit <C-v> to enter visual-block mode and expand your selection toward the bottom:

    asd "asd as[d] asd asd;
asd "asd as[d] asd asd;
asd "asd as[d] asd asd;
asd "asd as[d] asd asd;
asd "asd as[d] asd asd;
asd "asd as[d] asd asd;
asd "asd as[d] asd asd;

  6. Hit A"<Esc> to obtain:

    asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;

With visual-block mode and Surround.vim.

  1. Put the cursor on the second word:

    asd |a|sd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;
asd asd asd asd asd;

  2. Hit <C-v> to enter visual-block mode and expand your selection toward the bottom and the right:

    asd [asd asd] asd asd;
asd [asd asd] asd asd;
asd [asd asd] asd asd;
asd [asd asd] asd asd;
asd [asd asd] asd asd;
asd [asd asd] asd asd;
asd [asd asd] asd asd;

  3. Hit S" to surround your selection with ":

    asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;

With visual-line mode and :normal.

  1. Hit V to select the whole line and expand it toward the bottom:

    [asd asd asd asd asd;]
[asd asd asd asd asd;]
[asd asd asd asd asd;]
[asd asd asd asd asd;]
[asd asd asd asd asd;]
[asd asd asd asd asd;]
[asd asd asd asd asd;]

  2. Execute this command: :'<,'>norm ^wi"<C-v><Esc>eea"<CR> to obtain:

    asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;
asd "asd asd" asd asd;

    • :norm[al] allows you to execute normal mode commands on a range of lines (the '<,'> part is added automatically by Vim and means "act on the selected area")

    • ^ puts the cursor on the first char of the line

    • w moves to the next word

    • i" inserts a " before the cursor

    • <C-v><Esc> is Vim's way to input a control character in this context, here it's <Esc> used to exit insert mode

    • ee moves to the end of the next word

    • a" appends a " after the cursor

    • <CR> executes the command

    Using Surround.vim, the command above becomes

    :'<,'>norm ^wvees"<CR>
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