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+*usr_04.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2004 Jun 08
+
+ 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 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
+
+Copyright: see |manual-copyright| vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: