How to block replace code in visual mode?

Question

I have a list of items where I want to replace the first two characters:

a) item 1
b) item 2
c) item 3

What is the fastest way to make this:

* item 1
* item 2
* item 3

I have an approach with visual mode (Ctr-v, jjj, but need to do two replace commands. Iirc, this replacement can be done with 1 command)

Like .,.+2s/^../*/ (or equivalently in a visual selection)? Why two replace commands? 2c would replace two characters. — muru, Feb 20 '15 at 08:40
sometimes only the first line in the visual selection is changed, repeating then with . for the other lines messes things up. — poseid, Feb 20 '15 at 09:10
@poseid are you in the habit of pressing Ctrl-C instead of Esc? This prevents, among other things, changes being applied to each line of a Visual-block selection. — tommcdo, Feb 20 '15 at 10:48

score 44 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 27 '18 at 05:48

44

Visual-block selection:

<C-v>
jjl
c*
<Esc>

:normal:

:,+2norm! cE*

Substitution:

:,+2s/^.\{2}/*

Dot formula:

cE*<Esc>
j.
j.

edited Feb 27 '18 at 05:48

B Layer

answered Feb 20 '15 at 09:11

romainl

2

Crazy approach: using textobj-word-column.vim you can do ciC*<esc> and be done. Note: this plugin is a "do what I mean" plugin so it fails in unexpected places and ways, but the plugin is still useful in some easy cases like this. – Peter Rincker Feb 20 '15 at 23:55
interesting the normal and dot formula! – poseid Feb 21 '15 at 09:40
3

Note that for the Visual-block solution, you will only see text being typed on the first line. Once you hit <Esc>, it will fill in the remaining lines. – tommcdo Feb 27 '18 at 12:04
Any suggestions for a way to remember that c will replace? Like how ctrl+D(own) – Jordan Mackie Mar 28 '19 at 16:06
5

@JordanMackie c is for "change". – romainl Mar 30 '19 at 16:24
For guys like me, this <C-v> is in fact <Ctrl+v> and jjl is selecting 2x down 1x right, which can be done with arrows. As commented c is for change which will replace selected rows with provided chars * (or any). <esc> will apply the change after small sleep time. – Vladimir Vukanac Jan 17 '22 at 22:15

kenorb · Answer 2 · 2018-04-16T20:31:26.177

Here is more efficient way of doing this:

Having cursor on the first item and 1st letter (0), enter 'blockwise' visual mode Ctrl+v and select the 1st column of your current paragraph by } (if your list is finished by new line), otherwise use different methods like arrow keys (to move around the selection), or pattern search /c) where c is your last element).
Move to the last symbol of your list by k and l (or using arrow keys), so two columns are selected which you want to change.
Change the selected text by pressing c and type your bullet symbol (*) and finish by hitting Esc.

Works more efficiently especially in the longer lists.

2 Answers2