Use the last-inserted-text register

Tip 1029 Printable Monobook Previous Next

created October 27, 2005 · complexity basic · author bwana147 · version 5.7

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I sometimes want to insert text at the beginning of a line, but if I happen to already be at the beginning of that line, I use the i command instead of I. Then, I realize that the same text has to be inserted at the beginning of other lines as well: I go there and hit ".", and the text gets inserted wherever I am in the line (which of course is seldom the beginning). So I have to "u"ndo, hit "I", retype my text and go one moving around and hit "." whenever I want the same text at the beginning of that line.

What bothers me is the retyping. I would like to change the "repeat last command", so that it becomes "insert at the beginning" instead of "insert wherever you happen to be".

Here comes the ". register. All I do now, is "u"ndo to remove the text that was wrongly inserted in the middle of the line, hit "I" to start inserting at the beginning of the line, then <C-R>. (that's Ctrl-R followed by a dot), which inserts whatever I had just inserted with the "i" command, and <Esc>, of course.

Now the "repeat command" (.) will rightfully insert at the beginning of the lines where I invoke it, and I didn't have to retype my inserted text in full.

Comments

Is this the same as

• do edit in wrong place
• undo, go to beginning of line, repeat with u0.

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This tip lets you use '.' after the first fix. Your suggested solution requires you to do '0.' every time you want to insert the line again.

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See also :help gI.

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I finally sussed this useful tip.

• do edit in wrong place
• u to undo
• I to insert at beginning of line
• <C-R>. to insert undone text

Now dot works fine.

uI<C-R>.<Esc>j.

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<C-R>. is better done as <C-A> see :help i_CTRL-A.

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