How to duplicate a whole line in Vim?
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Mastering Line Duplication in Vim: A Comprehensive Guide
Learn various efficient methods to duplicate single or multiple lines in Vim, from basic commands to advanced techniques for enhanced productivity.
Vim, a powerful and highly configurable text editor, is renowned for its efficiency. One of the most common tasks for any developer or writer is duplicating lines of text. While seemingly simple, Vim offers several elegant and incredibly fast ways to achieve this, catering to different scenarios and preferences. This article will explore the most effective methods to duplicate lines, helping you streamline your editing workflow.
Basic Line Duplication: Yank and Put
The most fundamental way to duplicate a line in Vim involves two core operations: yanking (copying) and putting (pasting). Vim's 'yank' command copies text into a register, and 'put' inserts it. To duplicate the current line, you can yank it and then paste it immediately below.
yyP
Yank the current line (yy) and then put it below (P).
Let's break down yyP:
yy: Yanks (copies) the entire current line into the unnamed register.P: Puts (pastes) the content of the unnamed register above the current cursor position. If you want it below, usep(lowercase). So,yypwould also work, placing the duplicate line below the original.
P (paste above) and p (paste below). For duplicating a line and placing it immediately after the original, yyp is often more intuitive.Duplicating Multiple Lines
Vim's power shines when dealing with multiple lines. You can easily duplicate a block of lines by specifying a count before the yank command, and then putting them. This is particularly useful for repeating patterns or code blocks.
5yy
p
Yank 5 lines starting from the current line (5yy) and then put them below (p).
This sequence will copy the current line and the four lines following it, then paste them immediately after the last copied line. You can also visually select lines and then yank and put them.
Advanced Duplication Techniques
For more complex scenarios, Vim offers even more sophisticated ways to duplicate lines, especially when combining commands or using macros. One common pattern is to use visual mode for precise selection.
1. Step 1
Move your cursor to the first line you want to duplicate.
2. Step 2
Press V (Shift+v) to enter visual line mode.
3. Step 3
Move your cursor down to select all the lines you wish to duplicate.
4. Step 4
Press y to yank the selected lines.
5. Step 5
Move your cursor to where you want to paste the duplicated lines (e.g., j to move down one line).
6. Step 6
Press p to paste the yanked lines below the cursor.
Workflow for duplicating lines using Visual Line Mode.
Another powerful method involves using global commands or macros for repetitive duplication tasks across a file. For instance, to duplicate every line containing a specific pattern, you could use a global command.
g/pattern/t.
Duplicate every line matching 'pattern' immediately below itself.
g/pattern/t.. They can make extensive changes quickly. Always save your work or test on a copy before running such commands on critical files.The t command in Vim is a powerful way to copy lines. t. means 'copy to this line'. So g/pattern/t. finds every line matching 'pattern' and copies it to the same line, effectively duplicating it.
Understanding these duplication techniques will significantly boost your productivity in Vim. Whether it's a single line or a block of code, Vim provides efficient commands to get the job done quickly and accurately.