~ / visual / block-editlesson 5/6

Edit a column: I, c and r on a block

Type once and every selected line gets it: block insert, block change, replace.

?how it works

Block mode really pays off when the same edit belongs on several lines at the same column.

I inserts before the block on every line. Type the text, press <Esc>, and every selected line has it.
c deletes the block and inserts what you type on every line: perfect for renaming the same word in an aligned column.
r{char} replaces every selected character with {char}. After V that means whole lines, so yypVr= turns a copy of a title into a Markdown underline.
d, y, U and > work on the rectangle as you'd expect.

Size the block with <C-v>, then j or a count like 3j for the height, and l, e or $ for the width.

`<C-v>{move}I{text}<Esc>`	insert {text} before the block on every line
`<C-v>{move}c{text}<Esc>`	replace the block with {text} on every line
`r{char}`	Visual: replace every selected character with {char}
`yypVr=`	underline a line (copy it, then turn the copy into =)

One prefix, every line: Add the prefix from the target to the first four lines at once with <C-v> and I. The last line stays as it is.
Rename a column with c: Rename the word in the aligned column on the first four lines, as in the target. Select the word on those four lines as a block and use c.
Underline a heading with Vr: Underline the heading Markdown-style: duplicate the line, then turn every character of the copy into the underline character from the target with V and r.

The drill editor loads in your browser.