Multi selection and multi edit

[Alan Kilborn]

@kpym

So maybe on the surface this seems different, but this is really just a Find and Replace operation, for which Notepad++ already has a good solution for. Here’s a comparision:

• your ctrl+d <–> N++'s press ctrl+h, fill in replace field
• your add/skip next identical <–> N++ either “Find Next” or “Replace”
• your select all identicals <–> N++ “Replace All”
• your “whatever action you would do on what is multiselected…” <–> N++'s nothing to do, it’s already done!

[bitagoras]

@Alan Kilborn
What you irgnore in your comment is the fact that Ctrl+D function is mainly used to quickly clone the cursor at positions of identical strings and not neccessarily to replace the selected. Once you have multiple cursors, you can move them and do much more things than just renaming. I uploaded a gif animation that shows what I mean:

https://gifyu.com/image/TaVW

It’s really magic what you can to with it and safes you a lot of time with a minimum of commands to remember. It is very intuitive and in most of the cases faster than search / replace or macro recording. Sometimes I use VS Code in parallel with Notepad++ only because of this function.

What is missing to make full use of this kind of multi editing:

• Ctrl+D (or another shortcut) to clone the cursor at similar occurences of the current word or selection.
• Multiple cursors should stay persistent until escape is pressed (as in the plugin “better multiselection”).
• Ctrl+mouseclick should not only add but also remove one cursor (when Ctrl+D has produced an unwanted cursor).
• Every cursor should have an indiviual clipboard.

[Scott Sumner]

@bitagoras

This kind of functionality really has nothing to do with Notepad++ itself, but rather is Scintilla-related. Scintilla in Notepad++ is known to be very outdated. Would upgrading Scintilla to the latest version provide such functionality? I don’t know, but since remaining current with Scintilla doesn’t seem to be a priority of Notepad++ developers, it probably isn’t worth much discussion here. :-(

[bitagoras]

I think with a little bit of programming it could be possible with scintilla but it is not a standard feature that can just be activated.

But you say the Notepad++ developers plan to replace Scintilla? Do you know any details? I haven’t seen any discussion here on this. I wonder, if this wouldn’t be just another new editor but not Notepad++ any more.

[Scott Sumner]

@bitagoras said:

but it is not a standard feature that can just be activated

Maybe not, I didn’t investigate–but I seem to recall that some of the “fancier” multi-selection stuff is available in newer Scintilla versions…but I don’t know if it takes it to the level of your examples. I really don’t care…until Notepad++ updates to something newer, and THEN I’ll take the time to explore what new features it provides.

you say the Notepad++ developers plan to replace Scintilla?

I most certainly did NOT say that! :-)

[guy038]

Hello, @bitagoras, @scott-sumner and All,

@bitagoras, why don’t you use the excellent @Dail plugin BetterMultiselection version v1.3 ? See, below :

https://github.com/dail8859/BetterMultiSelection/

https://github.com/dail8859/BetterMultiSelection/releases

https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/13653/new-plugin-bettermultiselection

Note that, if you have the last v7.6 version of N++, you’ll have to :

• Create the new directory BetterMultiSelection, under your active plugins folder

• Place the BetterMultiSelection.dll inside the BetterMultiSelection folder

Now, assuming the test test, below :

abcde fghijk lmno pqr..stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr..stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr..stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr><stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr><stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr><stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr..stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr..stuv wxyz 012345789
abcde fghijk lmno pqr..stuv wxyz 012345789

• Create a column-mode selection, on the 3 middle lines, between the angle brackets ><

• And, now have fun, playing around, with any of the following keys or shortcuts, below ;-))

  • Home , End , Left , Right , Ctrl + Left , Ctrl + Right

  • Shift + Home, Shift + End , Shift + Left, Shift + Right , Ctrl + Shift + Left , Ctrl + Shift + Right

  • Backspace , Delete , Ctrl + Backspace , Ctrl + Delete

  • Up, Down , Shift + Up, Shift + Down

  • Enter , Tab , Shift + Tab

Just a pleasure, isn’t it ? Many thanks, again, @dail, for this very useful plugin, while waiting for this native behavior in N++, after a future update of Scintilla !

Though I suppose,it will not happen soon, as I guess that @don-ho is quite busy with the new plugin’s organization :-)

Best Regards,

P.S. :

You may be interested, too, by this other @dail useful plugin SurroundSelection.dll. See, below :

https://github.com/dail8859/SurroundSelection/

https://github.com/dail8859/SurroundSelection/releases

https://notepad-plus-plus.org/community/topic/13610/new-plugin-surroundselection

[bitagoras]

@Scott-Sumner

I most certainly did NOT say that! :-)

Sorry that I misunderstood you sentence. What you say is that it is a priority to upgrade to a new Scintilla version rather than tinker with the current version. I agree.

@guy038,

Yes BetterMultiSelection works very well. But the mulit clipboard and the Ctrl+D would make it perfekt.

Here the example again. I just figured out how to embedd the GIF.

[Scott Sumner]

@bitagoras said:

What you say is that it is a priority to upgrade to a new Scintilla version rather than tinker with the current version

I didn’t say THAT either (I don’t know WHAT if any Scintilla-based decisions are being made, or how they are made), but I agree as well. :-)

I just figured out how to embedd the GIF.

I don’t see the embedded GIF. But it is OK since it is available via the earlier link you posted.

[bitagoras]

@Scott-Sumner

ok but I think I got your point ;-)

Probably this GIF is only visible from my IP.

[PeterJones]

I can see the animated gif. It may be that Scott’s connection is being filtered from seeing s2.gifyu.com – I know that my employer blocks many file-sharing sites; fortunately, imgur is not one of them (amazingly enough), so I can upload to and see embedded images from imgur, which is quite helpful here.

[guy038]

Hi, @bitagoras, and All,

I found out a work-around to simulate the behavior of your animated gif picture !

I suppose 3 hypotheses :

• The Multi-Editing feature is enabled ( Settings > Preferences… > Editing > Multi-Editing settings )

• The BetterMultiSelection plugin is installed and enabled

• The Ctrl+ D shortcut is assigned to the Scintilla function SCI_SELECTION DUPLICATE ( and not to SCI_LINEDUPLICATE ! )

---

So, assuming this sample test, below , in a new tab :

var1, var2, object1, object2, object3, flag2, flag3

• Place the cursor right before the string var1 ( without the Ctrl key pressed )

• Holding down a Ctrl key, left click, right in front of all the other strings, in order to get a total of 7 cursors !

Now :

• Backspace * 2

• Enter

You should get a 7- lines selection, below :

var1
var2
object1
object2
object3
flag2
flag3

Note that the SP notation, below, represents a hit on the Space bar

• Type obj.

• Shift + End

• Ctrl + D

• Right

• Type SP=SParg["

• Shift + End

• Ctrl + D

• Right

• Type "]SP#SPDefinitionSPofSP

• Esc

You obtain the following text :

obj.var1 = arg["var1"] # Definition of var1
obj.var2 = arg["var2"] # Definition of var2
obj.object1 = arg["object1"] # Definition of object1
obj.object2 = arg["object2"] # Definition of object2
obj.object3 = arg["object3"] # Definition of object3
obj.flag2 = arg["flag2"] # Definition of flag2
obj.flag3 = arg["flag3"] # Definition of flag3

Now, regarding the second block, we start, again, with the following text :

var1, var2, object1, object2, object3, flag2, flag3

• Place the cursor right before the string var1 ( without the Ctrl key pressed )

• Holding down a Ctrl key, left click, right in front of all the other strings, in order to get a total of 7 cursors

Then :

• Backspace * 2

• Enter

Again , you’ll obtain the 7- lines selection, below :

var1
var2
object1
object2
object3
flag2
flag3

Now :

• Tab

• Type "

• Shift + End

• Ctrl + D

• Right

• Type ":SPobj.

• End

• Type ,

• Esc

And… you get the expected text, with a leading tabulation :

	"var1": obj.var1,
	"var2": obj.var2,
	"object1": obj.object1,
	"object2": obj.object2,
	"object3": obj.object3,
	"flag2": obj.flag2,
	"flag3": obj.flag3,

Cheers,

guy038

[cipher-1024]

I don’t know HOW I missed @dali 's plugin for this long! I have to admit whenever I saw someone doing multiline work I was extremely jealous and tempted to try the VS Code waters. @guy038, what is your CTRL-D mapped to? CTRL-D is mapped to “Duplicate Current Line” for me. When I follow your instructions, I just get duplicate lines. If I try to copy and paste, the paste is just all of the selections globbed together. I can’t seem to duplicate just the selection (like it does in the gif on github). This is what I get when I follow your instructions:

	"var1": obj.,
	"var1
	"var2": obj.,
	"var2
	"object1": obj.,
	"object1
	"object2": obj.,
	"object2
	"object3": obj.,
	"object3
	"flag2": obj.,
	"flag2
	"flag3": obj.,
	"flag3

[cipher-1024]

Ohh you rascals! I went into the shortcut mapper and under the Scintilla commands tab there was an unassigned “SCI_SELECTIONDUPLICATE”. I assigned that to Ctrl + D et voila! (as Guy would say)!

Christmas came early this year! Now I’m not the only kid on the block that can’t mulitedit! Thank you @dail and @guy038 for bringing this plugin to my attention!

[guy038]

Hello, @cipher-1024, and All,

Yes, as you found it out yourself, my Ctrl+D shortcut is assigned to the Scintilla function SCI_SELECTIONDUPLICATE ( and not to SCI_LINEDUPLICATE ! )

So, I updated my previous post to add this statement to the hypotheses block !

Cheers,

guy038

[cipher-1024]

Thanks Guy. I must have changed the default ages ago because I don’t remember doing it. Also a big thank you again to @dail. Now I don’t have to be all like this.

[bitagoras]

For your information: The newest version of the plugin “BetterMultiSelection” is now capable to do copy and paste on multiple cursors (as I used it in the VSCode animation above).

There is now only the one missing important feature to make multi editing as fast as in VSCode: the ctrl+D select function. Scintilla seems to support this feature as well, but it’s not available in Notepad++ for keyboard shortcut:

SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT (in VSCode bound to ctrl-d)
SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDEACH (in VSCode bound to shift-ctrl-l)

What ctrl-d does:
It selects the next occurence of the current selection as added multiselection. You can use it to very quickly rename variables. In Notepad++ you have to use the mouse, which is much slower, or the replace function. In VSCode there is also a “skip next occurence” (ctrl-k) and “undo last selection” (ctrl-u) which makes it very versatile.

[Ekopalypse]

@bitagoras said in Multi selection and multi edit:

SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT

Added this feature request.

[dinkumoil]

@bitagoras

About to one year ago we had a conversation about this topic here in the forum, have a look at this thread.

The essentials of the discussion:

1. You can already use these features using a scripting plugin.

In the following I provide the code for the NppExec plugin.

Command SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT (with the help of @Ekopalypse):

sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS SCFIND_WHOLEWORD
sci_sendmsg 2690  // SCI_TARGETWHOLEDOCUMENT
sci_sendmsg 2688  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT

Command SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDEACH (generously provided by @Ekopalypse):

sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS SCFIND_WHOLEWORD
sci_sendmsg 2690  // SCI_TARGETWHOLEDOCUMENT

sci_sendmsg SCI_GETSELECTIONEMPTY

if $(MSG_RESULT) == 1 then
  sci_sendmsg 2688  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT
 
sci_sendmsg 2689  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDEACH

2. As these commands are not supported in Notepad++ versions older than v7.7, it is possible to emulate them using a scripting plugin. In the following I provide the Lua code (can be used in conjunction with the LuaScript plugin) to do this:

Command SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT (provided by @dail):

-- =============================================================================
-- Add menu entry to select next occurence of word under or next to cursor or
-- already selected word
-- =============================================================================

npp.AddShortcut("Selection Add Next", "", function()
  -- From SciTEBase.cxx
  local flags = SCFIND_WHOLEWORD -- can use 0

  editor:SetTargetRange(0, editor.TextLength)
  editor.SearchFlags = flags

  -- From Editor.cxx
  if editor.SelectionEmpty or not editor.MultipleSelection then
    local startWord = editor:WordStartPosition(editor.CurrentPos, true)
    local endWord   = editor:WordEndPosition(startWord, true)

    editor:SetSelection(startWord, endWord)
  else
    local i = editor.MainSelection
    local s = editor:textrange(editor.SelectionNStart[i], editor.SelectionNEnd[i])
    local searchRanges = {{editor.SelectionNEnd[i], editor.TargetEnd}, {editor.TargetStart, editor.SelectionNStart[i]}}

    for _, range in pairs(searchRanges) do
      editor:SetTargetRange(range[1], range[2])

      if editor:SearchInTarget(s) ~= -1 then
        editor:AddSelection(editor.TargetStart, editor.TargetEnd)

        -- To scroll main selection in sight
        editor:ScrollRange(editor.TargetStart, editor.TargetEnd)

        break
      end
    end
  end

  -- To turn on Notepad++ multi select markers
  editor:LineScroll(0, 1)
  editor:LineScroll(0, -1)
end)

Command SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDEACH (devolped by myself by extending above script):

-- =============================================================================
-- Add menu entry to select all occurences of word under or next to cursor or
-- already selected word
-- =============================================================================

npp.AddShortcut("Selection Add All", "", function()
  local flags     = SCFIND_WHOLEWORD -- can use 0
  local startWord = -1
  local endWord   = -1
  local s         = ""

  editor.SearchFlags = flags

  if editor.SelectionEmpty or not editor.MultipleSelection then
    startWord = editor:WordStartPosition(editor.CurrentPos, true)
    endWord   = editor:WordEndPosition(startWord, true)

    editor:SetSelection(startWord, endWord)
  else
    local i   = editor.MainSelection

    startWord = editor.SelectionNStart[i]
    endWord   = editor.SelectionNEnd[i]
  end

  s = editor:textrange(startWord, endWord)

  while true do
    editor:SetTargetRange(0, editor.TextLength)

    local i            = editor.MainSelection
    local searchRanges = {{editor.SelectionNEnd[i], editor.TargetEnd}, {editor.TargetStart, editor.SelectionNStart[i]}}
    local itemFound    = false

    for _, range in pairs(searchRanges) do
      editor:SetTargetRange(range[1], range[2])

      if editor:SearchInTarget(s) ~= -1 then
        editor:AddSelection(editor.TargetStart, editor.TargetEnd)
        itemFound = true
        break
      end
    end

    if editor.TargetStart == startWord and
       editor.TargetEnd   == endWord   or
       not itemFound                   then
      break
    end
  end

  -- To turn on Notepad++ multi select markers
  editor:LineScroll(0, 1)
  editor:LineScroll(0, -1)
end)

[bitagoras]

@dinkumoil : Ok thank you, I was not aware. But I still would appreaciate if the two functions would be added to list of scintilla comands at the keyboard shortcuts. Should not be to difficult.

[Ekopalypse]

@bitagoras
I just have updated the FR with my test.
A simple keyboard binding does not work but the solution is
similar easy.