Multi selection and multi edit

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:

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

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.

bitagoras

Here is my entire solution (copy from this Github Issue) with NppExec which gives Notepad++ all the multi editing functionality from VSCode. The only difference is that there are two different shortcuts each for addNext and for skip.

addNext (Ctrl-D):

NPP_CONSOLE 0
sci_sendmsg 2690  // SCI_TARGETWHOLEDOCUMENT
sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS 0
sci_sendmsg 2688  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT

multiSelect_D

addNextWholeWord (Shift-Ctrl-D):

NPP_CONSOLE 0
sci_sendmsg 2690  // SCI_TARGETWHOLEDOCUMENT
sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS SCFIND_WHOLEWORD
sci_sendmsg 2688  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT

multiSelect_DW

addEach (Shift-Ctrl-L):

NPP_CONSOLE 0
sci_sendmsg 2690  // SCI_TARGETWHOLEDOCUMENT
sci_sendmsg SCI_GETSELECTIONEMPTY
if $(MSG_RESULT) == 1 then
  sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS SCFIND_WHOLEWORD
else
  sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS 0
endif
sci_sendmsg 2689  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDEACH
sci_sendmsg 2689  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDEACH

multiSelect_EACH

undoAddNext (Ctrl-U):

NPP_CONSOLE 0
sci_sendmsg SCI_GETSELECTIONS
set n ~ $(MSG_RESULT) - 1
sci_sendmsg SCI_DROPSELECTIONN $(n)

multiSelect_DU

skip (Alt-Ctrl-D):

NPP_CONSOLE 0
sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS SCFIND_NONE
sci_sendmsg 2688  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT
sci_sendmsg SCI_GETSELECTIONS
set n ~ $(MSG_RESULT) - 2
sci_sendmsg SCI_DROPSELECTIONN $(n)

multiSelect_DS

skipWholeWord (Alt-Shift-Ctrl-D):

NPP_CONSOLE 0
sci_sendmsg SCI_SETSEARCHFLAGS SCFIND_NONE
sci_sendmsg 2688  // SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT
sci_sendmsg SCI_GETSELECTIONS
set n ~ $(MSG_RESULT) - 2
sci_sendmsg SCI_DROPSELECTIONN $(n)

michaelfernandez98

Hello
I’m new to this but I’m interested in having the functionality to select similar strings in a document and be able to do multiple editing
how can i add this functionality to notepad ++?

Alan Kilborn

@michaelfernandez98

Perhaps the simplest way would be to add the NppExec plugin to your Notepad++ and used the scripts by @bitagoras directly above?

michaelfernandez98

yes i was watching
I already installed the NppExec script to the notepad++
but now the problem is how do I add the scripts by @bitagoras to the notepad ++?

Alan Kilborn

@michaelfernandez98

It feels a bit like spoon-feeding, but…

Select Plugins from the N++ menus
Select NppExec
Select Execute (default key assignment is F6)
Paste in ONE of the short “scripts” above in the Execute… box that appears
Optionally (but recommended) test run it by pressing the OK button
Press F6 again; “script” from before was retained and shows in the box
Press Save… , give it a name (suggested above the “scripts” above), press OK
Assign a keycombo (again; suggested ones are above the “scripts” above)

PeterJones

@michaelfernandez98 said:

but now the problem is how do I add the scripts by @bitagoras to the notepad ++?

@Alan-Kilborn replied:

…
Assign a keycombo (again; suggested ones are above the “scripts” above)

If saving and naming a script wasn’t obvious, then assigning a keycombo is going to be less intuitive. Just saying. ;-)

@michaelfernandez98,
Once you have one or more scripts named and saved as Alan described, then go to Plugins > NppExec > Advanced Options. In the lower left, use the Associated Script pulldown to select the script; click Add/Modify button to add it to the list of Menu Items in the upper left; note whether or not ☑ Place in the Macros Submenu is enabled (you will need this later). Repeat as necessary for all of the above scripts. When you hit OK to apply those changes, a popup will tell you that you should restart Notepad++: save any open files, then restart Notepad++.

After the restart, then either the Macros menu (if the checkbox was enabled) or the Plugins > NppExec submenu (if the checkbox was disabled) will list your new NppExec scripts.

To assign a keycombo to each, go to Macros > Modify Shortcut/Delete Macro (or, equivalently, Settings > Shortcut Mapper), and go to the Plugin Commands tab. Filter by NppExec and scroll down until you see the new script names. Click on the script you want a keycombo for, hit Modify, and pick the appropriate combination of Ctrl, Alt, Shift, and the selected key. Repeat the Modify procedure for all the scripts that you want a keycombo for.

Alan Kilborn

@PeterJones

Thanks for filling in those details Peter!
As I was walking thru the steps on my setup, I didn’t do that part, so I’d forgotten that it was maybe not the most obvious thing.

Is there a way to delete scripts that just isn’t obvious to me at the moment?
For example, during my experimentation I named my script “junk”.
Now I want to get rid of it, but don’t see a way to in the NppExec UI.
Or do I have to resort to hand-editing the config file for the plugin?

PeterJones

@Alan-Kilborn said in Multi selection and multi edit:

Now I want to get rid of it, but don’t see a way to in the NppExec UI.

No obvious way, that’s for sure.

The … > Advanced Options > Delete button removes it from the menu, but not from the saved scripts.

Oh, right, there it is. F6, select junk, counter-intuitively hit Save…, then click the Delete button.

michaelfernandez98

I could already install the plugin and assign the keycombo to it
thanks @PeterJones @Alan-Kilborn
They were very helpful

michaelfernandez98

sorry if my english is bad
I speak Spanish

Don Bhai

@bitagoras
@Claudia-Frank
@dinkumoil
i got the plugin and could multi select finally, thanks
but i tried to replace 6 words by another corresponding 6 words
it worked in vscode that the first selected word replaced by the first word in clipboard and the second word replaced by second word and so on
but her in notepad++ every word replaced by the 6 words that in clipboard that makes me crazy
please, any one can help? any idea ?any script ?

Alan Kilborn

@Don-Bhai

I’d help with a PythonScript, but maybe you want an NppExec script?
Can’t tell from the above…

guy038

Hello, @don-bhai, @alan-kilborn and All,

I may misunderstand what you want but are you looking for this kind of manipulations, below, which seems to work nicely ?

I assume that the BetterMultiSelection plugin is installed, with its last 1.4 version ( IMPORTANT )

I personally tested with N++ portable v7.9.2 (32 bits )

So :

Paste the text, below, beginning with a blank line, in a new tab


Little 123 test
Little 456 test
Little 789 test
Little 012 test
Little 345 test
Little 678 test

678
345
012
789
456
123

Move the caret at beginning of line 9
Hold down the Alt and Shift keys and hit 5 times on the Down arrow key
Hit the Shift + End shortcut, once
Hit the Ctrl + C shortcut
Hit, 7 times, on the Up arrow key
Hit, 4 times, on the Right arrow key
Hold down the Shift key and hit 3 times on the Right arrow key
Hit the Ctrl + V shortcut
Hit the Esc key to cancel the multi-selection !

As you can see, in the picture, below, each number, from line 27 to 32, have been pasted, accordingly, in lines 20 to 25 ;-))

Best Regards

guy038

Alan Kilborn

@guy038

I presume OP has this, where the inverted text is the product of “multi-select”:

and then has this in the clipboard:

Peter
Guy
Claudia
Scott
Alan
Terry
Michael

And wants to end up with this text after replacement:

Note that I styled the text in the cyan color myself, just so the replacements could be easier to see.

Of course I could be totally wrong about what the OP has and wants. :-)

Alan Kilborn

Oops, it appears I’ve turned Guy into a philandering filmmaker, Scott into an infidel, and Michael into an encourager of adultery. Sorry, all! :-)