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    • guy038G
      guy038
      last edited by

      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

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
      • bitagorasB
        bitagoras
        last edited by

        @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 SumnerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
        • Scott SumnerS
          Scott Sumner @bitagoras
          last edited by

          @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.

          bitagorasB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • bitagorasB
            bitagoras @Scott Sumner
            last edited by

            @Scott-Sumner

            ok but I think I got your point ;-)

            Probably this GIF is only visible from my IP.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • PeterJonesP
              PeterJones
              last edited by

              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.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
              • guy038G
                guy038
                last edited by 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

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                • cipher-1024C
                  cipher-1024
                  last edited by

                  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
                  
                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                  • cipher-1024C
                    cipher-1024
                    last edited by 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!

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                    • guy038G
                      guy038
                      last edited by 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

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                      • cipher-1024C
                        cipher-1024
                        last edited by

                        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.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                        • bitagorasB
                          bitagoras
                          last edited by

                          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.

                          EkopalypseE dinkumoilD 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 3
                          • EkopalypseE
                            Ekopalypse @bitagoras
                            last edited by Ekopalypse

                            @bitagoras said in Multi selection and multi edit:

                            SCI_MULTIPLESELECTADDNEXT

                            Added this feature request.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                            • dinkumoilD
                              dinkumoil @bitagoras
                              last edited by 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
                              
                              1. 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)
                              
                              bitagorasB 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                              • bitagorasB
                                bitagoras @dinkumoil
                                last edited by

                                @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.

                                EkopalypseE 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • EkopalypseE
                                  Ekopalypse @bitagoras
                                  last edited by

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

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • bitagorasB
                                    bitagoras
                                    last edited by

                                    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)
                                    
                                    Don BhaiD bitagorasB 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 6
                                    • michaelfernandez98M
                                      michaelfernandez98
                                      last edited by

                                      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 KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • Alan KilbornA
                                        Alan Kilborn @michaelfernandez98
                                        last edited by

                                        @michaelfernandez98

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

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                        • michaelfernandez98M
                                          michaelfernandez98
                                          last edited by

                                          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 KilbornA PeterJonesP 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • Alan KilbornA
                                            Alan Kilborn @michaelfernandez98
                                            last edited by

                                            @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)
                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
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