How To Select All In Vim/Vi Editor? [VI/VIM select all] (2024)

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An editor that allows for faster text editing and with a powerful and highly customizable command-line tool is known as vim editor. Bram Moolenaar created Vim editor, which is recognized as a developer's editor, as it enables major file formats. Depending on our demands, we can use the other plugins that are available in Vim (VImproved). this article will give you a brief understanding of how to select all in Vim editor.

In Vim or Vi, you wish to select all of a file's content. In a command-line editor, the mouse pointer cannot be used to select any or all of the information. To pick all of a file's content from beginning to end, you should use the select all command.

To select all in Vim, use ggVG.

It allows you to select all in vim of a file's content. To go to normal mode, hit the ESC key first. Then, using the gg keys, we'll jump to the beginning of the file. Then, with the V key, enable the visual mode, and last, with the G key, choose from the beginning to the conclusion of the file. In a nutshell, the key sequences of the Linux command below may be used to Vim select all.

ggVG

Use 99999yy to select and copy everything.

There is a different way to select and copy all data. The yy instruction is used to yank or copy the current line, but we may pick and duplicate all lines by specifying the line count. We'll give you a huge amount of 99999 to choose from and copy. To begin, use the ESC key to return to normal mode. Then use gg to return to the beginning of the file. To copy to the end of the file, use the 99999yy command. this command is also listed in our vim cheat sheet article.

To select and copy all, use $yy.

There is one more different way to pick and copy all data. The $yy instruction is used to yank or copy the current line, but we may pick and duplicate all lines by specifying the line count. To begin, use the ESC key to return to normal mode. Then use gg to revert to the file's start.

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To paste all in Vim, use p

After learning how to select all in vim/vi editor, if you want to paste the entire content in Vim, first enter normal mode. To ensure you are in normal mode, press the Esc key. After that, you need to use the following command:

"+p

Vim uses the "+ register to represent the clipboard. With the p command, the contents of this register are pasted after the current cursor position.

By using this command, the entire contents of the clipboard will be pasted as a single block of text, so keep in mind that multiple lines from the clipboard will be combined without a line break.

Alternatively, you can use the "*p command instead of "+p if your Vim build supports it. The "* register is another special register that also represents the system clipboard.

Remember that the "+" and "*" registers' accessibility relies on your Vim configuration and build choices. Certain Vim installations might not enable clipboard access by default, particularly on terminals without clipboard support. In that situation, installing a version of Vim with support for the clipboard or using a plugin to allow clipboard integration may be necessary.

You also need to know how to Undo and Redo in Vim/Vi editor.

To delete all lines in Vim, use gg and dgg

To delete all lines in Vim, type gg to move the cursor to the file's first line, then type dG (or dgg) and press Enter.

dgg deletes from the current line to the file's last line after the gg command moves the cursor to the file's first line. All lines in the file are effectively deleted as a result.

Alternatively, you can use the :1,$d command in normal mode and press enter to achieve the same result. The :1,$d command means "delete from the first line to the last line," effectively deleting all lines in the file.

Remember that deleting lines in Vim is a destructive operation, and the changes cannot be undone with a simple undo command (u). To preserve the file's content, create a backup or be certain of the action before performing the delete.

Conclusion

Hence, following the above three methods, you can select all in the Vim editor and complete the required task. This will help you to reduce the efforts to select the whole document if the file size is too huge and help in improving your performance efficiency. If you know any other vim, select all commands, then share with us from the comment box.