[Geany] Column mode editing

[chuck]

Given a possibly stupid example of some code:

char *fill_1 = "Chapter 1";
char *bill_2 = "Chapter 2";
int yy;
char *fooo_3 = "Chapter 3";
char *best_4 = "Chapter 4";
char *back_5 = "Chapter 5";

Suppose you want to change the variable names so they all have 2-digit 
numbers leading with a zero; so the first line would read
char *fill_01 = "Chapter 1";

Position the cursor after the characters "fill_" on the first line. 
With the shift+alt and down keys, select z zero-width column to the 
right of the underscore.  Select all the way from the top to the
bottom.

Note that nothing will actually show at this point. Zero-width 
rectangular selections have no visual effect. (unfortunately)

Type a zero.  -- it is inserted in all selected rows.  Notice that since 
the 3rd row is too short, nothing happens to it.  Were it as long as the 
selection point, it too would have had the insertion.

Suppose you make a mistake and accidentally type a 9 instead of a zero. 
  No proplem, hit backspace and the 9s all go away, so you can then type 
the zero.

Additional example:

If you wanted to Chnage the word "Chapter" to "Section", you can either 
do a find/replace, or just select the column of "Chapter" and then type 
"Section".

The selection stays there until you move the cursor by arrow keys or the 
mouse.

The typing done in column mode is un-doable.

Cutting of a rectangular selection and then pasting of that selection 
into another rectangular selection will have unusual results if the 
number of rows is not the same in both.

Pasting of a single piece of text will not appear on all selected lines, 
only the first.  Something I think should be there for completeness, but 
which I almost never need, so...

---------------------------------

I do a lot of work with table-oriented things so this edit mode is of 
prime importance to me.  Build with it and try it out.

Enrico Tröger wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:28:47 -0800, chuck <ctl at arrowtwins.com> wrote:
> 
>> OK, so I'll just use Geany to prepare a patch file for me.  (duh!)  Nice 
>> plugin!
> 
> Thanks for the patch.
> But could you give some more information about how to use? I'm not
> really sure what column mode editing means and how to use it ;-).
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Enrico
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Geany mailing list
> Geany at uvena.de
> http://lists.uvena.de/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geany