vim-scripts/ReplaceWithRegister

This is a mirror of http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2703

DESCRIPTION Replacing an existing text with the contents of a register is a very common task during editing. One typically first deletes the existing text via the d, D or dd commands, then pastes the register with p or P. Most of the time, the unnamed register is involved, with the following pitfall: If you forget to delete into the black-hole register ("_), the replacement text is overwritten!

This plugin offers a two-in-one command that replaces text covered by a {motion}, entire line(s) or the current selection with the contents of a register; the old text is deleted into the black-hole register, i.e. it's gone. (But of course, the command can be easily undone.)

The replacement mode (characters or entire lines) is determined by the replacement command / selection, not by the register contents. This avoids surprises like when the replacement text was a linewise yank, but the replacement is characterwise: In this case, no additional newline is inserted.

SEE ALSO

• ReplaceWithSameIndentRegister.vim (vimscript #5046) is a companion plugin for the special (but frequent) case of replacing lines while keeping the original indent.
• LineJugglerCommands.vim (vimscript #4465) provides a similar :Replace [["]x] Ex command.

RELATED WORKS

• regreplop.vim (vimscript #2702) provides an alternative implementation of the same idea.
• operator-replace (vimscript #2782) provides replacement of {motion} only, depends on another library of the author, and does not have a default mapping.
• Luc Hermitte has an elegant minimalistic visual-mode mapping in http://code.google.com/p/lh-vim/source/browse/misc/trunk/macros/repl-visual-no-reg-overwrite.vim
• EasyClip (https://github.com/svermeulen/vim-easyclip) changes the delete commands to stop yanking, introduces a new "m" command for cutting, and also provides an "s" substitution operator that pastes register contents over the moved-over text.

USAGE [count]["x]gr{motion} Replace {motion} text with the contents of register x. Especially when using the unnamed register, this is quicker than "_d{motion}P or "_c{motion}" [count]["x]grr Replace [count] lines with the contents of register x. To replace from the cursor position to the end of the line use ["x]gr$ {Visual}["x]gr Replace the selection with the contents of register x.