Visual Block Mode

(This reference page is modified from Sandip Chitale's Rectangular Edit documentation. Thanks Sandip.)

Block Mode in action

This NetBeans screenshot shows a visual block mode selection. Notice that the status bar displays both jVi's current mode and the dimensions of the block mode selection. The cursor is in the lower right corner of the selected block. It can be moved around with the arrow keys to extend and shrink the selection. There are commands to shift the cursor to other corners.

Notes for non vi/vim users using Block Mode

jVi is turned on/off with a checkbox in the Tools menu
The current mode displays in the status bar beneath editor region.
Use <ESC> to end the current mode or operation.
gv starts visual mode with the previous visual selection
u and Ctrl-R are undo and redo in command mode.

Selecting a Rectangular Region

Converting a normal selection
Create a selection, for example drag the mouse, so the the endpoints of the selection are the corners of the rectangular region of interest. Then enter Ctrl-V to begin visual block mode. Then use the arrow keys if needed.
arrow keys
If not already in visual block mode, enter Ctrl-V and then use the arrow keys to move move the cursor. In block mode, cursor motion adjust a corner of the block. Note that any vi/vim motion commands (such as a pattern search, eg /class) may be used to move the cursor and so extend or shrink the block.
moving the cursor to other corners
The following illustration shows how the cursor is moved to other corners of the block.

`o` lower case, moves cursor to opposite corner	`O` upper case, moves cursor to other end of line	end result of entering `oO`
0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789	0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789	0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789

Notice that entering oOoO touches all four corners returning the cursor to its original position.

When there are TABS in the selection, the display may not look correct, however the commands behave correctly.

Block Mode Commands

Note that most commands that add text take an optional count, in particular the p, P, I and A commands, this results in tiling the block. See the last example.

By default the delete, yank and put commands operate on an internal buffer. To use them with the clipboard, prepend the command with "*. For example, "*d deletes the block and places the text in the clipboard. (the double quote is part of the command).

When jvi (vim) puts block mode data into a buffer, the d and y commands, it marks that buffer as containing block mode data. The P command behaves differently if the buffer does not contain block mode data.

The following examples all assume the buffer has block mode data. The last examples show advanced command features in action.

If there are TABS in the selection, they are "split" as needed to square things up.

Selection	Command	Result	Buffer
0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789	`x` or `d` delete	0123456789 01789 01789 01789 0123456789	2345 2345 2345
0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789	`y` yank	0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789	2345 2345 2345
01234 01234 01234 01234 01234	`P` uppercase put before cursor, from buffer	01234 01-- 234 01++++ 234 01*****234 01234	-- ++++ ***** no change
01234 01234 01234 01234 01234	`p` lowercase put after cursor, from buffer	01234 012-- 34 012++++ 34 012*****34 01234	-- ++++ ***** no change
In next, buffer first provides the source data, then it is replaced by what was deleted.
01234567 01234567 01234567 01234567 01234567	`P` or `p` replace selected from buffer	01234567 01-- 567 01++++ 567 01*****567 01234567	after 234 234 234
0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789	`rx` replace all with char	0123456789 01xxxxx789 01xxxxx789 01xxxxx789 0123456789	no change
0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789	`c-+*`<ESC> change each line selection to user text	0123456789 01-+789 01-+789 01-+*789 0123456789	no change
aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ	`U` Uppercase	aBcDeFgHiJ aBCDEFGHiJ aBCDEFGHiJ aBCDEFGHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ	no change
aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ	`u` Lowercase	aBcDeFgHiJ aBcdefgHiJ aBcdefgHiJ aBcdefgHiJ aBcDeFgHiJ	no change
01234 01234 01234 01234 01234	`I#*<ESC>` insert before block	01234 0#1234 0#1234 0#*1234 01234	no change
01234 01234 01234 01234 01234	`A*#<ESC>` append after block	01234 0123#4 0123#4 0123*#4 01234	no change
Notice that the behavior of `I` and `A` are different when short lines are included in the selection. This is intentional so that both types of behavior are available.
01234 01234 0 0 01234 01234	`I+=<ESC>` insert before block	01234 01+=234 0 0 01+=234 01234	no change
`I`, insert, does not affect short lines (above). `A`, append, modifies short lines (below).
01234 01234 0 0 01234 01234	`A++<ESC>` append after block	01234 0123++4 0 ++ 0 ++ 0123++4 01234	no change
The following example shows how `p`, the put command, inserts blanks after short lines to complete a put. The `$` in the example command move the cursor to the end of the line.
01234 01234 0 0 01234 01234	`y$p` put extends short lines if needed	01234 01234012 0 0 0 0 01234012 01234	012 0 0 012
Here is an example using a count with the put command. The buffer contents are shown before the command is exectued.
0123 0123 0123 0123 0123	`3p` tile three copies of buffer	0123 01ababab23 01cdcdcd23 01efefef23 0123	ab cd ef no change