205
64
Using VI tool for editing config files.
How can I select all the text in a file (around 1000 lines), copy it, then paste into Google Docs?
205
64
Using VI tool for editing config files.
How can I select all the text in a file (around 1000 lines), copy it, then paste into Google Docs?
169
The simplest and fastest way is to use: : % y + and then go over to Google Docs (or wherever) and paste. Explanation:
Another way is g g " + y G but you will likely admit that the above is faster and easier.
106
Many given replies also yank the selection, which I was not looking for.
I'm using ggVG for this purpose (needs to be run on normal mode). This command only selects the whole text inside the document.
I've even remapped Ctrl+A for this purpose, since I don't really need to increment an integer with the shortcut (default Ctrl+A map).
Just add this into your .vimrc
:
map <C-a> <esc>ggVG<CR>
It has <esc>
first, to make sure the user is in normal mode.
3Exactly what I was looking for, and it's nice to see that Ctrl+A isn't occupied in vim by default. Hope there are no side-effects. – Nikos Alexandris – 2015-04-21T13:54:48.203
3I personally use ggVG
, but gg0vG$
might be more appropriate since it more closely replicates the 'normal' Ctrl+A operation. – Sheharyar – 2016-09-22T12:02:14.540
41
You can use cat file
and then select output and copy and paste if you need to paste it into your browser.
For vi this is how you can select all text and write it into a new file:
shift v -- visual mode
shift g -- jump to eof
"*y -- yank select text
:e my_new_file -- create a new file
"*p -- paste into a new file
In theory this should work on both Linux and Windows - I tried it on a Mac but it doesn't work.
+1 for cat and select in putty. Of course, will not work for huge files and is not the most user friendly method. But for copying small script files which goes outside screen viewport is good enough. – Arnis Juraga – 2017-10-14T16:36:09.683
1To paste into the Web browser cat file
is the way to go. The shift v
method only copies to Vi's internal buffer. – Aleksandr Levchuk – 2010-12-30T17:31:34.303
not if you use the system clipboard which uses the * registry - but this works on X only and I heard on windows - so if you ssh you need the -X - to check if vim has support for this into vim -- :set clipboard+=unnamed – None – 2010-12-30T17:34:24.207
Is there any alternative to do this without creating a new file.if we are editing live on server we need to keep the backup code on local machine so that we can revert back. – NJInamdar – 2013-07-24T04:51:23.870
17
USE ggVG. type "gg" to go at top of the test Then type VG.
9
I am using Vim 7.4 in CentOS-7 environment. Which worked me for selecting all the text is
:%y
Then just p
in the next file where I want a full copy.
Or
You can use cat command.
cat copyfile > pastefile
This git repo has some other useful commands too.
1This is the best shortcut than any other codes. I have tested this and it works like a charm. – itsraghz – 2019-12-23T07:19:29.207
7
gg"+yG
or
gg"*yG
depending on whether + or * is the system clipboard. (On many unixes, + is the mouse selection buffer for middle-mouse-clicking, and * is the system clipboard).
1
I think it's the other way around: "* is selection and "+ is clipboard. http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/gui_x11.html#x11-selection
– Mikel – 2010-12-30T20:24:31.500You're right. I knew that too, but typed the wrong thing. ☹ – frabjous – 2010-12-30T22:21:01.423
3
For a Mac, use pbcopy (pasteboard copy):
cat file.txt | pbcopy
The contents of file.txt are now on the clipboard for pasting into another application (e.g. browser).
You can also paste the contents of the clipboard into a file using pbpaste:
pbpaste > file.txt
While this doesn't involve vi specifically it does achieve the same goal on a Mac.
1
If you're using a linux desktop, you could load it into the clipboard using xclip or xsel. For something that size you might just want to use the upload feature in google docs.
1
Another way would be:
You press v key on your keyboard and turn VIM to VISUAL
Then select all text by scrolling down
^+ INSERT to copy
SHIFT +INSERT to paste the text wherever you want on Google Docs.
0
Without using vi, you can upload text to google docs using their API and cURL.
3that's the opposite of what OP wants -.- – Rápli András – 2014-10-09T18:27:03.093
0
See http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/Accessing_the_system_clipboard for options on how to do this. (if compiled in "* should refer to the system clipboard). There are also instructions there for how to use xsel with vim.
"* is the what was selected and "+ is what was copied. http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/gui_x11.html#x11-selection
– Mikel – 2010-12-30T20:25:01.4370
Use the following command.
cat <your file name>
It will echo the content of file. Now select, scroll, copy, paste.
Game Over
Ex.:
cat bobis.txt
10@Tuxmentat can you please explain what each key does in
:%y+
– Jas – 2014-06-22T09:41:46.90010This answer would be better if it explained what each key does for both sequences. – AsksAnyway – 2014-07-27T14:13:01.370
6
My best guess: the ':' means we're using an "ex mode" command (I think). Anyhow, it's a command. '%' is a special command-line range specifier which specifies the whole file. 'y' yanks everything, and '+' specifies the clipboard register. :help <command> helped me figure this out.
– Hawkeye Parker – 2014-08-27T09:53:22.437ggVG, then "+y is my fav, and then of course i dont use "+ because i mapped y to "+y (among others) that way i just have to do ggVG and then y – osirisgothra – 2014-09-24T11:47:36.253
@HawkeyeParker probably here's is some secret anyway because with this logic the
:%p+
should have worked too, but it doesn't ☹ – Hi-Angel – 2014-10-07T08:14:02.300If you are in Windows and have
set clipboard=unnamed
in your .vimrc, you can simply use:%y
– Zenadix – 2014-12-09T15:15:43.97711i must be doing something wrong. i type
:%y+
, and i getE488: Trailing characters
– johny why – 2016-07-27T20:51:21.89027I get "E850: Invalid register name". Second method worked fine for copying, but doesn't get to system clipboard on Ubuntu 16.04 (for me, at least---I have a .vimrc that may be affecting things). – EntangledLoops – 2016-08-04T20:50:43.353
2
@johnywhy run
– Alexander Malakhov – 2016-09-02T09:54:33.003:version
and see if+clipboard
is there (source)2@EntangledLoops you will get that error if clipboard support is not compiled in. Try downloading
gvim
, or better, NeoVim (for all its performance improvements) – oligofren – 2017-06-23T12:33:45.180@oligofren Thanks, good to know and gvim worked. The original poster was asking about VI though, so not sure these are ideal solutions. – EntangledLoops – 2017-06-23T20:12:55.200
@EntangledLoops, I have a quite virgin vimrc and still got the same problem, but if you use split screen by
:sp file2_name
, you can past it with p. And I still think there has to be a better way to do it. – user10089632 – 2018-02-14T07:53:19.603This solution is not working. It's not as well as its votes! – Alex Jolig – 2018-06-26T18:45:58.990
2@alexjolig @entangledloops Not sure if that command for older versions, but for recent versions of Vi (7.4 onwards), this answer is wrong in the sense that it requires
: % + y
and not: % y +
(note the position of the plus symbol). Hope that saves someone a few agonising minutes. [credits to RL] – Yannis – 2018-07-11T11:01:36.683I use ":1,$ y"
Which means : <- Command mode, 1 <- line number 1 $ <- last line y <- yank – mujjiga – 2018-07-16T10:00:12.507
I worked like a charm on gvim windows. @Tuxmentat – Pie – 2019-05-28T01:35:46.290
I don't know why this has so many upvotes, it doesn't answer the question as stated. This is how you "copy all to clipboard", not "select all". – EntangledLoops – 2019-09-21T01:30:25.223
4+1 for the first method, another benefit is that it doesn't move the cursor position. – Andy E – 2013-03-12T12:41:32.800