How do I search for the selected text?

Question

How do I search for the selected (with v and y) string? I usually search with /, but I cannot paste the selected string after /.

related question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3997078/how-to-paste-text-into-vim-command-line — HaskellElephant, Dec 22 '11 at 01:44

score 25 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 23 '11 at 06:35

25

In insert mode you can use CTRL-R to insert the contents of Vim registers. By default, copied text gets put in the unnamed register ", so to insert that text you would type <C-R>" in insert mode. The search prompt uses Command-line mode which has its own CTRL-R that works almost identically to the one in Insert mode.

So if I just yanked the text foo, typing /<C-R>" would search for the text foo once I press enter.

edited Dec 23 '11 at 06:35

Chris Johnsen

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answered Dec 21 '11 at 09:04

David Brown

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strictly speaking this is not in insert mode but in command line mode. And about this: [see this other answer](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3997078/how-to-paste-text-into-vim-command-line/3997110#3997110) that explains about registers more in depth. – Benoit Dec 21 '11 at 15:41
@Benoit I knew there must be some name for that mode. Updated my answer. – David Brown Dec 22 '11 at 04:01
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Just a comment. Pressing Ctrl R showed a " on the command line. I then needed to type " to get the search term... – 576i Jan 09 '18 at 11:05

score 4 · Answer 2 · edited Feb 17 '14 at 15:25

4

:set hls
:vmap * y:let @/ = @"<CR>

set hls (hight light search)
v => hjkl (select something)
press *, copy selected text to reg "
set content of reg / as "
press n/N to navigate

edited Feb 17 '14 at 15:25

BenMorel

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answered Dec 21 '11 at 09:03

kev

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Benoit · Answer 3 · 2011-12-21T13:22:18.643

I have this mapping defined in my vimrc, it maps * to defining the search pattern as what is currently highlighted (escaping all potential dangerous characters, and converting a space in what is highlighted to any sequence of spaces)

xnoremap * :<C-U>let old_reg=getreg('"')|let old_regtype=getregtype('"')<CR>gvy/<C-R><C-R>=substitute(substitute(escape(@", '/\.*$^~['), '\s\+', '\\s\\+', 'g'), '\_s\+', '\\_s*', 'g')<CR><CR>gV:call setreg('"', old_reg, old_regtype)<CR>:let v:searchforward=1<CR>

In order to use it, start visual mode with v, and then highlight what you want to search and press * not y.

Of course you can map # to search backwards (exactly the same except that v:searchforward should be set to 0.

That mapping gave an error in nvim ("Undefined variable CR"). I use [this](https://vim.wikia.com/wiki/Search_for_visually_selected_text) from the Vim Wiki instead that makes searching for URLs possible, for example: `vnoremap // y/\V=escape(@",'/\')` — Matthias Braun, Nov 24 '19 at 11:21

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Jun 29 '20 at 16:18

0

First yank the highlighted text using y. Then

/
Ctrl + r
"

Above commands will paste what you have yanked after the /. Then press ENTER

answered Jun 29 '20 at 16:18

Riyafa Abdul Hameed

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 23 '11 at 01:59

If you only care about searches, you can use the cheat method I use. Yank a word via v or y+w, then issue the command

:%s//XYZ/gc

This will search for the last searched word. Then when you find it, it will ask for confirmation to replace with XYZ, and all you have to do is hit q to quit.

How do I search for the selected text?

5 Answers5

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