Step 4 of 4

Acting on a match

Acting on a match

In Vim, a search puts the cursor at the start of the match, and changing the text takes a second step to say how much of it you mean. In Helix that second step is already done: the match is the selection.

That means any command that acts on a selection works directly on a search result:

  • c deletes the match and drops you into insert mode in its place
  • d deletes the match
  • y copies it

And because n hands you the next match as a fresh selection, you can search once and then work through the file one match at a time.

Work through the checklist below. The word the is misspelled as teh twice in the editor — search for it, confirm the search with Enter (Escape would leave c acting on a single character instead of the match), change the first one, then jump to the second and fix that too.

  1. Search for the typo The first teh is on line 1 — type /teh and press Enter to keep it selected.
  2. Change the selection The match is already selected, so press c to replace it.
  3. Type the fix and come back to normal mode Type the, then hit Escape.
  4. Jump to the next typo The other teh is on line 2 — press n.
  5. Fix it the same way Press c, type the, and hit Escape.
Search for the typo The first teh is on line 1 — type /teh and press Enter to keep it selected.

Next: Change the selection

Loading editor…