Kakoune editor cheatsheet

• Author: Solène
• Date: 02 December 2020
• Tags: kakoune editor cheatsheet

=> Comment on Mastodon

This is a simple kakoune cheat sheet to help me (and readers) remember some very useful features.

To see kakoune in action.

=> Video showing various features in made with asciinema. | Official kakoune website (it has a video)

Commands (in command mode)

Select from START to END position.

Use Z to mark start and alt+z i to select unti current position.

Add a vertical cursor (useful to mimic rectangle operation)

Type C to add a new cursor below your current cursor.

Clear all cursors

Type space to remove all cursors except one.

Pasting text verbatim (without completion/indentation)

You have to use "disable hook" command before inserting text. This is done with \i with \ disabling hooks.

Split selection into cursors

When you make a selection, you can use s and type a pattern, this will create a new cursor at the start of every pattern match.

This is useful to make replacements for words or characters.

A pattern can be a word, a letter, or even ^ to tell the beginning of each line.

How-to

In kakoune there are often multiples way to do operations.

Select multiples lines

Multiples cursors

Go to first line, press J to create cursors below and press X to select whole lines of every cursors.

Using start / end markers

Press Z on first line, and alt+z i on last line and then press X to select whole lines of every lines.

Using selections

Press X until you reach the last line.

Replace characters or words

Make a selection and type |, you are then asked for a shell command, you have to use sed.

Sed can be used, but you can also select the lines and split the selection to make a new cursor before each word and replace the content by typing it, using the s command.

Format lines

For my blog I format paragraphs so lines are not longer than 80 characters. This can be done by selecting lines and run fmt using a pipe command. You can use other software if fmt doesn't please you.