How to select lines up?

[srghma]

In order to select 3 lines down one shold do 3X, how to do the same in up direction?
2K<a-x>? Too much keys

[lenormf]

That's the proper way. x doesn't have a simliar upward key because we generally don't need as often, so it didn't warrant make room on the keyboard for it. You can however bind whatever key you want to emulate this behaviour though.

[srghma]

@lenormf, you have said that you generally dont select upward, rly? I select upward all the time, with the same frequency as downward. And who is using current behavior of x? I know it consistent with web keys, but rly, there must be better way.
Tonight I came up with how I want to select lines in kakoune: make x behave like current X - select line if none selection or select downward if present, and X - select line if none or upward.
Consider this:

1. no selection
2. x - select line downward, 1 line selected
3. 2x - append 2 lines downward, 3 lines selected
4. 2X - append 2 lines upward, 5 lines selected, cursor now atop.

@lenormf @mawww ?

[alexherbo2]

def -hidden -params 1 extend-line-down %{
  exec "<a-:>%arg{1}X"
}

def -hidden -params 1 extend-line-up %{
  exec "<a-:><a-;>%arg{1}K<a-x>"
}

map global normal x ":extend-line-down %val{count}<ret>"

map global normal X ":extend-line-up %val{count}<ret>"

[srghma]

@alexherbo2 nice, you have made my day, kudos)

[srghma]

@alexherbo2 I have another one insane idea: made web keys discern CamelCase and underscore notation by default, so usually when you move - you distinguish CamelCase, but when you want to select the word - you select it like textobject
Actually I have this feature in my vim and I have never regreted the day when I made this

[alexherbo2]

def -hidden select-next-word %{
  exec /[A-Z][a-z]+|[A-Z]+|[a-z]+<ret>
}

def -hidden extend-next-word %{
  exec ?[A-Z][a-z]+|[A-Z]+|[a-z]+<ret>
}

map global normal w :select-next-word<ret>

map global normal W :extend-next-word<ret>

[srghma]

@alexherbo2 , ahahahhh, you genius)) ❤️

[srghma]

@alexherbo2 , I think your answers must be in wiki

[alexherbo2]

Yep can you add them? :p

[srghma]

I put it in How to
Doesnt know that I can)

[srghma]

@alexherbo2 , finally I have tried your scripts))
In extending line script I wanted X to select line like x if none selection or select up if selection exists. Here is result (oh, god, I love that)

def -params 1 extend-line-down %{
  exec "<a-:>%arg{1}X"
}
def -params 1 extend-line-up %{
  exec "<a-:><a-;>%arg{1}K<a-;>X<a-;><a-X>"
}

map global normal x ':extend-line-down %val{count}<ret>'
map global normal X ':extend-line-up %val{count}<ret>'

but there is error: if lines are containing only newlines - it will select up and down simultaneously, can you help me with that?

2. And CamelCase motions.....well, it can wait

[alexherbo2]

try %{
  exec <a-K>\n<ret>
  exec <a-x><a-:><a-\;>
} catch %{
  exec <a-:><a-\;>K<a-x>
}

[srghma]

def -params 1 extend-line-up %{
  try %{
    exec <a-K>\n<ret>
    exec <a-x><a-:><a-\;>
  } catch %{
    exec "<a-:><a-;>%arg{1}K<a-;>X<a-;><a-X>"
  }
}

Is that what you mean? I mean like in this video, if I am on new line it will select in both directions. This snippet is working the same(

[alexherbo2]

I updated the command

[srghma]

Wow, awesome, I have got it, its beautiful

[srghma]

def -params 1 extend-line-down %{
  exec "<a-:>%arg{1}X"
}
def -params 1 extend-line-up %{
  try %{
    exec <a-K>\n<ret>
    exec <a-x><a-:><a-\;>
  } catch %{
    exec "<a-:><a-;>%arg{1}K<a-x>"
  }
}

map global normal x ':extend-line-down %val{count}<ret>'
map global normal X ':extend-line-up %val{count}<ret>'

You have forgotten count)))

[alexherbo2]

def -params 1 extend-line-down %{
  exec "<a-:>%arg{1}X"
}

def -params 1 extend-line-up %{
  exec "<a-:><a-;>%arg{1}K<a-;>"
  try %{
    exec -draft ';<a-K>\n<ret>'
    exec X
  }
  exec '<a-;><a-X>'
}

map global normal x ':extend-line-down %val{count}<ret>'

map global normal X ':extend-line-up %val{count}<ret>'

[ixzh]

this should be the default mapping!

[evanrelf]

Hi there 👋

I just finished an initial version of a plugin I'm calling expand-line.kak, which rebinds x and X to drag the cursor up and down, line-by-line.

https://github.com/evanrelf/expand-line.kak

• You can mash x a bunch of times to select lines downwards, and then hit X to retract your selection by a line if you go too far.
• Continuing to hit X will cause the selection to go from shrinking from below to growing from above.
• You can use numeric prefixes, e.g. 5x works.
• Multiple selections are supported.

There may be certain edge cases I haven't discovered yet, but in my initial testing and development it's worked great. Feel free to report issues if you run into any.