How to replace text with clipboard content in VsCode using VsCodeVim?

Question

I am using vscode + vim. Consider a common scenario where I have to yank/delete some text from one place and replace it with some text anywhere else. But as I need to replace I have to first delete the other text. This results into lost of the previously deleted text.

The solution I thought of it that I can map some key to move contents of " register to register a so it gets saved and whenever I need it I can use <leader> + p to paste it. <leader> + p is mapped to "ap.

I figured out how to move content between registers using let but the issue is that vscode vim doesn't support that yet. It is saying

:let is not implemented yet PRs are welcomed.

Is there any other way I can do this? Is there any alternative for let for vscode vim or does anyone have any better solution for this issue.

Answer 1

A solution to your use case is to:

1. yank the text you want (using the y command)
2. select the text you want to replace in visual mode (e.g.: viw, vi" and their friends)
3. past the text you have copied (using the p command)

Remark: If you repeat the operation, because the " buffer has been changed to the content you have replaced in the first past operation it will lead to a behavior you may not like.

To overcome that problem (of the second replacement) a usual trick, that works on VsCodeVim too, is to map p into pgvy.

Explanation:

• p do the past
• gv reselect the pasted text
• y restore the " register to the pasted content.

Here is the corresponding extract from the VSCode settings: settings.json to have it in VsCode:

    "vim.visualModeKeyBindingsNonRecursive": [
        {
            "before": ["p"],
            "after": ["p","g","v","y"]
        }
    ],    

Answer 2

Use the replace plugin that is available with vscodevim.

use gr[motion] to replace the selection.

e.g: use

grw

to replace the current word at cursor with the clipboard content.