This package includes Emacs minor modes (iedit-mode and iedit-rectangle-mode) based on a API library (iedit-lib) and allows you to edit one occurrence of some text in a buffer (possibly narrowed) or region, and simultaneously have other occurrences edited in the same way, with visual feedback as you type.
Normal work flow of Iedit mode is like:
- Move to certain point and press C-; (The default key binding). All occurrences of a symbol, string or a region in the buffer are highlighted corresponding to the thing under the point, current mark and prefix argument. Refer to the document of `iedit-mode’ for details.
- Edit one of the occurrences The change is applied to other occurrences simultaneously.
- Finish - by pressing C-; again
Many other work flows to highlight occurrences are possible, for example, activation from isearch, incremental selection and markup tag pair selection.
You can also use Iedit mode as a quick way to temporarily show only the buffer lines that match the current text being edited. This gives you the effect of a temporary `keep-lines’ or `occur’. To get this effect, hit C-’ when in Iedit mode - it toggles hiding non-matching lines.
Renaming refactoring is convenient in Iedit mode
- The symbol under point is selected as occurrence by default and only complete symbols are matched
- With digit prefix argument 0, only occurrences in current function are matched
- Restricting symbols in current region can be done by pressing C-; again
- Last renaming refactoring is remembered and can be applied to other buffers later
- Restricting the search area to just the current line can be done by pressing M-I.
- Restricting the search area to the lines near the current line can be done by pressing M-{ and M-}. These will expand the search region one line at a time from the top and bottom. Add a prefix argument to go the opposite direction.
Iedit-rectangle-mode provides rectangle support with visible rectangle highlighting, which is similar with cua mode rectangle support. But it’s lighter weight and uses iedit mechanisms.
There are also some other facilities you may never think about. Refer to the document of function `iedit-mode’ (C-h f iedit-mode RET) for more details.
The easiest way to install and keep Iedit up-to-date is using Emacs’s built-in package manager. Iedit is available in the MELPA repository. Refer to http://melpa.org/#/getting-started for how to install a package from MELPA.
You can also clone Iedit’s repository or download a zip package from GitHub https://github.com/victorhge/iedit
You will need to add a few extra lines in your .emacs file, to make your Emacs knows about the package:
(add-to-list 'load-path "~/dir/to/your/iedit")
(require 'iedit)