Multiple Selection Editing

With EmEditor’s multiple selection editing, you can quickly make changes at multiple locations in your document simultaneously. Use it to rename variables, enter data, and more.

EmEditor allows you to select multiple locations within a document. To make multiple selections, make one selection, then hold down the CTRL key and make another selection with the mouse. Alternatively, you can press the F8 key, move the cursor to extend the selection, press the F8 key again to finish the selection, move the cursor again to go to the next selection position, and repeat this procedure until you make all selections.

The Add Next Occurrence command (CTRL+R) in the context menu will find the same text as the word at the cursor. The Add Next Next Occurrence command will skip the next occurrence, but add the occurrence after the next one. The Select All Occurrences command (CTRL+SHIFT+A) will select all the occurrences.

After you make multiple selections, you can type new text to replace all the selections at once. Pressing the BACKSPACE key removes the last character in each selection. Moreover, you can use many conversion commands against the selections.

The Find All button in the Find dialog box allows you to select all the occurrences of your search string.

With the Switch Starting Point and Ending Point command (SHIFT+F8) you can move the cursor to the selection starting point by pressing SHIFT+F8, and then adjust the selection’s starting and ending points for even easier editing.

Vertical Selection Editing allows you to select and replace, or insert, text in column format. Vertical Selection editing is easily accessed by holding down the ALT key as you click and drag the mouse over the text. You can also use the Select Beginning of Lines and Select Ending of Lines commands to vertically select and easily edit the beginnings and endings of lines.

Cheatsheet

Keyboard Shortcut	Command
Ctrl + click and drag	Make multiple selections
F8	Start and end multiple selections
Ctrl + Alt + Up or Down	Create new selections above or below
Ctrl + R	Select the next instance of the word under the cursor
Ctrl + Shift + A	Select all instances of the word under the cursor

Also see “Common Keyboard Shortcuts” for other keyboard shortcuts.