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hlissner/evil-multiedit

Multiple cursors for evil-mode, based on iedit
Source code at GitHub https://github.com/hlissner/evil-multiedit
hlissner/evil-multiedit.json
{
  "createdAt": "2016-02-20T19:58:51Z",
  "defaultBranch": "master",
  "description": "Multiple cursors for evil-mode, based on iedit",
  "fullName": "hlissner/evil-multiedit",
  "homepage": "",
  "language": "Emacs Lisp",
  "name": "evil-multiedit",
  "pushedAt": "2022-08-29T20:08:04Z",
  "stargazersCount": 357,
  "topics": [
    "emacs",
    "emacs-packages",
    "evil",
    "melpa"
  ],
  "updatedAt": "2025-11-18T07:19:50Z",
  "url": "https://github.com/hlissner/evil-multiedit"
}

[Made with Doom Emacs][Doom Emacs] evil-multiedit [MIT]!(./LICENSE) MELPA MELPA Stable Build Status

evil-multiedit

Section titled “evil-multiedit”

This plugin was an answer to the lack of proper multiple cursor support in Emacs+evil. It allows you to select and edit matches interactively, integrating iedit-mode into evil-mode with an attempt at sensible defaults.

Since then, [evil-mc] has matured, and now that I use both I’ve found they can coexist, filling different niches, complimenting evil’s built-in column/line-wise editing operations.

![evil-multiedit]!(../screenshots/main.gif?raw=true)

Thanks to [syl20bnr] for his [evil-iedit-state] plugin, which this plugin was heavily inspired by.

Installation

Section titled “Installation”

The package is available on MELPA.

M-x package-install RET evil-multiedit

Then load it up with the default keybinds:

(require 'evil-multiedit)
(evil-multiedit-default-keybinds)

Doom Emacs

Section titled “Doom Emacs”

This package comes pre-configured with [Doom Emacs], in its :editor multiple-cursors module. Enable this module and you’re good to go!

Usage

Section titled “Usage”

Evil-multiedit does not automatically bind any keys. Call (evil-multiedit-default-keybinds) to bind my recommended configuration:

;; Highlights all matches of the selection in the buffer.
(define-key evil-visual-state-map "R" 'evil-multiedit-match-all)


;; Match the word under cursor (i.e. make it an edit region). Consecutive presses will
;; incrementally add the next unmatched match.
(define-key evil-normal-state-map (kbd "M-d") 'evil-multiedit-match-and-next)
;; Match selected region.
(define-key evil-visual-state-map (kbd "M-d") 'evil-multiedit-match-and-next)
;; Insert marker at point
(define-key evil-insert-state-map (kbd "M-d") 'evil-multiedit-toggle-marker-here)


;; Same as M-d but in reverse.
(define-key evil-normal-state-map (kbd "M-D") 'evil-multiedit-match-and-prev)
(define-key evil-visual-state-map (kbd "M-D") 'evil-multiedit-match-and-prev)


;; OPTIONAL: If you prefer to grab symbols rather than words, use
;; `evil-multiedit-match-symbol-and-next` (or prev).


;; Restore the last group of multiedit regions.
(define-key evil-visual-state-map (kbd "C-M-D") 'evil-multiedit-restore)


;; RET will toggle the region under the cursor
(define-key evil-multiedit-state-map (kbd "RET") 'evil-multiedit-toggle-or-restrict-region)


;; ...and in visual mode, RET will disable all fields outside the selected region
(define-key evil-motion-state-map (kbd "RET") 'evil-multiedit-toggle-or-restrict-region)


;; For moving between edit regions
(define-key evil-multiedit-state-map (kbd "C-n") 'evil-multiedit-next)
(define-key evil-multiedit-state-map (kbd "C-p") 'evil-multiedit-prev)
(define-key evil-multiedit-insert-state-map (kbd "C-n") 'evil-multiedit-next)
(define-key evil-multiedit-insert-state-map (kbd "C-p") 'evil-multiedit-prev)


;; Ex command that allows you to invoke evil-multiedit with a regular expression, e.g.
(evil-ex-define-cmd "ie[dit]" 'evil-multiedit-ex-match)

Once regions are highlighted, changes are mirrored across them all.

Many evil-mode motions/operators will have slightly different behavior while evil-multiedit is active or the cursor is in an iedit region:

  • D: clear the region
  • C: clear to end-of-region and go into insert mode
  • A: go into insert mode at end-of-region
  • I: go into insert mode at start-of-region
  • V: select the region
  • P: replace the iedit region with the contents of the clipboard
  • $: go to end-of-region
  • 0/^: go to start-of-region
  • gg/G: go to the first/last region

To disable these, set evil-multiedit-dwim-motion-keys to nil before loading evil-multiedit.

NOTE: No need to bind a key for evil-multiedit-abort, pressing ESC in normal mode will invoke it.

Ex Command

Section titled “Ex Command”

:iedit [REGEXP] is available for invoking multiedit from the ex command line.

Commands

Section titled “Commands”
  • evil-multiedit-restore: Restore the last evil-multiedit session.
  • evil-multiedit-match-all: Create iedit regions of all matches of the current selection (or symbol at point) as multiedit regions.
  • evil-multiedit-match-and-next:
  • evil-multiedit-match-and-prev
  • evil-multiedit-match-symbol-and-next
  • evil-multiedit-match-symbol-and-prev
  • evil-multiedit-toggle-marker-here
  • evil-multiedit-toggle-or-restrict-region
  • evil-multiedit-next
  • evil-multiedit-prev
  • evil-multiedit-abort
  • evil-multiedit-ex-match

Options

Section titled “Options”
  • evil-multiedit-dwim-motion-keys (default: t): If non-nil, evil’s motion keys behave differently when the point is inside a multiedit region. Must be set before evil-multiedit is loaded.
  • evil-multiedit-ignore-indent-and-trailing (default: t): If non-nil, skip over indentation and trailing whitespace in iedit matches.
  • evil-multiedit-scope (default nil): How far evil-multiedit should look for incremental matches (doesn’t affect evil-multiedit-match-all or evil-multiedit-ex-match). Accepts anything that bounds-of-thing-at-point accepts, such as 'defun, 'sexp, 'email or the default, 'buffer.
  • evil-multiedit-smart-match-boundaries (default t): If non-nil, multiedit will treat matches as atoms when invoked from normal mode. E.g.
    • evil-multiedit-match will not match evil-multiedit-match-all
    • i will only match i and not every individual i in ignition.
    • NOTE: If evil-multiedit is invoked from visual mode, this is ignored.
  • evil-multiedit-store-in-search-history (default nil): If non-nil, highlighted occurrences are stored in regexp-search-ring, so that after exiting iedit evil-search-next and evil-search-previous (usually n and N) use the last occurrence as if it were the last string in the search history.
  • evil-multiedit-follow-matches (default nil): If non-nil, the cursor will jump to each additional match, rather than remain in its original position.

Co-existing with evil-mc

Section titled “Co-existing with evil-mc”

How the two plugins mingle is entirely personal preference. I often reach for evil-mc for more complex operations and evil-multiedit for simpler ones.

My strategy is to bind evil-multiedit to M-d/M-D, and evil-mc to a bunch of keys prefixed with gz:

;; evil-multiedit
(evil-define-key 'normal 'global
  (kbd "M-d")   #'evil-multiedit-match-symbol-and-next
  (kbd "M-D")   #'evil-multiedit-match-symbol-and-prev)
(evil-define-key 'visual 'global
  "R"           #'evil-multiedit-match-all
  (kbd "M-d")   #'evil-multiedit-match-and-next
  (kbd "M-D")   #'evil-multiedit-match-and-prev)
(evil-define-key '(visual normal) 'global
  (kbd "C-M-d") #'evil-multiedit-restore)


(with-eval-after-load 'evil-mutliedit
  (evil-define-key 'multiedit 'global
    (kbd "M-d")   #'evil-multiedit-match-and-next
    (kbd "M-S-d") #'evil-multiedit-match-and-prev
    (kbd "RET")   #'evil-multiedit-toggle-or-restrict-region)
  (evil-define-key '(multiedit multiedit-insert) 'global
    (kbd "C-n")   #'evil-multiedit-next
    (kbd "C-p")   #'evil-multiedit-prev))


;; evil-mc
(evil-define-key '(normal visual) 'global
  "gzm" #'evil-mc-make-all-cursors
  "gzu" #'evil-mc-undo-all-cursors
  "gzz" #'+evil/mc-toggle-cursors
  "gzc" #'+evil/mc-make-cursor-here
  "gzn" #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-next-cursor
  "gzp" #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-prev-cursor
  "gzN" #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-last-cursor
  "gzP" #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-first-cursor)
(with-eval-after-load 'evil-mc
  (evil-define-key '(normal visual) evil-mc-key-map
    (kbd "C-n") #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-next-cursor
    (kbd "C-N") #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-last-cursor
    (kbd "C-p") #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-prev-cursor
    (kbd "C-P") #'evil-mc-make-and-goto-first-cursor))

NOTE: These are the default keybindings on [Doom Emacs]. Doom users don’t need to bind these.

[Doom Emacs] !: https://github.com/hlissner/doom-emacs [evil-iedit-state] !: https://github.com/syl20bnr/evil-iedit-state [evil-mc] !: https://github.com/gabesoft/evil-mc [evil-mode] !: https://bitbucket.org/lyro/evil/wiki/Home [syl20bnr] !: https://github.com/syl20bnr [vim-multiedit] !: https://github.com/hlissner/vim-multiedit