How to insert text at beginning of a multi-line selection in vi/Vim

by

In Vim, how do I insert characters at the beginning of each line in a selection?

For instance, I want to comment out a block of code by prepending // at the beginning of each line assuming my language’s comment system doesn’t allow block commenting like /* */. How would I do this?

14 s
14

  • Press Esc to enter ‘command mode’
  • Use Ctrl+V to enter visual block mode
  • Move Up/Downto select the columns of text in the lines you want to
    comment.
  • Then hit Shift+i and type the text you want to insert.
  • Then hit Esc, wait Best Answerecond and the inserted text will appear on every line.

For further information and reading, check out “Inserting text in multiple lines” in the Vim Tips Wiki.

Leave a Comment