Selecting Multiple Occurrences of a Word in Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VSCode) provides several ways to select multiple occurrences of a word or phrase, making it easier to edit or delete them without using search and replace. In this tutorial, we will explore the different methods to achieve this.

Selecting All Occurrences

To select all occurrences of a word or phrase, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• On Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + L
• On Mac: Cmd + Shift + L or Cmd + Ctrl + G

These shortcuts will select all occurrences of the current selection or word.

Selecting Occurrences One by One

If you want to select occurrences one by one, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• On Windows/Linux: Ctrl + D
• On Mac: Cmd + D

To use this method, first select a word or phrase using your mouse or keyboard (Shift + arrows). Then, press Ctrl + D (or Cmd + D on Mac) to select the next occurrence. You can continue pressing Ctrl + D to select subsequent occurrences.

Skipping Occurrences

If you want to skip an occurrence and select the next one, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• On Windows/Linux: Ctrl + K + Ctrl + D
• On Mac: Not available by default, but you can customize your keyboard shortcuts to achieve this behavior

To use this method, first select a word or phrase using your mouse or keyboard (Shift + arrows). Then, press Ctrl + K + Ctrl + D (or your customized shortcut on Mac) to skip the current occurrence and select the next one.

Undoing Cursor Operations

If you want to undo a cursor operation, such as selecting an occurrence, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• On Windows/Linux: Ctrl + U
• On Mac: Not available by default, but you can customize your keyboard shortcuts to achieve this behavior

To use this method, simply press Ctrl + U (or your customized shortcut on Mac) to undo the latest cursor operation.

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

VSCode allows you to customize your keyboard shortcuts to fit your needs. To access the keyboard shortcuts editor, go to File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts. From there, you can add or modify existing shortcuts to achieve the desired behavior.

By mastering these techniques, you can efficiently select multiple occurrences of a word or phrase in VSCode and streamline your editing workflow.