Difference between revisions of "Selecting Block Text"

Latest revision as of 17:08, 30 January 2017

There are three main ways to mark a block of text:

• Hold down the Shift key while moving the cursor to mark a stream block. You can use the cursor keys and almost any cursor movement function. For example, ShiftCtrl-End marks from the current position to the end of the file. This method only works well with small blocks.
• Select the BLOCK menu items to mark the desired type of block. Stream and columnar blocks can also be set from the toolbar. This method works best with large blocks.
• Use the mouse to “drag” over the desired stream block.

To highlight a large block, first highlight a small section at the beginning of the block; then go to the end of the block; finally, hold down the Shift key and finish highlighting the entire block. Holding down the Shift key lets you expand the size of a highlighted blocks.

Small block are easily marked with the Shift key or mouse. It sets both the beginning and ending block markers; all block operations are then available. The BLOCK menu items or equivalent hot-keys give you more flexibility and make it easier to mark a very large block.

Mark a Large Block of Text

1. Position the cursor on the first character to be included in the block. (Or you can mark the end of the block first.)
2. Set the first block marker with BLOCK > Set stream marker ( F9 or toolbar or double-tapping Shift ). Note the message “1-END” on the status line.
   • Alternatively, select a columnar block with BLOCK > Set column marker ( Alt-I or toolbar).
3. Move the cursor to the end of the block; any desired method can be used. For example, you can search for text at the end of the block.
   • For stream blocks, the cursor should be positioned just past the last character of the block. To include the “newline” at the end of a line, position the cursor at the beginning of the next line.
4. Set the second marker by again selecting BLOCK > Set stream marker or BLOCK > Set column marker. Note the message “BLOCK” on the

status line.

After marking a block, you can change its size and/or the type of block. Move the cursor to the desired end of the block and then select “Set stream marker”, “Set column marker” or “Set line marker” from the BLOCK menu.

Double Tapping

You can begin highlighting a block by double-tapping the Shift key; this is identical to pressing F9 (the normal hot-key for BLOCK > Set stream marker).

It is recommend to double-tap Shift over trying to hold down the Shift while highlighting a large block.

Similarly, you can clear the block highlighting by double-tapping the Ctrl key; this is identical to selecting EDIT > Clear markers or BLOCK > Clear markers.

Related Resources

• Block Operations Overview
• Double-Tapping with Shift and Ctrl
• Clearing Block Markers / Highlighting
• "Persistent" Blocks