<type>documentation</type>
<domain>edit</domain>
<id>multiple-selections</id>
<title>Multiple Selections</title>
<date>$Date: 2011-05-04 11:47:03 -0400 (Wed, 04 May 2011) $</date>
<version>$Revision: 24521 $</version>
<product>per+</product>

Wing Pro and Wing Personal support making multiple selections in the editor, which is a
powerful way to simultaneously edit two or more parts of your code. For example, all
occurrences of a word such as ``one`` may be selected and then the ``o`` replaced with
``O`` to change all of the occurrences to ``One`` in a single operation.

**Selecting Matching Text**

The ``selection-add-next-occurrence`` command (``Ctrl-D``, ``Command-D`` on the Mac, and
``Ctrl->`` with the emacs personality) is a convenient way to add selections with
matching text. If something is already selected, this command selects the next occurrence
of the selected text. If nothing is selected, it will will select the current word.

Whether this search wraps, is case sensitive, or matches only whole words is 
controlled from the multi-selection toolbar icon or ``Edit > Multiple Selections`` menu. 

To add the next occurrence while dropping the current one, press ``Control-Shift-D``,
``Command-Shift-D`` on the Mac , or ``Ctrl-Alt->`` with the emacs personality.

Multiple matching selections can also be made quickly within a block, indented level,
function, method, class, or file by clicking on the multi-selection toolbar icon or using
the ``Edit > Multiple Selections`` menu.

Once multiple selections have been made, any typing, cursor movement, and clipboard
commands will act on all selections simultaneously. 

**Selecting Arbitrary Text**

It is also possible to make an arbitrary set of selections, where the selections do not
necessarily contain the same text. This is done by holding the ``Ctrl`` and ``Alt`` keys
down together (or the ``Command`` and ``Option`` keys on the Mac) while selecting
text with the mouse.

**Canceling Multiple Selection**

When there are multiple selections, the ``Escape`` key (or ``Control-G`` with the emacs
personality) will drop all of the extra selections.

**Multiple Selections Window**

While there are multiple selections in an editor, a floating selections window is shown to
list all of the selections, even those that are not visible on screen. An individual
selection may be dropped by clicking the X that appears when the the mouse is moved over
its entry in the list. Closing the selections window will drop all of the extra
selections.

By default, the selections window always appears when there are multiple selections.  Use the
`Editor > Selection/Caret > Display Selections Popup
<script:show_preferences_gui(prefname="edit.display-selection-popup")>`__ preference to
set the window to always visible or never visible.

The selections window may also be shown and hidden on a case-by-case basis from the 
multi-selection toolbar icon or ``Edit > Multiple Selections`` menu.
