Can Wq In Vim Write Only A Selected Range To The File?

2025-09-07 20:37:38 160

3 Answers

Ian
Ian
2025-09-11 11:38:40
I tend to be cautious with destructive edits, so I treat writing ranges like a two-step operation. First, visually select the lines and run :'<,'>w somefile to export them to a separate file. That way I can inspect the result outside Vim before doing anything irreversible. If you do want to overwrite the current file directly, :'<,'>w % will do it, but remember your open buffer won’t automatically reflect that disk change.

An alternative I use when permissions are awkward is :'<,'>w !sudo tee % — it writes the selection back to the same filename with sudo. For totally safe play, write to /tmp or a .bak and then move the file from a shell; it’s a little extra work but saves headaches. Try it on a throwaway file a couple times and you’ll see how the range notation behaves, then pick the workflow that fits your comfort level.
Heidi
Heidi
2025-09-12 00:32:17
Okay, short practical yes/no first: you can't make the plain :wq magically write only a visual selection and then quit without telling Vim exactly what range to write, but Vim absolutely can write just a selected range to a file — you just use a range with :w (and you can follow it with |q to quit).

If you visual-select some lines (V or v), hit :, and you'll see something like :'<,'> already filled in. From there you can do :'<,'>w /path/to/outfile to write only those lines to that file. If you want to overwrite the current file on disk with just the selection, you can use :'<,'>w % (where % expands to the current filename) — be careful: that will replace the file on disk with only the selected lines and your buffer will still contain the original full text, so it's easy to get into a mismatch. A safer pattern is to write the selection to a temp file first (:'<,'>w /tmp/sel) and then move it into place from the shell, or visually check and then replace.

If permissions are the issue (trying to write to a root-owned path), a neat trick is :'<,'>w !sudo tee % — that sends the selected lines to sudo tee which writes to the file with elevated rights. To write selection and quit in one go, you can chain commands: :'<,'>w /path/to/outfile | q. Bottom line: :wq itself writes the whole buffer, but Vim's :w supports ranges and external commands, so you can definitely write only a selected range — just mind backups and file vs buffer consistency.
Harper
Harper
2025-09-12 06:52:38
I like quick, no-nonsense workflows, so here's the practical route I actually use: visually select what you want (V to select whole lines), press :, and you'll get :'<,'> auto-populated. Then do :'<,'>w newfile to dump only that selection into 'newfile'. It’s the cleanest way to extract parts of a buffer without touching the rest.

If your goal is to replace the current file with just that selection, :'<,'>w % will overwrite the file with the selection — but that can be risky because your buffer still holds the original content. I usually avoid that unless I made a backup first (:w filename.bak). For systems where permission blocks writing, :'<,'>w !sudo tee % is a lifesaver; it pipes the selection through sudo and writes it to the current filename. Also, if you want to save the selection and quit right away, append |q, like :'<,'>w selected.txt | q. These little range tricks are super handy once you get comfortable with them.
View All Answers
Scan code to download App

Related Books

A Girl Can Only Dream
A Girl Can Only Dream
Lisa Moon never imagined that a wax-sealed envelope from her high school best friend—who just happens to be a prince—would turn her quiet blogging life upside down. But when she’s invited to the glittering kingdom of Veloria for a month of garden parties and royal indulgence, she packs her doubts and flies across the world in search of magic. She expects champagne. She doesn’t expect Cassian Velarion—the prince’s mysterious and devastatingly handsome uncle, who she accidentally walked in on wrapped in nothing but a towel at an airport spa. What begins as awkward tension quickly ignites into something far more dangerous—desire, secrets, and the kind of chemistry that makes rules irrelevant. But not everyone wants to see Lisa and Cassian together. Victoria Beyers, a cold and calculating noblewoman, will do anything to drive them apart. Jonah, Lisa’s high school ex, isn’t ready to let go. And as the truth about Cassian’s past unravels, Lisa must choose between the life she thought she knew and the love she never expected. In a world of royalty, revenge, and red roses, A Girl Can Only Dream is a dazzling modern fairytale about forbidden romance, second chances, and finding your place in someone else’s palace.
Not enough ratings
17 Chapters
Only You Can Be My Wife
Only You Can Be My Wife
"Will you take me to be your wife, Mr. Lu?" "Sure, but I won't love you." These were the words Elizabeth Liang got from James Lu after they slept together and had a crazy night. Set up by her cousin, Elizabeth would've been sent to an old man as a gift, but she misread the room number and had a one night with the hot CEO James. Elizabeth wanted to query her cousin, but she caught her fiance and cousin on the bed. The truth was revealed to all. In desperation, Elizabeth proposed to James to escape from her family. To her surprise, James agreed. They started a titular marriage, but James and Elizabeth gradually fell in love with each other. When she thought they would have a happy ending, she saw James secretly meeting a woman. Finally, she found out why he agreed to marry her...
7
1277 Chapters
Selected By The Half-Blood Prince
Selected By The Half-Blood Prince
Maeve Edgar's life plan was simple: survive until Selection Day, then disappear forever. As the pack's favorite scapegoat, she's spent years perfecting the art of being invisible. But when she gets kidnapped and dumped in front of the most dangerous prince in the kingdom, invisible stops being an option. Prince Riven is everything the rumors say - cold, lethal, and absolutely not interested in playing nice. So why does he choose her for some mysterious academy that nobody's ever heard of? And why does being near him feel like remembering something she never knew she'd forgotten? Turns out the Blood Moon Academy is where pack heirs compete in brutal trials to earn a place in the Royal Court. Now she's stuck fighting alongside the same spoiled brats who used to torment her, trying to prove she belongs somewhere she was never supposed to be. The connection between them grows stronger with every moment they're in the same room. It's the kind of bond wolves used to have before the Great War - the kind everyone says is just a myth now. But people are asking questions about her family, her past, her dreams of faces she's never seen. The wrong kind of people. And some of them seem very interested in making sure she doesn't get the answers she's looking for. The Academy was supposed to be about earning her place in the world. Turns out it might be about remembering who she used to be.
10
37 Chapters
BUT ONLY LOVE CAN TELL (ENGLISH VERSION)
BUT ONLY LOVE CAN TELL (ENGLISH VERSION)
She was chasing her dreams. He was her unexpected detour. All Marinel ever wanted was to finish college and become a nurse in a private hospital. Love wasn’t part of the plan—until a fateful encounter with a handsome stranger on the beach changed everything. Calvin wasn’t supposed to mean anything. But when their paths crossed again, her world turned upside down. Their connection was undeniable, but fate wasn’t kind. Marinel found herself risking everything for a love that seemed doomed from the start. And just when she thought she had moved on, tragedy struck—leaving her to fulfill promises to a man she lost too soon. Years later, with her life back on track, another twist of fate comes knocking. Calvin’s twin brother shows up out of nowhere, accusing her of deceit… and claiming they’re married. Confused and shaken, Marinel is thrown into a mystery she never saw coming—one that reveals a deeper bond, a hidden truth, and a second chance she never asked for. When the past and present collide, will the truth set her free—or ruin everything all over again? One woman. Two brothers. A love that refuses to die. Will Marinel find her happily ever after—or face another heartbreak?
Not enough ratings
61 Chapters
My Mother-in-Law Selected a Mistress for My Husband
My Mother-in-Law Selected a Mistress for My Husband
My mother-in-law brings a woman from the countryside. She looks like she's up to no good when she asks my husband and I to care for the woman. My husband is a mama's boy through and through. His gaze darts around, and he doesn't object to his mother's words. Is it a trend nowadays for people to serve mistresses on a silver platter? It looks like I'll have to do my best in "caring" for them, then…
10 Chapters
ONLY YOU
ONLY YOU
WARNING: MATURE CONTENT Jack Grant is a self-absorbed billionaire CEO who can't keep it in his pants. He believes he can buy any woman with just the right amount and treats them like trash. Cindy Banks is a sexy and beautiful young lady with a strong dislike for arrogant and unfaithful men. She has just one goal: to give her little brother a better chance at life. Cindy crosses paths with Jack Grant in her quest for a good job and suddenly he wants her beneath him, begging for more. However, she puts him in his place and shoves his job in his face. Jack Grant is upset by Cindy's rejection but she also successfully piques his interest. He sees her as a challenge and goes all out to conquer her with the intention of humiliating her when he finally gets in-between her legs. What Jack did not count on though, was falling head over heels in love with his secretary but, is it too late for him? How far would he go in order to prove to Cindy that what he feels for her is true?
9.8
133 Chapters

Related Questions

How Do I Use Sudo With Wq In Vim To Save Protected Files?

3 Answers2025-09-07 04:29:38
Totally hit this snag before — you open a file in vim, make your edits, and then bam: permission denied when you try to save. The neat little trick I use most often is this one-liner from inside vim: :w !sudo tee % >/dev/null What that does is write the buffer to the sudoed 'tee' command, which will overwrite the original file as root. The % expands to the current filename, so the full flow is: vim hands the file contents to sudo tee, tee writes it with elevated rights, and the >/dev/null part hides the tee output so your buffer stays as-is. After that you can do :q to quit. I like this because it’s fast and doesn’t require reopening the file as root. If you want a slightly cleaner approach, consider using sudoedit (sudo -e) to open files with your preferred editor as a temporary safe copy — it edits a temp file and then installs it as root, which is safer from a security perspective. For convenience I sometimes create a vim command or mapping, like cnoremap W!! w !sudo tee % >/dev/null, so typing :W!! saves without fuss. Also, if you frequently need root saves, the plugin 'sudo.vim' (provides commands like :SudoWrite) is worth installing. Each method has trade-offs: the tee trick is quick, sudoedit is safer, and opening vim with sudo from the start (sudo vim file) works but bypasses some safety models.

Which Materials Make The Most Durable Vim Wrench Models?

4 Answers2025-09-04 14:49:03
If I had to pick a short list right off the bat, I'd put chrome-vanadium and S2 tool steel at the top for most durable vim wrench models. Chrome-vanadium (Cr-V) is what you'll see on a lot of high-quality ratchets and hex sets—it balances hardness and toughness well, resists wear, and takes a nice finish. S2 is a shock-resisting tool steel that's common for bits and hex keys designed to take a lot of torque without snapping. For heavy, impact-style use, chrome-molybdenum (Cr-Mo) or 4140/6150 alloys are common because they absorb shocks better and can be heat-treated for high strength. Finish and heat treatment matter as much as base alloy. Hardened and tempered tools in the HRC 52–62 range tend to last; too hard and they become brittle, too soft and they round off. Coatings like black oxide, phosphate, or nickel chrome help with corrosion; TiN or other nitriding can up wear resistance. In short: pick S2 or Cr-V for everyday durability, Cr-Mo for impact-duty, and pay attention to heat treatment and finish for real longevity. I tend to favor sets with solid forging and clear HRC specs—that’s saved me from snapping a hex at an awkward moment.

How Should I Maintain A Vim Wrench To Prevent Rust?

4 Answers2025-09-04 07:21:21
Honestly, I treat my tools a little like prized comics on a shelf — I handle them, clean them, and protect them so they last. When it comes to a vim wrench, the simplest habit is the most powerful: wipe it down after every use. I keep a small stash of lint-free rags and a bottle of light machine oil next to my bench. After I finish a job I wipe off grit and sweat, spray a little solvent if there’s grime, dry it, then apply a thin coat of oil with a rag so there’s no wet residue to attract rust. For bits of surface rust that sneak in, I’ll use fine steel wool or a brass brush to take it off, then neutralize any remaining rust with a vinegar soak followed by a baking soda rinse if I’ve used acid. For long-term protection I like wax — a microcrystalline wax like Renaissance or even paste car wax gives a water-repellent layer that’s pleasantly invisible. If the wrench has moving parts, I disassemble and grease joints lightly and check for play. Storage matters almost as much as treatment: a dry toolbox with silica gel packets, not left in a damp car or basement, keeps rust away. Little routines add up — a five-minute wipe and oil once a month will make that wrench feel like new for years.

How Do You Install Plugins In M Vim On MacOS?

4 Answers2025-09-03 18:14:39
If you're running MacVim (the mvim command) on macOS, the simplest, most reliable route for me has been vim-plug. It just feels clean: drop a tiny bootstrap file into ~/.vim/autoload, add a few lines to ~/.vimrc, then let the plugin manager handle the rest. For vim-plug I run: curl -fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim. After that I edit ~/.vimrc and add: call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged') Plug 'tpope/vim-sensible' Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'do': { -> fzf#install() } } call plug#end() Then I launch MacVim with mvim and run :PlugInstall (or from the shell mvim +PlugInstall +qall) and watch the plugins clone and install. A few handy things: if a plugin needs build steps, check its README; some require ctags, ripgrep, or Python support. Also remember MacVim reads your ~/.vimrc (and you can put GUI tweaks in ~/.gvimrc). If you prefer built-in package management, the pack/start method works too: mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/vendor/start && git clone ~/.vim/pack/vendor/start/, then restart mvim.

How Does M Vim Compare To Neovim For Plugins?

4 Answers2025-09-03 18:19:40
Okay, here’s the short version first, but then I’ll expand — I love geeking out about editor choices. For plugins, Neovim is the one that pushed the ecosystem forward: it brought a clean RPC-based plugin model, first-class async job handling, and a modern Lua API that plugin authors love. That means a lot of recent plugins are written in Lua or expect Neovim-only features like virtual text, floating windows, and extmarks. The result is snappier, more feature-rich plugins that can do things without blocking the UI. If you use 'm vim' (think classic Vim or MacVim builds), you still get a massive, mature plugin ecosystem. Many plugin authors keep compatibility with Vim, and core functionality works fine — but some newer plugins either require extra patches, rely on Vim being compiled with specific features (job control, Python/Ruby/Node support), or are Neovim-only because they use the Lua or RPC APIs. Practically, that means your favorite long-lived plugins like statuslines, file explorers, and linters usually work on either, but cutting-edge integrations (native LSP clients, modern completion engines written in Lua) will feel more at home in Neovim. My take: if you want modern plugins, async performance, and future-facing features, Neovim wins. If you prefer a familiar Vim experience, GUI comforts on macOS, or rely on plugins that haven’t migrated, 'm vim' still serves well. I ended up switching because I wanted Lua-based configs and non-blocking LSP, but I still keep a light Vim profile around for quick GUI sessions.

What Are The Best Startup Optimizations For M Vim?

5 Answers2025-09-03 05:08:31
Oh wow, trimming 'mvim' startup is one of those tiny joys that makes the whole day smoother. I usually start by profiling so I know what's actually slow: run mvim --startuptime ~/vim-startup.log and open that log. It quickly shows which scripts or plugins dominate time. Once I know the culprits, I move heavy things into autoload or optional plugin folders so they only load when needed. Next, I use lazy-loading with a plugin manager like 'vim-plug' (Plug 'foo', { 'on': 'SomeCommand' } or 'for': ['python', 'javascript']). Put plugins you need immediately in 'start' and everything else in 'opt' or load by filetype. Also disable unnecessary providers (let g:loaded_python_provider = 0, let g:loaded_ruby_provider = 0) if you don't use them — that shave off seconds. Finally, keep UI tweaks minimal for GUI start: font fallback, complex statuslines and external helpers (like large LSPs) can wait until you open a project. After a few iterations of profile → defer → test, 'mvim' feels snappy and more pleasant to use.

Does M In Vim Support Digits Or Special Mark Names?

5 Answers2025-09-03 01:44:27
Oh, this one used to confuse me too — Vim's mark system is a little quirky if you come from editors with numbered bookmarks. The short practical rule I use now: the m command only accepts letters. So m followed by a lowercase letter (ma, mb...) sets a local mark in the current file; uppercase letters (mA, mB...) set marks that can point to other files too. Digits and the special single-character marks (like '.', '^', '"', '[', ']', '<', '>') are not something you can create with m. Those numeric marks ('0 through '9) and the special marks are managed by Vim itself — they record jumps, last change, insert position, visual selection bounds, etc. You can jump to them with ' or ` but you can't set them manually with m. If you want to inspect what's set, :marks is your friend; :delmarks removes marks. I often keep a tiny cheat sheet pasted on my wall: use lowercase for local spots, uppercase for file-spanning marks, and let Vim manage the numbered/special ones — they’re there for navigation history and edits, not manual bookmarking.

Which Characters Define The Most Famous Vim Hempstead Series?

1 Answers2025-09-06 09:36:57
Huh — that name caught me off guard, but in the best way. I’m not spotting a widely known franchise called 'Vim Hempstead', so I’m guessing there might be a small typo or a niche indie series you’ve come across. Either way, I love these little mysteries, so I’ll walk through how I’d pick the characters that really define a ‘most famous’ series and give concrete examples from familiar titles so you can see the pattern. If you actually meant a specific book or comic, drop the exact title and I’ll map the characters precisely. When fans say a series is defined by its characters, they usually mean a handful of roles that keep showing up: the stubborn, morally complex protagonist; the charismatic foil or rival; a mentor who shows the world’s rules; an antagonist who forces growth; and a small ensemble of friends who bring heart and humor. For instance, if we think of 'Mistborn', the defining pieces are Vin (the reluctant protagonist whose street-smarts and growth carry the arc), Kelsier (the larger-than-life mentor/rebel who shapes Vin’s worldview), Elend (the idealistic foil and eventual partner), the Lord Ruler (the pressing, mythic antagonist), and Sazed (the philosophic friend/keeper of wisdom). Swap in 'The Witcher' and you’ve got Geralt as the central, gruff moralist; Yennefer and Ciri as the catalytic figures who stretch his loyalties and purpose; and foes like the Wild Hunt or political conspirators who turn the scale. The pattern is consistent: one driving viewpoint character, one or two characters who challenge or complement them emotionally, a wise older figure or ideological counterpoint, and antagonists who test everything. If you want a checklist to identify the defining characters of a series you’re curious about, here’s something I actually use when I’m arguing with friends in forums: (1) Who the fans talk about most — that’s your protagonist; (2) Who changes the protagonist’s trajectory the most — that’s your catalyst or mentor; (3) Who embodies the series’ themes — often a secondary lead or antagonist; (4) Who provides emotional or comedic ballast — a friend or ensemble member; and (5) Who’s responsible for the central conflict — the antagonist or system. So, if your 'Vim Hempstead' reference points to a lesser-known indie series, run through that checklist and you’ll likely land on the five or six names that define it. If you were aiming at a specific series like 'Mistborn' or 'The Witcher' (or even something wildly different), tell me and I’ll list the core characters and why each one is essential — I get a kick out of these character dissections and swapping hot takes over coffee or late-night forum scrolls.
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status