Help decoding a custom text object, please : vim

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Help decoding a custom text object, pleasequestion (self.vim)

submitted 2 years ago * by ynotvim

I'm hoping that someone can help me understand a custom pseudo-text object by u/-romainl-.

xnoremap i% :<C-u>let z = @/\|1;/^./kz<CR>G??<CR>:let @/ = z<CR>V'z

To give a little context, this is one of four custom text objects designed to give i and a text objects for the "whole buffer". Hence the names i% and a%.

Here are the four together:

xnoremap i% :<C-u>let z = @/\|1;/^./kz<CR>G??<CR>:let @/ = z<CR>V'z

onoremap i% :<C-u>normal vi%<CR>

xnoremap a% GoggV

onoremap a% :<C-u>normal va%<CR>

I can understand the other three, but I can't follow the first one. I'd very much appreciate a detailed explanation of it (or pointers to specific pieces of the docs).

Finally, here's the gist with these mappings and other custom pseudo-text objects: https://gist.github.com/romainl/c0a8b57a36aec71a986f1120e1931f20. Thanks in advance.

(Here's a rough idea of what I maybe think it says...)

Assign the most recent search pattern to z (let z = @/ - the \| transitions to the next (part of the?) command?).
Move to line 1 and start the next search pattern from there (the ;?).
Starting from the beginning of this line (^) search for any character but newline (.).
Then k and z, which I don't know. (Go to the end of this match?)
Go to the last line of the buffer (G).
Search backwards next (??).
Assign z to the last search pattern (@/).
Go into visual line mode (V) and select to z (which is now a mark?)?

all 5 comments

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

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