How to copy to clipboard in Vim?

To copy content to the clipboard in Vim, you need to use Vim’s clipboard register (+). Here are the steps to achieve this:

Prerequisites

Ensure your Vim version supports clipboard operations. Clipboard support is typically available in gvim or vim built with the +clipboard feature. To check if your Vim supports the clipboard:

1. Open Vim and type:

   :echo has('clipboard')
   

2. If the output is 1, clipboard functionality is enabled. If 0, your Vim does not support it. In this case, you can:
   • Use gvim, which includes clipboard support by default.
   • Install a version of Vim with clipboard support, such as vim-gtk, vim-gnome, or vim-athena.

Copying to Clipboard

1. Copy Entire File to Clipboard

Use the following command:

:%y+

• % specifies the entire file.
• y stands for “yank” (copy).
• + specifies the clipboard register.

2. Copy Selected Text in Visual Mode

1. Enter Visual Mode by pressing v (character-wise selection) or V (line-wise selection).
2. Use the arrow keys or h, j, k, l to select text.
3. Yank the selected text to the clipboard by typing:

   "+y
   

   • " specifies the register.
   • + is the clipboard register.
   • y yanks (copies) the selected text.

3. Copy a Specific Range of Lines

To copy lines 10 through 20 to the clipboard, use:

:10,20y+

4. Copy the Current Line

Yank the current line to the clipboard with:

:"+yy

Pasting from the Clipboard

To paste clipboard content into Vim, use the + register:

1. Position the cursor where you want to paste.
2. Use the following command:

   "+p
   

   • p pastes the clipboard content after the cursor.
   • Use P (uppercase) to paste before the cursor.

Alternative Workaround (If Clipboard Support is Unavailable)

If clipboard support is not available, you can use the terminal’s clipboard tools:

1. For Unix/Linux (xclip or xsel):
   • Copy selected text to the clipboard:

     :w !xclip -selection clipboard
     

   • Ensure xclip or xsel is installed.
2. For macOS:
   • Copy to clipboard using pbcopy:

     :w !pbcopy
     

3. For Windows:
   • Use + register with Vim in the Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Git Bash (if clipboard-supported Vim is installed).

By following these steps, you can easily copy content to the clipboard in Vim.