> Multiple cursors are also used as a replacement for text search and replace; sometimes the operation could be performed using a symbolic rename, sometimes it

> Multiple cursors are also used as a replacement for text search and replace; sometimes the operation could be performed using a symbolic rename, sometimes it could be done by search and replace with live preview, but not when you want to skip some instances. The Medium article about multiple cursors was from a Vim-centric perspective (in contrast to the linked article here, which was Emacs-focused). And in Vim, you'd do this with `n` and `.`. For example, `n.n.nn.` means, "change the second occurrence, too, and the third, but not the fourth, and do replace the fifth". Multiple cursors is no faster, and since you mentioned the benefit of not needing to carefully plan ahead (which I also think is important[1), I'll leave you with the observation that multiple cursors requires more planning than `.`. With `.`, the following thought process is valid: "Let's change this. Oh! And do these other ones, too." Compare to multiple cursors, where you have to don't have to plan as carefully as a recorded macro, but you still have to do some planning, because you have to start out knowing that you're going to change multiple things and then marking them before you make any change. So the spectrum looks like: # Recorded macros—requires lots of careful planning # Multiple cursors—requires little planning # Replay (`.`)—requires no planning at all; can fit your stream of consciousness 1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13350487 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13350487