Vim from zero: a register holds what you yanked

y copies. The text goes into a register, which is a named slot. The default slot is the unnamed register, and it is also where deletes go, so a later dd overwrites your yank. A named register, "a through "z, keeps the text until you overwrite that name. The note inside the quotes is the text worth keeping.

A register is a named slot of text#

y copies a span into a register. The unnamed register also receives deletes, so a later dd overwrites a yank you meant to keep. "a names a slot that deletes will not touch. "ayi" yanks the inside of the quotes into register a. On item latte = "oat", that text is oat, and the line does not change. "ap puts the slot back at the cursor, which is how the same milk lands on the next drink. :registers shows the slots. "0 holds the most recent yank even after a delete has replaced the unnamed register.

1. register atextoat

"ayi"

oat

The quote names the register#

On item latte = "oat", with the cursor inside the quotes, "ayi" yanks oat into register a. The line does not change. "ap puts the contents of a at the cursor. The sample's second block is what register a holds: oat.

yi" without the a yanks the same note into the unnamed register instead. "0p puts the most recent yank even after a delete has overwritten the unnamed register. "0 is worth remembering the first time a paste comes out as the line you deleted rather than the note you copied.

Look at a register before you blame the put#

:registers lists them. a should show oat after "ayi". If it shows an older yank, the cursor was not inside the quotes you thought, or a later command wrote "a again. Registers are just slots of text. The next lesson applies one change to every order line, which is the dot command across the file.