# Extract values from associative array (or to put it simply: from second column) and some multiple selections issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [August 1, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/extract-values-from-associative-array-or-to-put-it-simply-from-second-column-and-some-multiple-selections-issue/1181 "2020-08-01T14:57:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JackStarborn](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JackStarborn](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/JackStarborn)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/extract-values-from-associative-array-or-to-put-it-simply-from-second-column-and-some-multiple-selections-issue/1181/1 "2020-08-01T14:57:11Z")
Hello to everyone. I’ve only been using Kakoune for 1 full day. I code in php and quite often it is necessary to convert the associative array into an array with values. Fake example 🙂 array( ‘form’ =\> $form-\>createView(), ‘publication’ =\> $npwPublication, ‘pressForm’ =\> $pressForm-\>createView(), ) Result should be array( $form-\>createView(), $npwPublication, $pressForm-\>createView(), ) So i jumped to first line, gi to first char (because code is indented), grab 3 lines with shift+x, then split selection into lines with alt+s, then select from end to dollar sign with alt+f and $ as my wanted stop character. And finally, y to copy 🙂 Is there an easier way to select this? But what I have the biggest problem with is how to move the copied lines to another place. When I move the cursor down I have 3 of them and when I align the first one in final place in file, the other 2 are overlap another code so I cannot paste selection content without mixing with the rest. ☹ So I figured I’d reduce the selection (with space) to one and it would be much easier for me to hit my target line. But when I do that, the paste command only returns 1 line out of the 3 I copied. I tried to copy these lines to another buffer, but the effect is the same. Can you suggest something? Thanks in advance and have a nice day 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scr](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/scr/32/486_2.png) [@scr](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/scr)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/extract-values-from-associative-array-or-to-put-it-simply-from-second-column-and-some-multiple-selections-issue/1181/2 "2020-08-01T16:44:15Z")
> [@JackStarborn](#): > > So i jumped to first line, gi to first char (because code is indented), > grab 3 lines with shift+x, > then split selection into lines with alt+s, You could also use `2C` to directly create 3 selection. And then `f$y` for the yanking So when you yank with 3 cursors, you have 1 yank per cursor, therefore you also need 3 cursor to paste all 3 selections. I don’t know if it’s the fastest, but what I would do ( after yanking the 3 lines ): press `` to go back to 1 cursor move to the place I want to paste create 3 empty line with `3` go down with `j` and create 3 cursors with `2C` paste with `p` now regarding if you yanked the `\n` newline character you might have an extra newline. Just press `d` to delete it. ---
**Author:** ![bravekarma](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@bravekarma](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/bravekarma)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/extract-values-from-associative-array-or-to-put-it-simply-from-second-column-and-some-multiple-selections-issue/1181/3 "2020-08-01T17:29:24Z")
> [@JackStarborn](#): > > So I figured I’d reduce the selection (with space) to one and it would be much easier for me to hit my target line. But when I do that, the paste command only returns 1 line out of the 3 I copied. I think the solution to your issue is ``/``: ```auto paste all after the end of each selection, and select each pasted string paste all before the start of each selection, and select each pasted string ``` Note that unless your selections contain end-of-line (in your case I think they do) you’d have to append a newline `a` after pasting if you want your selections to be in different lines. ---
**Author:** ![JackStarborn](https://discuss.kakoune.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f14d63/32.png) [@JackStarborn](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/JackStarborn)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/extract-values-from-associative-array-or-to-put-it-simply-from-second-column-and-some-multiple-selections-issue/1181/4 "2020-08-02T13:14:44Z")
Thank you both for the answers. I found the solution a few hours after writing the post, just before bedtime. As @bravekarma writes, the solution is alt+p / alt+P. I must have skipped it when I read for a first time [https://kakoune.org/why-kakoune/why-kakoune.html](https://kakoune.org/why-kakoune/why-kakoune.html), a few days ago. But I learned something new anyway, thanks to @scr. Copying the selection to a new line is great. But when I paste (alt+p) this selection all lines are merged into 1, which is not a big problem as I can break them again using a comma 🙂 ``` $form->createView(),$npwPublication,$pressForm->createView(), ``` Such a a great editor. While PhpStorm is a great IDE, without the plugins, the text editing was poor. Thanks again and have a nice day. ---
**Author:** ![scr](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/scr/32/486_2.png) [@scr](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/scr)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/extract-values-from-associative-array-or-to-put-it-simply-from-second-column-and-some-multiple-selections-issue/1181/5 "2020-08-02T13:30:20Z")
Yes it worth it to go through `:doc keys` from time to time. I have been using kakoune since a while now but I still discover new stuff ! it is a great editor 😍