is there a way to get emacs to copy text into a paste buffer as you
type? for example, I would like to type 'null => false' once
and be able to paste into the other lines
t.string :title, null => false
t.string :name, null => false
t.text :post, null => false
Yes, but you have to tell it when to start and stop copying.
C-SPC n u l l => f a l s e C-x C-x C-x C-x M-w
Start:
`C-SPC' Mark selection beginning.
Type text.
Stop:
`C-x C-x' Activate selection, swapping mark and point.
`C-x C-x' Swap mark and point back again.
`M-x' Copy selection to kill-ring (paste buffer).
Then `C-y' to yank (paste) it.
---
If you want to paste the same text multiple times but still be able to select
other text without interfering with what you saved (copied), use the secondary
selection: To select and copy for the secondary selection: drag `mouse-1' with
the Meta key depressed. To yank it: `M-mouse-2'.
This is particularly useful for replacing selected text here and there (esp. in
delete-selection mode). E.g., double-click `mouse-1' on a sexp to select it,
then `M-mouse-2' to replace it. So instead of using `query-replace' you can use
it to change selected occurrences of `null => false' to `hopalong cassidy'.
http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/SecondarySelection
An alternative to using the secondary selection is to use `M-y', perhaps
multiple times, just after you yank (`C-y'). That cycles through previous
kill-ring entries until you get to the one you want.