Dynamic Surround and Surround With
Two SlickEdit® Core features that allow you to surround text with text are Dynamic Surround, which lets
you surround existing statements with block statements, and Surround With, which lets you surround any
selected text with predefined language structures, or any text that you specify. Unsurround is also avail-
able to remove outer code block structures from statements.
Dynamic Surround
Dynamic Surround provides a convenient way to surround a group of statements with a block statement,
indented to the correct levels according to your preferences. This feature works in conjunction with the
syntax and alias expansion features (see Syntax Expansion and Extension-Specific Aliases), and is de-
signed to help you keep your hands on the keyboard, thereby improving your speed and efficiency.
Dynamic Surround is supported for any language that uses block statements. Note that this feature is
line-oriented and will not work for character or block selections.
SlickEdit® Core enters Dynamic Surround mode automatically, immediately after you expand a block
statement (for instance, by typing if then pressing Space). After expanding the statement, a box is drawn
around it as a visual guide, and you can pull the subsequent lines of code or whole statements into the
block by using the Up, Down, PgUp, or PgDn keys. Pressing any other key or clicking with the mouse
will exit Dynamic Surround mode.
The following screen shot shows the Syntax Expansion menu that appears after typing if in a C++ file:
Figure 6.21. Dynamic Surround: Example 1
Dynamic Surround
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