Swap the Current Anchor Position

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Keyboard:  CTRL + K, CTRL + A
Command:  Edit.SwapAnchor
Versions:  2008,2010
Published:  6/6/2010
Code:  vstipEdit0068

 

When you select text the "anchor" is the cursor location at the end of the selection.  By default, the anchor is to the right of the selection.  However, you can use CTRL + K, CTRL + A to swap the anchor from right:

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To left:

image

 

Okay, so why would you want to do this?  Well, those who use Emacs like this feature quite a bit as it has been around a long, long time.  For newbies, a great reason is if you need to expand a selection from left to right.  By swapping the anchor you can hold down your SHIFT key and use your LEFT ARROW key to expand the selection:

image