---
name: "kak_registers"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "kakoune"
version: "0~2016.12.20.1.3a6167ae-1"
release: "Debian 9 (Stretch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/kak_registers"
---

# kak\_registers(1)

a

## NAME

registers - a

## DESCRIPTION

Registers are named lists of text -instead of simply text- in order to interact well with multiselection. They are used for various purposes, like storing the last yanked text, or the captured groups associated with the selections.

## INTERACTING

**\<c-r\>\<c\>**

when in insert mode or in a prompt, insert the value stored in the **c** register (single character)

**"\<c\>**

in normal mode, select the **\<c\>** register (single character)

## ALTERNATE NAMES

non alphanumeric registers have an alternative name that can be used in contexts where only alphanumeric identifiers are possible.

## DEFAULT REGISTERS

Most commands using a register default to a specific one if not specified:

**"** (dquote)

default yank register, used by yanking and pasting commands like **y**, **p** and **R**

**/** (slash)

default search register, used by regex based commands like **s**, **\*** or **/**

**@** (arobase)

default macro register, used by **q** and **Q**

**^** (caret)

default mark register, used by **z** and **Z**

**\|** (pipe)

default shell command register, used by command that spawn a subshell such as **\|**, **\<a-\|\>**, **!** or **\<a-!\>**

## SPECIAL REGISTERS

Some registers are not general purposes, they cannot be written to, but they contain some special data

**%** (percent)

current buffer name

**.** (dot)

current selection contents

**#** (hash)

selection indices (first selection has 1, second has 2, ...)

**\_** (underscore)

null register, always empty

## INTEGER REGISTERS

Registers **1** to **9** hold the grouped sub-matches of the regular expression used to make the last selection. Example: applying the following regular expression to the date of the day would put the day of the week in register **1**, the month in register **2**, and the day of the month in register **3**, but select the entire date:

```
(\w+) (\w+) (\d+) .+
```