How do I reselect the previous visual area and convert it to linewise selection?

Explanation

gv is well known for reselecting the previous visual area, but pairing it with V is a practical upgrade when your next action needs linewise semantics. This combination is helpful after a characterwise edit when you realize the follow-up command should operate on full lines, such as line comments, alignment, or linewise filtering.

How it works

• gv restores the last visual selection bounds
• V converts the active selection to linewise Visual mode
• The same region is preserved conceptually, but Vim expands it to whole lines

This lets you pivot selection type without manually reselecting a large region.

Example

Suppose you previously selected a partial range across multiple lines and made a characterwise change. Later you decide the same region should be handled line-by-line:

alpha one
beta two
gamma three

Run:

gvV

Now the last area is active again as a linewise selection, ready for operations like linewise commenting, indent shifts, or :'<,'>normal commands.

Tips

• Use gv alone when you need exact prior character boundaries
• Use gv<C-v> if you instead need to reinterpret the previous area as blockwise
• This pattern is excellent in review/refactor loops where you repeatedly revisit the same region with different operator types