How do I select the text inside quotes?

Explanation

The vi" command visually selects all text inside double quotes, without including the quotes themselves. This uses Vim's text object system where i" means "inner quotes."

How it works

• v enters visual mode
• i" selects the inner content of the surrounding double quotes

The cursor can be anywhere inside the quoted string — Vim automatically finds the enclosing quotes on the current line.

Example

Given the text:

name = "John Doe"

With the cursor anywhere between the quotes, vi" selects John Doe.

Tips

• Use vi' for single quotes, vi` for backticks
• Use va" to select including the quotes themselves
• Combine with operators: di" to delete inside quotes, ci" to change inside quotes, yi" to yank
• Also works with parentheses (vi(), brackets (vi[), braces (vi{), and tags (vit)