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When review code, it would be convenient if we can highlight multiple lines at the same time, instead of only current cursor line is highlighted.

:set cursorline only highlight current line.
:nnoremap <silent> <Leader>l ml:execute 'match Search /\%'.line('.').'l/'<CR> can only highlight one extra line.

Want to keep all marked lines highlighted.

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  • You question is a bit too broad so far: are you talking about cursorline or some syntax highlighting? And on which criterion would you like to highlight your lines? Commented Jun 21, 2018 at 8:35
  • Requirement is simple: move cursor to line a, highlight current line; move cursor to another line b, highlight it, ..., keep all marked lines highlighted. It doesn't need syntax highlighting. cursorline can only highlight current line. Commented Jun 21, 2018 at 8:46
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    I don't think it is possible to keep some lines highlighted while doing something else than visual selection. One possible solution would be to add these two lines to your .vimrc: syntax region CoreReview start=/"CR/ end=/"RC/ and highlight CoreReview ctermbg=LightGreen. You can then put "CR at the beginning of the code you are reviewing and "RC at the end to highlight the background. It is even possible to create a mapping which will add the markers for you when you are in visual selection and remove them when you don't need them anymore. Commented Jun 21, 2018 at 11:17

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As you mention in your question, the :match command only allows a single match to be set up. For multiple matches, you can use the matchadd() function. You can adapt your existing mapping to use this like so:

:nnoremap <silent> <Leader>l :call matchadd('Search', '\%'.line('.').'l')<CR>

For your expressed purpose of reviewing code, this should be sufficient. However, if you are adding/removing lines above the lines you have marked, this might not work as you desire: the marks will not move with the lines. There are ways around this, but all will result in much more complicated code.

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Thanks for below answer, find a way to highlight multiple lines. https://superuser.com/a/697070/366981

Install plugin:multiselect-2.2.zip.
Ctrl and left click to select and highlight any line.
Ctrl and left click again to remove highlight.
<leader>mscto clear all selection.

enter image description here

Another method: Highlight multiple words enter image description here

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This answer may be a couple years late but since I just had the same question, and none of these answers were even close to being helpful I though I'd share my solution.

I was wanting to improve my mapping that is similar to OP's that highlights a single line :

nnoremap <leader>l :call matchadd('LineHighlight', '\%'.line('.').'l')<cr>

to be able to visually select multiple lines and highlight all of them.

After being unsuccessful trying to simply modify the mapping to a vnnoremap that takes a range I wrote a function that will run a loop for each line in the selection.

highlight LineHighlight ctermbg=100 guibg=#374090 vnoremap <leader>l :<c-u>call HiglightVisualLines() nnoremap <leader>c :call clearmatches() " HiglightVisualLines() " loop throough visually selected lines and give them highlighting function! HiglightVisualLines() for i in range(line('v'),line("'>")) call matchadd('LineHighlight', '\%'.i.'l') endfor endfunction

As Rich mentioned with his comment, the highlighting is based on line number, not the content of the line, so adding lines above the highlighting will 'break' it.

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You press capital V and j or k to select other lines.

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    This only select continuous lines? Commented Jun 21, 2018 at 16:22
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    I can see why you'd think the OP wants what you think. But you're wrong. You should remove your answer from here. Commented Jun 22, 2018 at 15:52

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