# Copy the nearest Format around Cursor

**URL:** https://community.silverbullet.md/t/copy-the-nearest-format-around-cursor/3418
**Category:** Plugs and Libraries
**Created:** [October 19, 2025, 9:12am UTC](https://community.silverbullet.md/t/copy-the-nearest-format-around-cursor/3418 "2025-10-19T09:12:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![ChenZhu-Xie](https://community.silverbullet.md/user_avatar/community.silverbullet.md/chenzhu-xie/32/1476_2.png) [@ChenZhu-Xie](https://community.silverbullet.md/u/ChenZhu-Xie)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2025, 9:12am UTC](https://community.silverbullet.md/t/copy-the-nearest-format-around-cursor/3418/1 "2025-10-19T09:12:53Z")

</div>

**This plugin will definitely save you a tremendous amount of time.** (_if you are a heavy `formator`/`decorator` like me -\_-||_)

1. No more suffering from **forgetting to press** `alt` while `clicking` or `copying` **formatted elements**.
2. During accurate copying, the **cursor’s exact location no longer matters** — it only needs to be near the desired formatted object (_on the left, on the right and on the fly_ ;), even if not inside it.
3. Also serve as a **Reminder** : What (the \*\*\*\*) did I just format recently?
4. still **effective under Read-Only** mode (the cursor, though invisible, continues to exist).

Unbelievable? Haha, welcome to the future!

# “Magneto” has arrived !!

```auto
-- pattern def：{ name, pattern, priority }
-- use % to escape special characters
-- you can add your own patterns
local PATTERNS = {
  { "Wiki Link", "%[%[[^\n%]]+%]%]", 100 }, -- [[...]] 或 [[...|...]]
  { "Fields", "%[[^\n%]]+:[^\n%]]+%]", 95 }, -- [key:value]
  { "Image", "!%[[^\n%]]-%]%([^\n)]+%)", 90 }, -- ![alt](src)
  { "Markdown Link", "%[[^\n%]]+%]%([^\n)]+%)", 85 }, -- [text](url)
  { "Color Func", "%${[A-Za-z0-9]*%([\"\'][^\n}]*[\"\']%)}", 80 }, -- ${Color("...")}
  { "Bold", "%*%*[^\n%*]+%*%*", 70 }, -- **bold**
  { "Italic", "_[^\n_]+_", 60 }, -- _italic_
  { "Sup", "%^[^ \n%^]+%^", 55 }, -- ^sup^
  { "Strikethrough", "~~[^\n]+~~", 50 }, -- ~~?~~
  { "Sub", "~[^ \n~]+~", 45 }, -- ^sub^
  { "Tag", "#[^\n, <>%?%.:|\\{}%)%(%*&%^%%%$#@!]+", 40 }, -- #tag
  { "Marker", "==[^\n]+==", 35 }, -- ==?==
  { "Inline Code", "`[^\n`]+`", 30 }, -- ``?``
}

local function distanceToCursor(startPos, endPos, cursorPos)
  if cursorPos < startPos then return startPos - cursorPos end
  if cursorPos > endPos then return cursorPos - endPos end
  return 0
end

function getCursorPos()
  local cur = editor.getCursor() 
  local cursor_pos = (type(cur) == "table" and cur.pos) or cur
  return cursor_pos
end

local function findNearestPattern()
  local pageText = editor.getText()
  local curPos = getCursorPos()
  local nearest = nil

  for _, pat in ipairs(PATTERNS) do
    local name, pattern, prio = pat[1], pat[2], pat[3]
    local init = 1
    local ok, err = pcall(function()
      while true do
        local s, e = pageText:find(pattern, init)
        if not s then break end
        local dist = distanceToCursor(s, e, curPos)
        local score = dist * 1001 + (1000 - prio * 10)
        if not nearest or score < nearest.score then
          nearest = { name = name, start = s, stop = e, text = pageText:sub(s, e), score = score }
        end
        init = (e >= init) and (e + 1) or (init + 1)
      end
    end)
    if not ok then
      editor.flashNotification(("[Pattern error] %s: %s"):format(name, tostring(err)))
    end
  end
  
  return nearest
end

command.define{
  name = "Cursor: Copy Nearest Pattern",
  description = "Copy the nearest and highest-priority formatted structure around the cursor",
  key = "Alt-c",
  run = function()
    local match = findNearestPattern()
    if not match then
      editor.flashNotification("No pattern matched.")
      return
    end
    editor.copyToClipboard(match.text)
    editor.flashNotification("Copied: " .. match.name .. " → " .. match.text)
  end
}

```

**Excuse me, but can other note-taking software manage this? :)) Lol!**

**Imagination Matters!**

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![ChenZhu-Xie](https://community.silverbullet.md/user_avatar/community.silverbullet.md/chenzhu-xie/32/1476_2.png) [@ChenZhu-Xie](https://community.silverbullet.md/u/ChenZhu-Xie)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2025, 9:44am UTC](https://community.silverbullet.md/t/copy-the-nearest-format-around-cursor/3418/2 "2025-10-19T09:44:34Z")

</div>

In addition, provide a line-level counterpart (the above is @ page level) with a function `getPos_LineStart()` to retrieve the cursor’s beginning-of-line position, serving as some tips for [other space-lua plug developments](https://community.silverbullet.md/t/getting-the-start-of-line-where-cursor-is/1910/7):

```auto
-- pattern def：{ name, pattern, priority }
-- use % to escape special characters
-- you can add your own patterns
local PATTERNS = {
  { "Wiki Link", "%[%[[^%]]+%]%]", 100 }, -- [[...]] 或 [[...|...]]
  { "Fields", "%[[^%]]+:[^%]]+%]", 95 }, -- [key:value]
  { "Image", "!%[[^%]]-%]%([^)]+%)", 90 }, -- ![alt](src)
  { "Markdown Link", "%[[^%]]+%]%([^)]+%)", 85 }, -- [text](url)
  { "Color Func", "%${[A-Za-z0-9]*%([\"\'][^}]*[\"\']%)}", 80 }, -- ${Color("...")}
  { "Bold", "%*%*[^%*]+%*%*", 70 }, -- **bold**
  { "Italic", "_[^_]+_", 60 }, -- _italic_
  { "Sup", "%^[^ %^]+%^", 55 }, -- ^sup^
  { "Strikethrough", "~~[^]+~~", 50 }, -- ~~?~~
  { "Sub", "~[^ ~]+~", 45 }, -- ^sub^
  { "Tag", "#[^, <>%?%.:|\\{}%)%(%*&%^%%%$#@!]+", 40 }, -- #tag
  { "Marker", "==[^]+==", 35 }, -- ==?==
  { "Inline Code", "`[^`]+`", 30 }, -- ``?``
}

local function distanceToCursor(startPos, endPos, cursorPos)
  if cursorPos < startPos then return startPos - cursorPos end
  if cursorPos > endPos then return cursorPos - endPos end
  return 0
end

function getCursorPos()
  local cur = editor.getCursor() 
  local cursor_pos = (type(cur) == "table" and cur.pos) or cur
  return cursor_pos
end

function getCursor_LineStart()
  local textBeforeCursor = editor.getText():sub(1, getCursorPos())
  local cursorLineStart = textBeforeCursor:reverse():find("\n", 1, true)
  -- editor.flashNotification(cursorLineStart)
  return cursorLineStart
end

function getPos_LineStart()
  local posLineStart = getCursorPos() - getCursor_LineStart() + 2
  -- editor.flashNotification(posLineStart)
  return posLineStart
end

local function findNearestPattern()
  local currentLine = editor.getCurrentLine().textWithCursor:gsub("|%^|", "")
  -- editor.flashNotification(currentLine)
  local curPos_LineStart = getCursor_LineStart()
  -- getPos_LineStart()
  local nearest = nil
  
  for _, pat in ipairs(PATTERNS) do
    local name, pattern, prio = pat[1], pat[2], pat[3]
    local init = 1
    local ok, err = pcall(function()
      while true do
        local s, e = currentLine:find(pattern, init)
        if not s then break end
        local dist = distanceToCursor(s, e, curPos_LineStart)
        local score = dist * 1001 + (1000 - prio * 10)
        if not nearest or score < nearest.score then
          nearest = { name = name, start = s, stop = e, text = currentLine:sub(s, e), score = score }
        end
        init = (e >= init) and (e + 1) or (init + 1)
      end
    end)
    if not ok then
      editor.flashNotification(("[Pattern error] %s: %s"):format(name, tostring(err)))
    end
  end
  
  return nearest
end

command.define{
  name = "Cursor: Copy Nearest Pattern",
  description = "Copy the nearest and highest-priority formatted structure around the cursor",
  key = "Alt-c",
  run = function()
    local match = findNearestPattern()
    if not match then
      editor.flashNotification("No pattern matched.")
      return
    end
    editor.copyToClipboard(match.text)
    editor.flashNotification("Copied: " .. match.name .. " → " .. match.text)
  end
}

```