Emacs: Paste or Paste Previous 🚀

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

Here's a command that paste text, and if repeated, paste the previous item.

If a numerical argument is given, paste that many times.

(defun xah-paste-or-paste-previous ()
  "Paste. When called repeatedly, paste previous.
This command calls `yank', and if repeated, call `yank-pop'.

When `universal-argument' is called first with a number arg, paste that many times.

URL `http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_paste_or_paste_previous.html'
Version 2017-07-25 2020-09-08"
  (interactive)
  (progn
    (when (and delete-selection-mode (region-active-p))
      (delete-region (region-beginning) (region-end)))
    (if current-prefix-arg
        (progn
          (dotimes (_ (prefix-numeric-value current-prefix-arg))
            (yank)))
      (if (eq real-last-command this-command)
          (yank-pop 1)
        (yank)))))

Emacs paste command is named yank 【Ctrl + y】, and paste previous command is named yank-pop 【Alt + y】.

[see Emacs: Copy/Paste, kill-ring]

xah-paste-or-paste-previous command combines them, so now you only need one key, instead of 2 keys for 2 commands.

You can set the yank key for it, like this:

(global-set-key (kbd "C-y") 'xah-paste-or-paste-previous)

[see Emacs: How to Define Keybinding]

Emacs Copy/Paste