How to copy code and prefix it with four spaces

As I am posting questions with code samples on stackoverflow or in this forum, I mark my code, prefix it with 4 spaces, copy it. I'd like to automate it. This is what I came up with, but it won't work, as I don't know the idiomatic ways to write this in Elisp: (defun ugt-copy-code () "Copy code for forums, prefixing it with 4 spaces." (interactive) (save-excursion (let ((my-prefix " ") (beg (progn (backward-paragraph) (set-mark (point)) (region-beginning))) (end (progn (forward-paragraph) (region-end)))) (kill-ring-save beg end) (with-temp-buffer (yank) (beginning-of-buffer) (set-mark (point)) (end-of-buffer) (string-insert-rectangle beg end my-prefix) (kill-ring-save (region-beginning) (region-end)))))) Any help is appreciated.

Not sure if learning ELisp is part of the exercise, but if it's not, there's [copy-as-format](https://github.com/sshaw/copy-as-format).

This works for me (defun ugt-copy-code () "Copy code for forums, prefixing it with 4 spaces." (interactive) (save-excursion (let* ((start (progn (backward-paragraph) (point))) (end (progn (forward-paragraph) (point))) (code-string (buffer-substring start end))) (with-temp-buffer (save-excursion (insert code-string)) (while (not (eobp)) (insert-char ?\s 4) (forward-line)) (kill-new (buffer-string)) (message "Copied paragraph to the kill ring.")))))

Excellent, thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

That should do the trick: `C-y C-x C-x C-u C-x TAB` Basically yank, mark the yanked region, and then use `indent-rigidly` with C-u (aka 4, in this scenario) as its prefix.

That `C-TAB` should be either `TAB` or `C-i`, I think you were undecided between them and went with a mix of the two. :P Also, the `C-x C-x` is unnecessary: the region stays exactly the same whether you swap point and mark or not! The only effect that has, is that if you use `transient-mark-mode`, then the `C-x C-x` will highlight the region, but other than eye candy it is useless here.

Whenever I need to “indent” some amount of space, I just use `open-rectangle` (this requires that the text-to-be-indented not contain any tabs).

Oh, I meant `C-x TAB`. :D EDIT: As for the second part: I wasn't sure whether `indent-rigidly` behaves differently with the transient-mark active, so I included it. Good catch! Usually I'm just as picky about people marking regions for no reason.

I generally prefer `TAB` to `C-i`, but this is an exception, I like typing `C-u C-x C-i`, and in my head pronounce it "Control Uxy".

https://github.com/redguardtoo/emacs.d/blob/master/lisp/init-clipboard.el#L46 See `copy-to-x-clipboard`. Use mature third party distribution or read their code.

> (this requires that the text-to-be-indented not contain any tabs) Also: `M-x untabify`.