# Column selection
IntelliJ IDEA supports the column selection mode which can be handy while working with Markdown tables.
## Use column selection to manage tables
Procedure:
1. Enable the column selection mode: press `Alt+Shift+Insert` (Windows), `⌘ ⇧ 8` (macOS), `⌘ ⇧ 8` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ ⇧ 8` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (XWin), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (GNOME), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (KDE), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (Emacs), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (Sublime Text), `⌘ ⇧ 8` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (NetBeans), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (Visual Studio), `⌘ ⇧ 8` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Alt+Shift+Insert` (Eclipse), `⌘ ⇧ 8` (Eclipse (macOS)) or select `Edit | Column Selection Mode`.
2. Select the whole column using a cursor or select one cell and then use `Shift+Up` (Windows), `⇧ ↑` (macOS), `⇧ ↑` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⇧ ↑` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Shift+Up` (XWin), `Shift+Up` (GNOME), `Shift+Up` (KDE), `Shift+Up` (Emacs), `Shift+Up` (Sublime Text), `⇧ ↑` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Shift+Up` (NetBeans), `Shift+Up` (Visual Studio), `⇧ ↑` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Shift+Up` (Eclipse), `⇧ ↑` (Eclipse (macOS)) and `Shift+Down` (Windows), `⇧ ↓` (macOS), `⇧ ↓` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⇧ ↓` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Shift+Down` (XWin), `Shift+Down` (GNOME), `Shift+Down` (KDE), `Shift+Down` (Emacs), `Shift+Down` (Sublime Text), `⇧ ↓` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Shift+Down` (NetBeans), `Shift+Down` (Visual Studio), `⇧ ↓` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Shift+Down` (Eclipse), `⇧ ↓` (Eclipse (macOS)) to select others.
3. Copy the selection.
4. Step to the end of the first row and paste.
Now you have a copy of the table column and can edit its content. In the same way, you can delete the column.
> **Note:**
> This mode affects only the current tab, not the whole editor. So if you close or reload it, the mode gets back to normal.
> **Tip:**
> You can use inlay hints provided by [the Markdown plugin](https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/markdown.html#table) instead of column selection. Double-click the header inlay and select  Select Column Cells icon.
## Use multiple carets with column selection
Procedure:
1. Step on the row.
2. Use `Shift+Up` (Windows), `⇧ ↑` (macOS), `⇧ ↑` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⇧ ↑` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Shift+Up` (XWin), `Shift+Up` (GNOME), `Shift+Up` (KDE), `Shift+Up` (Emacs), `Shift+Up` (Sublime Text), `⇧ ↑` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Shift+Up` (NetBeans), `Shift+Up` (Visual Studio), `⇧ ↑` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Shift+Up` (Eclipse), `⇧ ↑` (Eclipse (macOS)) and `Shift+Down` (Windows), `⇧ ↓` (macOS), `⇧ ↓` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⇧ ↓` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Shift+Down` (XWin), `Shift+Down` (GNOME), `Shift+Down` (KDE), `Shift+Down` (Emacs), `Shift+Down` (Sublime Text), `⇧ ↓` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Shift+Down` (NetBeans), `Shift+Down` (Visual Studio), `⇧ ↓` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Shift+Down` (Eclipse), `⇧ ↓` (Eclipse (macOS)) or drag the cursor and move it up and down to place carets to each row.
3. Edit a few values.
4. Switch the column selection off or reload the tab.