Correct syntax for tabstop at VISUAL placeholder

${1:${VISUAL}}

Oh, duh, the one permutation I didn't try.

Thanks so much for your help.

This is gonna be great. =D

It makes sense: ${1:default text} and you want the default to be the visual text. Btw, this is also in one of the examples in the doc which I urge you to read.

Yup, it makes sense when you put it that way. You can see an example of what I was trying in my other question.

For the record, it may be that a manual seems more, shall we say, accessible when one has written it than when one is merely reading it.

For instance:

The following snippet uses the regular expression option and illustrates
regular expression grouping using python's match object. It shows that the
expansion of a snippet can depend on the tab trigger used to define the
snippet, and that tab trigger itself can vary.

------------------- SNIP -------------------
snippet "be(gin)?( (\S+))?" "begin{} / end{}" br
\begin{${1:`!p
snip.rv = match.group(3) if match.group(2) is not None else "something"`}}
    ${2:${VISUAL}}
\end{$1}$0
endsnippet
------------------- SNAP -------------------

Nowhere does it say anything about the fact that that example *also* demonstrates the use of the VISUAL placeholder as a tabstop.

Sure, now that you've *told* me the syntax, I see it. But, not only did I read the manual, I read that very example. I was too busy following how it achieves what you explicitly pointed out to notice that detail, apparently.

Point taken and iI agree that the manual covers a lot of ground. The particular syntax is also discussed and explained in the third Episode of my screencasts around the 4 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKrrOevbrxY

I wish I could make it easier to grasp, but I feel that I did what I could.

Don't get me wrong, I think you've done a fantastic job. UltiSnips is feature-rich and well-documented.

It kind of comes with the territory, I guess. It's hard to have something which can do so much, and explain or understand it perfectly the first time.