How can I execute the current line as Vim EX commands?

Question

Say I'm editing my _vimrc file and I've just added a couple of lines, for instance a new key mapping. I don't want to reload the whole file (:so %) since that will reset a lot of temporary stuff I'm experimenting with. I just want to run the two lines that I'm currently working on.

I'm having no luck trying to copy/paste the lines into the command buffer, since I can't use the put command in there. Is there any way I could run the current line (or current selection) as EX commands?

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Summary:

After Anton Kovalenko's answer and Peter Rincker's comment I ended up with these key maps, which either executes the current line, or the current selected lines if in visual mode:

" Execute current line or current selection as Vim EX commands.
nnoremap <F2> :exe getline(".")<CR>
vnoremap <F2> :<C-w>exe join(getline("'<","'>"),'<Bar>')<CR>

Answer 1

To execute the current line as an ex command, you may also use:

yy:@"

This will yank the current line to the "-register and execute it. I don't think it is too much typing.

Answer 2

Executing the line under cursor as an Ex command:

:execute getline(".")

Convenient enough for 2 lines. (I'd figure out something for doing it with regions, but I'm not a vim user). And for currently selected region, the following seems to do the job:

:execute getreg("*")

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As commented by Peter Rincker, this mapping can be used for executing the currently selected lines:

:vnoremap <f2> :<c-u>exe join(getline("'<","'>"),'<bar>')<cr>

Answer 3

For that purpose, I have defined the following commands and mappings:

":[range]Execute    Execute text lines as ex commands.
"                   Handles |line-continuation|.
" The same can be achieved via "zyy@z (or yy@" through the unnamed register);
" but there, the ex command must be preceded by a colon (i.e. :ex)
command! -bar -range Execute silent <line1>,<line2>yank z | let @z = substitute(@z, '\n\s*\\', '', 'g') | @z

" [count]<Leader>e  Execute current [count] line(s) as ex commands, then
" {Visual}<Leader>e jump to the following line (to allow speedy sequential
"                   execution of multiple lines).
nnoremap <silent> <Leader>e :Execute<Bar>execute 'normal! ' . v:count1 . 'j'<CR>
xnoremap <silent> <Leader>e :Execute<Bar>execute 'normal! ' . v:count1 . 'j'<CR>

Answer 4

Just after posting this, I found a work-around. I can copy text into the clipboard using "*y, then put that text into the command buffer by using the middle mouse button. This works for me, but is hardly a convenient solution for people without clipboard support, mouse support or just an aversion to removing their hands from the Vim position.

Answer 5

The accepted answer doesn't handle continuation sections. Also, surprisingly, the bar isn't needed, newlines are fine. This will work, first yanking the text into register x:

vno <c-x> "xy:exe substitute(@x,"\n\\",'','g')<cr>

As someone has already mentioned, the only exception are commands that "eat up" newlines. Eg, executing the above mapping on:

:sign define piet text=>> texthl=Search 
:exe ":sign place 2 line=23 name=piet file=" . expand("%:p")

will cause vim to to think that the user is trying to define textl as "Search\n:exe ":sign place... etc.

Answer 6

You could also try :<C-R><C-L><CR>

Per the vim docs, the combination will plop the current line into the command line. From there, hitting enter should do the trick. I realize that this does not handle multiline cases, however it doesn't require a .vimrc and therefore works out of the box.

Answer 7

If you're doing a lot of experimenting (trying things out that you might want to add to your vimrc, I assume?) it might help to do so in a scratch file like experimental.vim so you aren't just relying on your history to know what you're trying out. Now that you have these great mappings, it will be easy to rerun things from experimental or vimrc without sourcing the whole file.

Also (sorry, I can't comment on answers yet, it seems), I tried this mapping of Peter's:

vnoremap <Leader>es :<c-u>exec join(getline("'<","'>"),'<BAR>')<CR>

This works in most cases, but it fails specifically on function definitions.

function! TestMe()
  echo "Yay!"
endfunction

This mapping joins the lines into a single string, separated by <BAR> and then execs them.

I'm not entirely sure why, but if I try to do that with a function definition in normal mode:

:exec 'function! TestMe()|  echo "Yay!"|endfunction'
-> E488: Trailing characters

After some testing, I've found that it will work with newline separators instead:

:exec "function! TestMe()\n  echo 'Yay!'\nendfunction"
:call TestMe()
-> Yay!

So, I've changed my mapping to this:

vnoremap <Leader>es :<c-u>exec join(getline("'<","'>"),"\n")<CR>

I suppose there is a vim or ex reason why the <BAR> method doesn't work on functions (maybe even some setting I have on?), and I'm curious to hear what it is if someone knows.

Answer 8

I don't want to reload the whole file (:so %) since that will reset a lot of temporary stuff I'm experimenting. I just want to run the two lines that I'm currently working on.

If you want to execute a command because you want to refine it before committing it to _.vimrc, then you should launch a Command Line Window for Ex-mode commands with q:.

At launch the Command Line Window is buffered with the contents of the command line history. It is a normal Vim window the contents of which can be edited as any text buffer with the exception of pressing on any line which executes the command on that line. It is very useful when you want to slightly change a long, complex command you wrote earlier and re-run it.

To launch a 'Command Line Window' for search strings press q/.

Answer 9

!! (shorthand for :.!) executes the current line as input to a command, per POSIX ex & vi. You may need to append sh if it is a system command.

Executing !! on a blank line (and omitting sh) is a shortcut for reading a shell command straight into the buffer. By it's nature :.! overwrites the current line while :.r! inserts on the line below.

---

ls -A | head -n +4
~
~
!sh

Results:

.sh_history
.sh_logout
.kshrc
corelist.txt
~
~
4 lines added; 1 line deleted`

This means there is no need to redirect pipelines to a file and then examine the data to see if the contents are valid. Just execute commands in vi directly and undo if you make a mistake.

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Alternately, yanking a line as a named buffer allows you to execute it as an ex command, almost like a macro. You can still edit and undo the line to get it correct instead of trying to edit the : line in command mode.

The functions recommended here are all POSIX and have been supported for over 40 years, so no special vim or other enhanced features are required.

:%s/meep/pEEp/ | g/foo/ s//BAR

foo
grok
meep
~
~

Yank the ex command (line 1, :%s...) into a named buffer / macro.

I just use the label m for "macro".

"myy

or

:1y m

Now execute the named buffer / macro, in command mode, using @:

@m

Results:

:%s/pEEp/pEEp/ | g/BAR / s//BAR

BAR
grok
pEEp
~
~
4 lines changed

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But remember that "multiple undo" is not POSIX. undo is only a toggle between undo and redo in a "historically accurate & compliant" ex / vi implementation.
The work-around is to save to a temporary (or valid) file name before executing a questionable edit:

:w $$.tmp

Then just :e! to "reset and reload" if needed.

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You can also use :pre (preserve) to make a special temporary backup file prior to making multiple changes. Then use :reco! % (recover this!) to restore back to that point. Realize that :preserve creates a snapshot-like file which is deleted as soon as it is rolled back to. It does not matter if you save the edit(s) or not. Therefore writing your own file (:w ...) and restoring with :e! may still have value because the system will not automatically delete it.

:pre is perfect when you should have ran sudo vi ... or otherwise do not have the necessary permissions - but you only realized the mistake after making several changes. i.e. vi /etc/sudoers instead of sudo vi /etc/sudoers.
^^ NEVER DO THIS! ONLY AN EXAMPLE! USE sudo visudo INSTEAD!

You can get a list of existing recovery files with vi -r and recover one directly with vi -r filename as needed, optionally with something like sudo vi -r filename.

The distinction here is that even though the ":preserved file" has it's own name and path internally, it will :write to the original, intended location when ":recovered ==> /etc/sudoers Just be sure to use :wq! and not something like ZZ when done with your "recovery" or you will still lose the edits which you tried to save.

By the way, ^R is expected to redraw or repaint the display per POSIX; it is not "undo" in any compliant vi implementation.