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My context: I frequently take notes in VIM. I'd like a VIM function to type a standard-header into the command line (specifically, a timestamp such as :sav 20180418_) without executing; control would return with VIM still in command-mode (so that user could append remainder of the filename and execute).

My fundamental difficulty: I cannot seem to get a Vim function/macro to enter command-mode, supply text to the command line, then exit while staying in command-mode and not executing the text supplied.

Is this possible?

Thank you.

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You can use expand() function. For example if you are currently editing file 20180418_.txt you can type:

:sav <c-r>=expand("%:r")<cr>

where <c-r>= should be typed as Ctrl+R followed by =. Enter key is <cr>. This will expand the text in the command line into:

:sav 20180418_
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Thank you. Is it possible for this to be coded in a Vim-function (so I can initiate it with a key-binding)? Rather than expand("%:t") (which returns nothing for me), I'd likely use strftime("%Y%m%d_"). There's something basic about command-mode content in Vim functions that I seem to not understand: I tried entering :sav <C-R>=strftime("%Y%m%d_")<CR> as the one line of a function (didn't run).
You can use a command-line map: cnoremap 'e <c-r>=strftime("%Y%m%d_")<cr>. Now typing 'e in command line will expand into 20180418_
Thanks, that's a close-enough workaround for my purposes. :)

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