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created July 15, 2003 · complexity intermediate · author Salman Halim · version 6.0
I frequently execute commands (mappings, usually) that perform operations that change the value of the search register for the sake of the mapping. They might do a :s or some such that affects the search register. I don't always want this side effect, so I use the following command/function:
" Executes a command (across a given range) and restores the search register " when done. function! SafeSearchCommand(line1, line2, theCommand) let search = @/ execute a:line1 . "," . a:line2 . a:theCommand let @/ = search endfunction com! -range -nargs=+ SS call SafeSearchCommand(<line1>, <line2>, <q-args>) " A nicer version of :s that doesn't clobber the search register com! -range -nargs=* S call SafeSearchCommand(<line1>, <line2>, 's' . <q-args>)
Basically, :SS followed by any command will execute that command (to simulate keystrokes, use :normal as the command) and restore the search register when it's done. :S is a replacement for :s which works EXACTLY the same way (with or without range, flags etc) but doesn't clobber the search register in the process.