How to save a macro (for quickly printing a variable)?

Question

I'm trying to create a macro for an action that I very frequently use in Python: printing a variable in a bright color so it can easily be found in the traces while debugging.

So lets say there's something like:

myfunctioncall(myvariable)

I want the macro to add:

print("\u001b[35m", myvariable, "\u001b[0m")

on the line below it. (assuming the cursor was anywhere in the word "myvariable")

I tried writing the macro by hand, but I quickly had to realize that I'm still too noobish for that. Instead I recorded the macro, and tried to save that by using the CTRL-R CTRL-R method.

However, it appears for some reason the macro isn't properly "pasted" to my vimrc from the register. The o-register in code down below is directly recorded to the register. The p-register is the one that it got from the vimrc (after pasting from register).

  c  "o   yawA^Mprintf(<80>kb<80>kb("\u001b[35m", ^[<80><fd>apA, "\u001b[0m")^[<80><fd>a
  c  "p   yawA^Mprintf(<80>kb<80>kb("\u001b[35m", ^[<80>ýapA, "\u001b[0m")^[<80>ýa

As you can see, it is slightly different. <fd> has changed into ý for some reason. Anyone who can explain my why this is and how I can fix it?

(Ps: I know some of you will be tempted to just give me a working macro instead. Those answers are also welcome, but keep in mind that I did not use O on purpose, but instead used A[ENTER] so that the Python-indentation is retained.)

EDIT: I just noticed something else that's odd! In the macro snippets above it says printf, while if I use the macro it uses a regular print! This is so odd?

EDIT2: I didn't make it very clear, but the macro in register p does not work. This is what I get when using it:

printf(<U+0080>kb<U+0080>kb("\u001b[35m", 

Answer 1

O should work with python and keep the current indent level. You may want to look at your indention settings and/or ensure filetype indent on.

I set filetype plugin indent on in my vimrc. It is also set in defaults.vim

Whats the <fd>??

As you can see, it is slightly different. <fd> has changed into ý for some reason. Anyone who can explain my why this is and how I can fix it?

As @filbranden mentioned ^[<80><fd> is a no op. In general Vim may detect/record more than you expect due to Vim's implementation and terminal behavior.

A macro who grew up to be a mapping

I'm trying to create a macro for an action that I very frequently use in Python: printing a variable in a bright color so it can easily be found in the traces while debugging.

Macros are great and they are a good first start towards building a propper mapping. Replaying macros depend on registers which tend to be ephemeral. Mappings are a great way to store such commands for later. They also use key-notation which is often easier to read and are not limited to only 26ish registers.

You could easily create a mapping for this following the same commands in your macro. I'm using \p as an example trigger for the mapping

nnoremap \p yawA<cr>print("\u001b[35m", <esc>pA, "\u001b[0m")<esc>

For more help see:

:h key-notation
:h map-overview

Problems

However, there are problems with this mapping which may not be apparent.

• It mutates the unnamed register. This might be surprising later on
• This is a python specific mapping which it not useful for other 'filetype''s (aka global mapping)

Side effects in your mappings

This mapping mutates the unnamed register "". This can be avoided a few different ways, but I am going to show you how to leverage <cword> which is the current word the cursor is on:

nnoremap \p "=[printf('print("\u001b[35m", %s, "\u001b[0m")', expand('<lt>cword>'))]<cr>]p

This mapping uses the expression register, "=, to evaluate a Vim expression which happens to be a printf() statement where we use the current word, expand('<cword>'). Wrap the expression in an array to force this to be line-wise and do a same indent-level put with ]p

For more help see:

:h "=
:h expand()
:h printf()
:h ]p
:h <cword>
:h <lt>
:h key-notation

Local Mappings

Lets make this mapping only for python files by making it local to the <buffer>. We can do this two different ways: use an autocmd or use the after-director (e.g. ~/.vim/after/ftplugin/python.vim)

autocmd Filetype python nnoremap <buffer> \p "=[printf('print("\u001b[35m", %s, "\u001b[0m")', expand('<lt>cword>'))]<cr>]p

Or use the after-directory by putting a file here ~/.vim/after/ftplugin/python.vim and add the mapping:

nnoremap <buffer> \p "=[printf('print("\u001b[35m", %s, "\u001b[0m")', expand('<lt>cword>'))]<cr>]p

Using the after-directory tends to be my preference

For more help see:

:h :au
:h :map-local
:h after-directory