Remap <ENTER> so it makes new line and insert a datestamp

Question

I'm making a program for taking statistics during sports, where I script the games. I'm would like to make a VIM shortcut/remap, so every time I press that it does exactly what the ENTER-key normally does, but that it simply inserts a timestamp as well (and it should only be done in Insert-mode).

My thinking was, that I then could go into my VIMRC-file and activate the shortcut, whenever I was doing statistics.

Here's what I've tried:

 iabbrev <CR> <CR>:put =strftime('%H%M%S')^

The '^' in the end is there in the end, because when you insert the timestamp with :put =strftime('....'), that the cursor then is a the beginning of the newly inserted timestamp. But nothing happens with this in my VIMRC-file.

I've also tried:

iabbrev <ENTER> <ENTER>:put =strftime('%H%M%S')<CR>

And still, nothing happens.

I've even tried this, to try and see, if I could just make VIM insert any character, whenever I hit ENTER, but this doesn't do anything either:

 iabbrev <CR> <CR>1

I apologies, if this is a stupid question.

EXAMPLE OF USE:

Let's say that I was typing this on the keyboard:

upthrtwo
ussevfiv
tptwothr
uhsevtwo

Then I wanted VIM to have written this:

151852upthrtwo
151907ussevfiv
151917tptwothr
151949uhsevtwo

Thanks for your time and assistance.

Answer 1

Try with the following

:inoremap <CR> <Esc>:put =strftime('%H%M%S')<CR>A

This will map your enter key when in insert mode (inoremap) so that

• It exits to command mode (<Esc>)
• It runs :put =strftime('%H%M%S'), which inserts a newline and writes your timestamp to the new line (also note the <CR> at the end to execut the comamnd)
• It puts you back in insert mode at the end of the new line with A