How to create a macro in .vimrc which automatically uses enter

Question

I want to have a macro in my .vimrc which when activated will enter a command and execute it.

I want something like

let @r = ':e!' 

but instead of it just being entered in the command line I want it executed.

Answer 1

Your goal is to insert a literal ^M character. You have two options: You can use digraphs (:h digraphs), or the <C-v> shortcut (:h i_CTRL-v).

Digraphs

Digraphs are a way to enter hard-to-reach characters, like accented letters or special keys. If you look at the listing in :digraphs, you will see that CR is the shortcut you want.

To enter a digraph, press Ctrlk followed by the digraph letters. In this case, it would be Ctrlk - CR (note the uppercase, it's significant).

Ctrl-v

Typing Ctrlv will "insert next non-digit literally". You can either press Ctrlv - Ctrlm, or Ctrlv - Enter – both will result in ^M.

Answer 2

Before ending ' sign, press combination CtrlV followed by Enter. This will insert Enter code represented by ^M sign, which will as you would have pressed Enter yourself.

You should get something like this:

let @r = ':e!^M' 

Answer 3

Q: How to set a macro in vimrc or vimscript?

A: let @w = 'macro commands'

How to find macro commands?

1. Record your macro using qw <do macro> q
2. Expand your macro in insert mode using Ctrl-r Ctrl-r w

Answer 4

<cr> (Carriage Return) inside a mapping or a command will expand to an Enter keystroke.

So your mapping then would be

let @r = ':e!<cr>'