Answer

:keeppatterns normal! @q<CR>

Explanation

When you replay macros from Ex commands, Vim can overwrite @/ (the last search pattern) depending on what the macro does. Wrapping macro execution in :keeppatterns lets you run automation while preserving your current search context, highlight behavior, and n/N navigation target. This matters in real cleanup passes where you alternate between scripted edits and manual search jumps.

How it works

• :keeppatterns tells Vim to execute the following command without changing the search register.
• normal! runs Normal-mode keys literally, ignoring user mappings, which keeps macro playback deterministic.
• @q replays the macro stored in register q.
• Combined, :keeppatterns normal! @q executes the macro once while keeping @/ intact.

Example

Assume you already searched for:

TODO

and recorded macro q to normalize spacing on the current line. Running:

:keeppatterns normal! @q

applies the macro but preserves the existing TODO search pattern, so n still jumps to the next TODO rather than a pattern introduced by the macro.

Tips

• Use a range to replay on multiple lines: :10,30keeppatterns normal! @q.
• Prefer normal! over normal for scripts so mappings do not change behavior across machines.
• If the macro itself depends on prior cursor position, test on a small range first, then scale up.

category: macros tags: #macros #registers #search #normal-mode #automation

Related Tricks