How do I insert the result of a Vim expression onto a new line in the buffer?

Explanation

The :put command inserts the contents of a register as a new line below the cursor. When combined with the expression register =, it evaluates any Vim expression and places the result on its own line — without entering Insert mode or disturbing any named register.

How it works

• :put = opens the expression register and prompts for an expression
• After typing the expression and pressing <CR>, Vim evaluates it and inserts the result as a new line below the cursor
• The expression can be arithmetic, string functions, system calls, or any valid Vim expression
• :put! = inserts above the current line instead of below
• The cursor moves to the newly inserted line

Example

Insert today's date:

:put =strftime('%Y-%m-%d')

Insert a computed value:

:put =40 * 2 + 2

Result inserted as new line:

82

Insert a list of numbers from 1 to 5:

:for i in range(1,5) | put =i | endfor

Tips

• Compare with <C-r>= in Insert mode: that inserts inline at the cursor position without a newline
• Use :put =execute('version') to dump multi-line command output into the buffer for easy inspection
• :put =@" inserts the contents of the unnamed register as a new line — useful when you want to paste register content as a line even if it was a character-wise yank