I often find myself inserting timestamps in text documents. I added two quick lines to my .vimrc files that allows me to insert a timestamp using the F3 key:
" Insert timestamp with F3
nmap <F3> a<C-R>=strftime("%Y%m%d %H:%M")<CR><Esc>
imap <F3> <C-R>=strftime("%Y%m%d %H:%M")<CR>
In normal mode, the timestamp is appended at the current position and in insert mode, it is inserted.
I have seen many tips using the date command for inserting the time stamp, but using strftime makes it platform independent.
I found this tip in Swaroop CH’s vim book, which I highly recommend for download.
