VIM search forward and back re-select searched text - search

Question

I currently am using this to function like in Geany (my old editor) when I select text and press F3:
vnoremap <silent> * :<C-U>
\let old_reg=getreg('"')<Bar>let old_regtype=getregtype('"')<CR>
\gvy/<C-R><C-R>=substitute(
\escape(#", '/\.*$^~['), '\_s\+', '\\_s\\+', 'g')<CR><CR>
\gV:call setreg('"', old_reg, old_regtype)<CR>
vnoremap <silent> # :<C-U>
\let old_reg=getreg('"')<Bar>let old_regtype=getregtype('"')<CR>
\gvy?<C-R><C-R>=substitute(
\escape(#", '?\.*$^~['), '\_s\+', '\\_s\\+', 'g')<CR><CR>
\gV:call setreg('"', old_reg, old_regtype)<CR>
Of course this is * for search forward for selected text and # for backward search of selected text.
What I can't figure out is how to get both of these to re-select the found word (or whatever is selected) once it find's it so I can continue to press * or # for continued search. So I don't have to re-select what it find's if that's not what I want and want to continue searching.

Answer 1

Your solution of adding v//e<CR> works, but it has the side effect of making the search to the end, which affects other commands like n / N. A better option is to re-establish the previous selection at the current position via 1v (or 1vl when 'selection' is exclusive).
vnoremap <silent> * :<C-U>
\let old_reg=getreg('"')<Bar>let old_regtype=getregtype('"')<CR>
\gvy/<C-R><C-R>=substitute(
\escape(#", '/\.*$^~['), '\_s\+', '\\_s\\+', 'g')<CR><CR>
\gV:call setreg('"', old_reg, old_regtype)<CR>1v
vnoremap <silent> / :<C-U>
\let old_reg=getreg('"')<Bar>let old_regtype=getregtype('"')<CR>
\gvy?<C-R><C-R>=substitute(
\escape(#", '?\.*$^~['), '\_s\+', '\\_s\\+', 'g')<CR><CR>
\gV:call setreg('"', old_reg, old_regtype)<CR>1v

Answer 2

GOT IT!!! Found it on another Stackoverflow question kind of related to mine, was hard to find though. Correct usage would be to add this to the end of each query:
<Esc>v//e<CR>
This takes me back out into normal mode, then visual mode, then repeat last search then select to end. So final code would be:
vnoremap <silent> * :<C-U>
\let old_reg=getreg('"')<Bar>let old_regtype=getregtype('"')<CR>
\gvy/<C-R><C-R>=substitute(
\escape(#", '/\.*$^~['), '\_s\+', '\\_s\\+', 'g')<CR><CR>
\gV:call setreg('"', old_reg, old_regtype)<CR><Esc>v//e<CR>
vnoremap <silent> / :<C-U>
\let old_reg=getreg('"')<Bar>let old_regtype=getregtype('"')<CR>
\gvy?<C-R><C-R>=substitute(
\escape(#", '?\.*$^~['), '\_s\+', '\\_s\\+', 'g')<CR><CR>
\gV:call setreg('"', old_reg, old_regtype)<CR><Esc>v//e<CR>
And that gives the quick fast and easy approach to fast searching of selected region!