[lmi] On matching the zero-width vim atom "%V"

[Greg Chicares]

Here's something that I think should work, but doesn't.

Goal: in this line:
  InvariantValues().TermSpecAmt[j] = TermSpecAmt;
I want to call dblize() on the RHS, making it this:
  InvariantValues().TermSpecAmt[j] = dblize(TermSpecAmt);

Technique: visually highlight the string to be replaced,
e.g. with this sequence of commands on that line:
  $FTvt;
and then perform the substitution:
  :'<,'>s/\%V.*\%V/dblize(&)/
(The "$FT" part is written to make the command easy to
reproduce--it's not the way I'd normally begin a selection.)

That fails, yielding:
  InvariantValues().TermSpecAmt[j] = dblize(TermSpecAm)t;

It works if I highlight one more character ('f', not 't'):
  $FTvf;
  :'<,'>s/\%V.*\%V/dblize(&)/
  InvariantValues().TermSpecAmt[j] = dblize(TermSpecAmt);
But earlier I excluded that terminal ';' from the selection
because I don't want to operate on it--I don't want
  InvariantValues().TermSpecAmt[j] = dblize(TermSpecAmt;)
which is what I would expect when highlighting includes ';'.

Similarly, if the string to be replaced extends to EOL:
  ,NetPmts[Month]
then "$FNvg_" highlights the string I want to replace,
but to use the "s" command above I must instead highlight
it with "$FNv$", which, jarringly, extends the selection
for two (not one) pseudo characters past the end.

(I don't think this is caused by any unusual vim setting,
but lmi's 'gwc/.vimrc' gives my full configuration).

What am I misunderstanding?