vim - buffers, tabs, splits and windows

Table of Contents

Working with multiple files
Buffers
Get the name of the current file
Update multiple java files at once
Tabs
Splits and Multiple windows

Working with multiple files

Buffers

How to view all open buffers?

:buffers
:ls

This will show a numbered list with all open buffers. Tip: the numbers on buffers do not change during a session.

Jumping between buffers

(There might be an issue)

To go to a specific buffer (file), we can use one of the following:

:buffer <filename> (to go to the buffer with the number 5)
:buffer5 (to go to the buffer with the number 5)
:b5 (to go to the buffer with the number 5)
:bnext
:bprevious
:bfirst or :bf
:blast or :bl

How to close a single buffer?

:q will quit the current window.
When there is only one window, :q will close vim.
Use :q only when there are multiple splits.

Using it’s number:

To close the buffer with number 2, do this :2bd
To close the buffer with number 13, do this :13bd

Get the name of the current file

When working in a file/buffer, how to paste the name of the file/buffer in it?

"%p

This is because, the name of the file is available in the register %.

Register % contains the name of the current file, and register * contains the name of the alternate file. These registers allow the name of the current or alternate files to be displayed or inserted. The name, or full path, or directory containing the file can be used.

For example, in directory /abc the command vim def/my.txt would edit file /abc/def/my.txt. The following commands could be entered to display the information shown.

command	description
:echo @%	def/my.txt	directory/name of file (relative to the current working directory of /abc)
:echo expand(’%:t')	my.txt	name of file (’tail')
:echo expand(’%:p')	/abc/def/my.txt	full path
:echo expand(’%:p:h')	/abc/def	directory containing file (‘head’)
:echo expand(’%:p:h:t')	def	First get the full path with :p (/abc/def/my.txt), then get the head of that with :h (/abc/def), then get the tail of that with :t (def)
:echo expand(’%:r')	def/my	name of file less one extension (‘root’)
:echo expand(’%:e')	txt	name of file’s extension (’extension')

The following commands insert lines consisting of the full path of the current and alternate files into the buffer:

:put =expand('%:p')
:put =expand('*:p')

Update multiple java files at once

Option 1 (Do not use this):

If you want to open all files matching the pattern in subfolders - :args **/*.java

To replace four white spaces in java files with a tab use this - :bufdo exexute "%s/ /(press tab)/g" | update

1. :bufdo execute "%s/(press tab){/{/g" | update
1. :bufdo execute "global/^{/normal -gJ" | update
1. :bufdo execute "%s/){/) {/g" | update

Option 2: Use Rg and cfdo as explained in the fzf document.

Tabs

Creating And Closing Tabs

command	description
:tabnew	To open a new tab with an empty buffer
:tabe <file>	to edit file in a new tab
:tabc	to close a tab and all the buffers in it

Show a numbered list with all open tabs

To go to a specific tab, do :5gt (to go to the tab with the number 5)

:tabs		List the tab pages and the windows they contain.
            Shows a ">" for the current window.
            Shows a "+" for modified buffers.
            For example:
                    Tab page 1 ~
                      + tabpage.txt ~
                        ex_docmd.c ~
                    Tab page 2 ~
                    >   main.c ~

Other commands for tabs

command	description
:tabs	List the tab pages and the windows they contain.
g<Tab>	Go to the last accessed tab page.
:gt	Go to the next tab
: gT	Go to the previous tab
: nnn gt	Go to a numbered tab. For example, 3gt goes to tab 3
:tabn, :tabp	(or gt, gT to switch)

Reordering Tab Pages

command	description
:tabm2	moves the current tab to appear after tab 2. To move this tab to the first position, use :tabm0. To move this tab to the last position, just use :tabm
:tabm[ove] +[N]	Move the current tab page N places to the right (with +) or to the left (with -).
:tabm[ove] -[N]	Move the current tab page N places to the right (with +) or to the left (with -).
:tabmove -	move the tab page to the left
:tabmove -1	as above
:tabmove +	move the tab page to the right
:tabmove +1	as above

Open question - how to move buffers from one tab to another or into split windows when wanted? It may not be such a great idea to work on multiple windows in a given tab, unless there is a need for it. Always prefer to work only on one buffer in a tab because that will give maximum visibility into the open buffer. If there is a need to work on another file/buffer at the same time, put it in a separate tab. For now, just go to the tab that you want to open split windows in and use :vsp to split it and open the file that you want to view as a split window.

How to open buffers in tabs from netrw: One way is to change netrw settings using vimrc. The other way is, open it in a window and move it into a tab using Cntrl W T

How to move an existing window (split) and put it in a new tab? Ctrl W followed by T

Splits and Multiple windows

You can also use the “windows command mode” with navigation keys to change a window’s position: Check out :help window-moving for more information

command	description
Ctrl w	gives you the “windows command mode”, allowing the following modifiers
Ctrl w + R	To rotate windows up/left
Ctrl w + r	To rotate windows down/right
Ctrl w + L	Move the current window to the “far right”
Ctrl w + H	Move the current window to the “far left”
Ctrl w + J	Move the current window to the “very bottom”
Ctrl w + K	Move the current window to the “very top”
Ctrl+W +/-	increase/decrease height (ex. 20<C-w>+)
Ctrl+W >/<	increase/decrease width (ex. 30<C-w><)
Ctrl+W _	set height (ex. 50<C-w>_)
Ctrl+W (pipe)	set width (ex. 50<C-w>)
Ctrl+W =	equalize width and height of all windows
^Ws or :split↵	split window in two
^Wn or :new↵	create new empty window
^Wo or :on↵	make current window one on screen
^Wj ^Wk	move to window below, above
^Ww ^W^W	move to window below, above (wrap)
:e filename	Edit another file
:split filename	Split window and load another file
CTRL-W v	Vertical split current window
CTRL-W s	Horizontal split current window
CTRL-W Arrow Up	Move cursor up a window
CTRL-W CTRL-W	Move cursor to another window (cycle)
CTRL-W_	Maximize current window
CTRL-W=	Make all equal size
10 CTRL-W+	Increase window size by 10 lines
:vsplit file	Vertical split
:sview file	Same as split, but readonly
:hide	Close current window
:only	Keep only this window open
:ls	Show current buffers
:b 2	Open buffer #2 in this window
:bd[n]	Close current buffer. If [n] is given close buffer #n. #n can be gathered with :ls.