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Vim buffer,tabs & windows

Buffers

buffer in Vim is an open instance of a file.

  • Saved somewhere in Memory
  • List all Buffers in current screen: :ls

  • Open buffer: :buffers

    • The first column is the unique number identifying the buffer.
    • The second is the set of attributes.

Buffer commands:

  1. Switch between buffers: :bnext
  2. Open next buffer in list: :bnext & :bprevious
  3. Open all avalaible buffers: :ball
  4. Execute operation on all open buffers: :bufdo %s/search_tearm/replace_term/g | update
  5. Close buffer: :bdelete

Useful commands:

  1. zz - Center the current line within the window
  2. zt - Bring the current line to the top of the window
  3. zb - Bring the current line to the bottom of the window

Windows

viewport onto a single buffer

Open new window:

  • :split { + filename} -> :sp
  • :vsplit { + filename} -> :vsp

Useful commands:

  1. :new [filename] - Open a new window above the current windowG
  2. :vnew [filename] - Open a new window beside the current window
  3. :split - Edit the specified file in new window above the current window
  4. :vsplit - Edit the specified file in a new window beside the current window
  5. h,j,k,l - Navigate to the window in the given direction

Tab

collection of one or more windows(Group windows in useful way)

Useful commands:

  1. :tabnew - Open a new tab
  2. :tabedit - Edit the file with the provided name in a new tab
  3. gt - Go to next tab open
  4. gT - Go to previous tab
  5. T - Break the current window out to a new tab

Sources