I started using NERDTree recently.
When I opened a file while having split window, the window of a new file was not I intended.
Consequently, I had lost my unsaved buffer by opening a file.
Is there any way to undo opening files or reopen my unsaved buffer?
You can go back to the previous file in a buffer using Ctrl6.
You haven't lost anything (yet), the buffer was hidden. Since it is the alternate buffer of that window, you can just switch back via <C-^>. You'll also find it in the buffer list of :ls (with a h prefix for hidden), from which you can re-edit it via its buffer number, e.g. :buffer 42 or :sbuf 42.
If there are unsaved changes, Vim will prompt you on :quit (unless you provide a ! to it).
I often like to have a copy of the file that I am working on open on a second monitor, usually to assist with writing tests. I sometimes mindlessly attempt to edit it on this monitor, rather than the most up to date one. To prevent this, I have been setting read only mode with :set ro but that doesn't prevent me from making changes, it only prevents me from saving.
I would like a lock that turns off the ability to go into insert mode. I could create a toggle that remaps all the insert mode keys, but I was wondering if there is a better solution?
Yes, it's possible. :set nomodifiable in the buffer you want to mark read-only. This is used by plugins like taglist to create non-modifiable buffers.
You can open with the argument -M. This prevents edits to the buffer.
Sometime when I open file and open buffer list :ls my buffer list is empty even when I had some open files before.
Then I have to quit vim and open again to get buffers works.
Is the way to restart/reload vim without closing window?
For now I know that it usually happens when I close buffer by :bd or :BD(bfkill) or maybe it can be related with closing open split window.
This is my vimrc: https://gist.github.com/1791434
My guess is you might have bufhidden set to unload, delete or wipeout
Check that with
:verbose set bufhidden
I recently changed from notepad++ to Vim. In notepad++ I used to be aware of my open files by
seeing them as tabs, so when I wanted to close or change them I just pressed Shift-Tab or Ctrl-W. In Vim there are also tabs, but when I use them I feel like I'm just going back to my notepad++ way of managing my files. Is there a good way of list, manage, switch and delete buffers other than splitting them?
Yep. I recommend a buffer explorer plugin as well as learning buffer commands. I use this plugin.
http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=42
The buffer paradigm is quite elegant once you are used to it. Less visual clutter. but you are free with vim to find your own thing
You can use these commands:
ls - list all open buffers
bp, bn - switch to the previous or next buffer
b number - switch to the buffer with that number
b text - switch to the buffer whose name includes the string text
I've tried several setups for Vim. My previous was one where I tried to use tabs instead of buffers. It was not very satisfying.
Now I've returned to buffers and for navigating files and buffers I use only the NERDTree and fuzzyfinder (I guess ex Textmate users may prefer fuzzyfinder_textmate) plugins, both are great.
For locating files I use either NERDTree bound to n or fuzzyfinder's File mode. For navigating open buffers I use fuzzfinder's buffer mode solely, bound to b.
Recently I also discovered that I could switch to the previously open buffer with Ctrl-6 (I think maybe that is Ctrl-^ on most keyboard).
There are so many ways to deal with buffers in vim.
CTRL-^ to switch between buffers.
:q is the same as Ctrl-W
For further details see http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/Easier_buffer_switching
BufferExplorerLight
" quick buffer selection including unlisted
nnoremap <leader>b :buffers!<cr>:buffer<space>
Alternatively
nnoremap <leader>b :buffer<space> <c-d>
But really you have to try FuzzyFinder!
I open several files in Vim by, for example, running
vim a/*.php
which opens 23 files.
I then make my edit and run the following twice
:q
which closes all my buffers.
How can you close only one buffer in Vim?
A word of caution: “the w in bw does not stand for write but for wipeout!”
More from manuals:
:bd
Unload buffer [N] (default: current
buffer) and delete it from
the buffer list. If the buffer was changed, this fails,
unless when [!] is specified, in which case changes are
lost.
The file remains unaffected.
If you know what you’re doing, you can also use :bw
:bw
Like |:bdelete|, but really delete the
buffer.
If this isn't made obvious by the the previous answers:
:bd will close the current buffer. If you don't want to grab the buffer list.
Check your buffer id using
:buffers
you will see list of buffers there like
1 a.php
2 b.php
3 c.php
if you want to remove b.php from buffer
:2bw
if you want to remove/close all from buffers
:1,3bw
Rather than browse the ouput of the :ls command and delete (unload, wipe..) a buffer by specifying its number, I find that using file names is often more effective.
For instance, after I opened a couple of .txt file to refresh my memories of some fine point.. copy and paste a few lines of text to use as a template of sorts.. etc. I would type the following:
:bd txt <Tab>
Note that the matching string does not have to be at the start of the file name.
The above displays the list of file names that match 'txt' at the bottom of the screen and keeps the :bd command I initially typed untouched, ready to be completed.
Here's an example:
doc1.txt doc2.txt
:bd txt
I could backspace over the 'txt' bit and type in the file name I wish to delete, but where this becomes really convenient is that I don't have to: if I hit the Tab key a second time, Vim automatically completes my command with the first match:
:bd doc1.txt
If I want to get rid of this particular buffer I just need to hit Enter.
And if the buffer I want to delete happens to be the second (third.. etc.) match, I only need to keep hitting the Tab key to make my :bd command cycle through the list of matches.
Naturally, this method can also be used to switch to a given buffer via such commands as :b.. :sb.. etc.
This approach is particularly useful when the 'hidden' Vim option is set, because the buffer list can quickly become quite large, covering several screens, and making it difficult to spot the particular buffer I am looking for.
To make the most of this feature, it's probably best to read the following Vim help file and tweak the behavior of Tab command-line completion accordingly so that it best suits your workflow:
:help wildmode
The behavior I described above results from the following setting, which I chose for consistency's sake in order to emulate bash completion:
:set wildmode=list:longest,full
As opposed to using buffer numbers, the merit of this approach is that I usually remember at least part of a given file name letting me target the buffer directly rather than having to first look up its number via the :ls command.
Use:
:ls - to list buffers
:bd#n - to close buffer where #n is the buffer number (use ls to get it)
Examples:
to delete buffer 2:
:bd2
You can map next and previous to function keys too, making cycling through buffers a breeze
map <F2> :bprevious<CR>
map <F3> :bnext<CR>
from my vimrc
Close buffer without closing the window
If you want to close a buffer without destroying your window layout (current layout based on splits), you can use a Plugin like bbye. Based on this, you can just use
:Bdelete (instead of :bdelete)
:Bwipeout (instead of :bwipeout)
Or just create a mapping in your .vimrc for easier access like
:nnoremap <Leader>q :Bdelete<CR>
Advantage over vim's :bdelete and :bwipeout
From the plugin's documentation:
Close and remove the buffer.
Show another file in that window.
Show an empty file if you've got no other files open.
Do not leave useless [no file] buffers if you decide to edit another file in that window.
Work even if a file's open in multiple windows.
Work a-okay with various buffer explorers and tabbars.
:bdelete vs :bwipeout
From the plugin's documentation:
Vim has two commands for closing a buffer: :bdelete and :bwipeout. The former removes the file from the buffer list, clears its options, variables and mappings. However, it remains in the jumplist, so Ctrl-o takes you back and reopens the file. If that's not what you want, use :bwipeout or Bbye's equivalent :Bwipeout where you would've used :bdelete.
How about
vim -O a a
That way you can edit a single file on your left and navigate the whole dir on your right...
Just a thought, not the solution...
[EDIT: this was a stupid suggestion from a time I did not know Vim well enough. Please don't use tabs instead of buffers; tabs are Vim's "window layouts"]
Maybe switch to using tabs?
vim -p a/*.php opens the same files in tabs
gt and gT switch tabs back and forth
:q closes only the current tab
:qa closes everything and exits
:tabo closes everything but the current tab
Those using a buffer or tree navigation plugin, like Buffergator or NERDTree, will need to toggle these splits before destroying the current buffer - else you'll send your splits into wonkyville
I use:
"" Buffer Navigation
" Toggle left sidebar: NERDTree and BufferGator
fu! UiToggle()
let b = bufnr("%")
execute "NERDTreeToggle | BuffergatorToggle"
execute ( bufwinnr(b) . "wincmd w" )
execute ":set number!"
endf
map <silent> <Leader>w <esc>:call UiToggle()<cr>
Where "NERDTreeToggle" in that list is the same as typing :NERDTreeToggle. You can modify this function to integrate with your own configuration.