Switch open files vim

To do so, split the window either horizontally or vertically using the following methods. You can also split windows during the Vim editing session. To do so, open a file in Vim, and then split it either horizontally or vertically using the following methods.

When no argument specified, the current file will be displayed in both split windows. To open another file in a new window, use the command :split , followed by the desired filename, as follows:. To switch to the next window to the left of the current window, use either of the following shortcuts:.

This article showed you how to open and switch between multiple files and windows in the Vim text editor. Hopefully, this should make it easier for you to use this amazing text editing tool. Karim Buzdar holds a degree in telecommunication engineering and holds several sysadmin certifications. As an IT engineer and technical author, he writes for various web sites. He blogs at LinuxWays. By default, Vim starts with a single window, which is enough for editing a single file. But sometimes, you may have to work on multiple files.

Vim makes it easier to work with multiple files at once with its window management system, allowing you to work on multiple files at the same time within a single Vim session.

You can choose to view one file at a time, or you can split your workspace to view multiple files side by side. This article will explain how to open multiple files and windows in Vim, as well as how to switch between multiple files and windows.

Opening and Switching Between Multiple Files Editing multiple files in the same session can speed up your work. Opening Multiple Files in Vim You can open multiple files at the start of the Vim editing session from the command line, or at any time from inside the Vim editing session. Karim Buzdar Karim Buzdar holds a degree in telecommunication engineering and holds several sysadmin certifications.

View all posts. Problems with Vim while switching between open files Ask Question. Asked 9 years, 3 months ago. Active 9 years, 3 months ago. Viewed times.

Parth Shah Parth Shah 1 1 gold badge 6 6 silver badges 15 15 bronze badges. I think, :set hidden in your. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. These two lines are the key to use Vim's buffers efficiently. Hi thanks for the quick reply. Was not expecting such a quick reply. When you are jumping to an error from the quickfix window, the default behaviour is to replace the current buffer with the one with the error.

If the buffer with the error is already open in a window or tab this setting will make you jump to that window or tab. With this setting, commands like :sb , :sbn or :sbp can also be used to move efficiently between buffers while :b , :bn and :bp don't care about this setting and replace the current buffer with the other one.

So, if you use windows and tabs you should add this line but not if you only use a single window. Use :n! This will move to the next file, ignoring the changes and not saving them. CrazyCasta CrazyCasta Hi CrazyCasta, Using :n! What it does is discards the changes I have made when moving to the next file — Parth Shah. Cory Kendall Cory Kendall 6, 6 6 gold badges 33 33 silver badges 62 62 bronze badges. This is completely wrong approach. While you do not "dealing with buffers", you can't use many Vim's useful functionalities.

DmitryFrank could you elaborate on some of the useful functionalities I miss by using vim tabs? Tabs is not the replacement of buffers. Of course you can use tabs, but do not use only tabs, because then you can't use Vim's windows :help windows , which is extremely powerful Vim feature. And there are many plugins that make switching buffers easier.

Off the top of my head, "ctrlp" or "buffet" plugin, but there are many ones. I agree this is the wrong approach: Vim's "tabs" don't work like the tabs in other editors at all. They are more like workspaces and should not be considered as proxies for "files". Should I remove my answer, edit it, or leave it as is with this comment attached? I'm open to removing it.