ch02_buffers_windows_tabs.md

Ch02. Buffers, Windows, and Tabs

If you've used a modern text editor before, you are probably familiar with windows and tabs. Vim uses three display abstractions instead of two:

• buffers
• windows
• tabs. In this chapter, I will explain what buffers, windows, and tabs are and how they work in Vim.

Before you start, make sure you have the set hidden option in your vimrc. Without it, you will be prompted to save your file whenever you try to switch out of any unsaved buffers (you don't want that if you want to move quickly). I haven't covered what a vimrc is yet. A vimrc file can usually be found in your home directory and is named .vimrc (i.e., the full path to this file ~/.vimrc). I have my vimrc on ~/.vimrc. To see where you should create your vimrc, check out :h vimrc. If you don't have a vimrc already, create one by running vim +w ~/.vimrc in your terminal. Inside it, add:

set hidden

Save it, then source it (run :source % from inside the vimrc).

Buffers

What is a buffer?

A buffer is an in-memory space where you can write and edit text. When you open a file in Vim, the data in that file is bound to a buffer. When you open 3 files in Vim, 3 buffers will be created for each of them.

Have two empty files, file1.js and file2.js available (if possible, create them with Vim by running, say, vim +wn file1.js +wq file2.js in the terminal). Run this in the terminal:

vim file1.js

What you are seeing is the buffer for file1.js. Whenever you open a new file, Vim creates a new buffer.

Exit Vim. This time, open two new files:

vim file1.js file2.js

Vim is currently displaying the file1.js buffer, but it actually creates two buffers: the file1.js buffer and the file2.js buffer. Run :buffers to see all the buffers (alternatively, you can use :ls or :files too). You should see both file1.js and file2.js listed. Running vim file1 file2 file3 ... filen creates n buffers. Each time you open a new file, Vim create a new buffer for that file.

There are several ways you can traverse buffers:

• :bnext to go to the next buffer (:bprevious to go to the previous buffer).
• :buffer + filename. Vim can autocomplete any filename for you if you press <Tab>.
• :buffer + n, where n is the buffer number. For example, typing :buffer 2 will take you to buffer #2.
• Jump to the older position in the jump list with Ctrl-O and to the newer position with Ctrl-I. These are not buffer-specific methods, but they can be used to jump between different buffers. I will explain jumps in further detail in chapter 5.
• Go to the previously edited buffer with Ctrl-^.

Once Vim creates a buffer, it will remain in your buffer list. To remove the current buffer, you can type :bdelete. This command also accepts a buffer number as a parameter (e.g., :bdelete 3 to delete buffer #3) or a filename (:bdelete then use <Tab> to autocomplete).

For me, the hardest part of learning about buffers was visualizing how they worked, because my mind was so used to the windows a mainstream text editor I had been using. Buffers can be analogized to a deck of playing cards. If I have 2 buffers, I have a stack of 2 cards. The card on top is the only card I see, but I know there is another card below it. If I see file1.js buffer displayed then the file1.js card is on the top of the deck. I can't see the other card, file2.js here, but it's there. If I switch buffers to file2.js, that file2.js card is now on the top of the deck and file1.js card is below it.

If you haven't used Vim before, this is a new concept. Take your time to understand it.

Exiting Vim

By the way, if you have multiple buffers opened, you can close all of them with quit-all:

:qall

If you want to close without saving your changes, just add ! at the end:

:qall!

To save and quit all, run:

:wqall

Windows

A window is a viewport on a buffer. If you're coming from a mainstream editor, this concept may be familiar to you. Most text editors have the ability to display multiple windows. In Vim, you can also have multiple windows.

Let's open file1.js from the terminal again:

vim file1.js

Earlier I wrote that you're looking at the file1.js buffer. While that was correct, it was also incomplete. You are looking at the file1.js buffer, displayed through a window. A window is what you are viewing a buffer through.

Don't quit Vim yet. Run:

:split file2.js

Now you are looking at two buffers through two windows. The top window displays the file2.js buffer. The bottom window displays the file1.js buffer.

If you want to navigate between windows, use these shortcuts:

Ctrl-W h    Moves the cursor to the left window
Ctrl-W j    Moves the cursor to the lower window
Ctrl-W k    Moves the cursor to the upper window
Ctrl-W l    Moves the cursor to the right window

Now run:

:vsplit file3.js

You are now seeing three windows displaying three buffers. One window displays the file3.js buffer, another window displays the file2.js buffer, and another window displays the file1.js buffer.

You can have multiple windows display the same buffer. While you're on the top left window, type:

:buffer file2.js

Now both of the top windows are displaying the file2.js buffer. If you start typing on either of the file2.js windows, both windows containing the file2.js buffer will be updated in real-time.

To close the current window, you can run Ctrl-W C or type :quit. When you close a window, the buffer will still be there (run :buffers to confirm this).

Here are some useful normal-mode window commands:

Ctrl-W V    Opens a new vertical split
Ctrl-W S    Opens a new horizontal split
Ctrl-W C    Closes a window
Ctrl-W O    Makes the current window the only one on screen and closes other windows

And here is a list of useful window command-line commands:

:vsplit filename    Split window vertically
:split filename     Split window horizontally
:new filename       Create new window

Take your time to understand them. For more information, check out :h window.

Tabs

A tab is a collection of windows. Think of it like a layout for windows. In most modern text editors (and modern internet browsers), a tab means an open file / page; when you close it, that file / page goes away. In Vim, a tab does not represent an opened file. When you close a tab in Vim, you are not closing a file; you are only closing the layout. The files opened in that layout are still not closed; they are still open in their buffers.

Let's see Vim tabs in action. Open file1.js:

vim file1.js

To open file2.js in a new tab:

:tabnew file2.js

You can also let Vim autocomplete the file you want to open in a new tab by pressing <Tab> (no pun intended).

Below is a list of useful tab navigations:

:tabnew file.txt    Open file.txt in a new tab
:tabclose           Close the current tab
:tabnext            Go to next tab
:tabprevious        Go to previous tab
:tablast            Go to last tab
:tabfirst           Go to first tab

You can also run gt to go to next tab page (you can go to previous tab with gT). You can pass count as argument to gt, where count is tab number; for example, to go to the third tab, do 3gt.

One advantage of having multiple tabs is you can have different window arrangements in different tabs. Maybe you want your first tab to have 3 vertical windows, and your second tab to have a layout consisting of horizontal and vertical windows mixed together. Tab is the perfect tool for this job!

To start Vim with multiple tabs, you can run this from the terminal:

vim -p file1.js file2.js file3.js

Moving in 3D

Moving between windows is like traveling two-dimensionally along the X-Y axis in a Cartesian coordinate system. You can move to the top, right, bottom, and left window with Ctrl-W K/L/J/H, respectively.

Moving between buffers is like traveling across the Z axis in a Cartesian coordinate system. Imagine your buffer files lining up across the Z axis. You can traverse the Z axis one buffer at a time using :bnext and :bprevious. You can jump to any coordinate in the Z axis with :buffer filename/buffernumber.

You can move in three-dimensional space by combining window and buffer movements. You can move to the top, right, bottom, or left window (X-Y navigations) with window movements. Since each window contains a set of buffers, you can move forward and backward (Z navigations) with buffer movements.

Using Buffers, Windows, and Tabs the Smart Way

You have learned what buffers, windows, and tabs are and how they work in Vim. Now that you understand them better, you can use them in your own workflow.

Everyone has a different workflow. Here is mine for example:

• First, I use buffers to store all the required files for the current task. Vim can handle many opened buffers before it starts slowing down. Plus having many buffers open won't crowd my screen. I am only seeing one buffer (assuming I only have one window) at any time, allowing me to focus on one screen. When I need to go somewhere, I can quickly fly to any open buffer anytime.
• I use multiple windows to view multiple buffers at once, usually when diffing files, reading docs, or following a code flow. I try to keep the number of windows opened to no more than three, because my screen will get crowded (I use a small laptop). When I am done, I close any extra windows. Fewer windows means fewer distractions.
• Instead of tabs, I use tmux windows. I usually use multiple tmux windows at once. For example, one tmux window for client-side code and another for backend code.

My workflow may look different from yours based on your editing style, and that's fine. Experiment to discover your own flow and what suits your coding style.

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