Tip #821: Simplest buffer explorer ever

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Rating 22/9, Viewed by 1198

created:		November 16, 2004 1:15		complexity:		basic
author:		Kartik Agaram		as of Vim:		5.7

In the footsteps of vimscript #42 and vimscript #159, here's perhaps the simplest way to select a buffer from the list of all buffers: nnoremap :e :ls<CR>:e<Space> Just type ':e' and continue typing '#' and the number of a filename from the list (or a new filename). A minor drawback is that ':' now doesn't show up immediately (vim waits some time to see if you'll complete the mapping), but I got used to this with no trouble at all. I imagine it'll be the same for most people who type fast - you won't notice that ':' and the next character you type show up together rather than in sequence. I always get nervous with mappings involving ':' or '/' but this one's created no problems in a couple of months.

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Additional Notes

Anonymous, November 16, 2004 2:47

Great tip. However I got annoyed with the flashing up of the (potentially) large list of buffers when I didn't want it, so I changed it to: nnoremap :bl :ls<CR>:b<Space> I'm using b instead of e and can now jump straight to the buffer if I know it with :b(normally # although I've altered my ruler to also display the buffer number so that I can remember it) or list them first with :bl

Perci Merci, November 16, 2004 15:28

Great tip, now how about ':prev' to go back to wherever I came from? This has been troubling me ever since I adopted vim 5 years back, that there is no 'going back key'.

[email protected], November 16, 2004 22:05

To address the need above with regard to :prev, here is my solution. " Save the buffer number of the last exited buffer for quick snapback au BufLeave * let MyLastBufNum = bufnr('%') " Return to last buffer used nnoremap <TAB> :exe "b" . MyLastBufNum<CR> At least I believe that that is what you were wanting.

[email protected], November 17, 2004 13:04

If you want to return to previous edited file (usefull for alternating between two files) Ctrl-6 might do what you want.

[email protected], November 17, 2004 13:08

Perci Merci, Randall Rice Do you think of this command, which is already built in? CTRL-^ edit Nth alternate file (equivalent to ":e #N") :h Ctrl-^

[email protected], November 18, 2004 9:22

Yes :) Ctrl-6 seems to be synonimum for Ctrl-^.

Anonymous, November 23, 2004 1:08

:b# returns you to the previously edited buffer.

perci merci, December 8, 2004 12:07

C-^ only toggles to the last buffer; what I need is a list of all (history of) buffers visited to navigate in explorer window.

Anonymous, January 7, 2005 21:20

try: nmap ,l :ls<cr>:e#




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