How do I hide a buffer from the buffer list without closing it?

Explanation

Setting nobuflisted removes a buffer from the :ls output and buffer-switching commands like :bnext/:bprev, while keeping it loaded and accessible. This is how plugins hide helper buffers, and you can use it for scratch buffers or temporary reference files.

How it works

• :setlocal nobuflisted — hides buffer from :ls and :bnext
• :setlocal buflisted — shows buffer in the list again
• The buffer remains loaded and accessible via :buffer {name} or :b {number}
• :ls! (with bang) shows ALL buffers including unlisted ones

Example

" Hide the current buffer from the list
:setlocal nobuflisted

" Verify it's hidden
:ls      " won't show this buffer
:ls!     " shows it with a 'u' flag

:ls output:    (buffer 3 hidden)
  1 %a   "main.py"
  2  h   "utils.py"

:ls! output:   (buffer 3 visible with 'u')
  1 %a   "main.py"
  2  h   "utils.py"
  3 u    "scratch"

Tips

• :bnext and :bprev skip unlisted buffers — clean buffer cycling
• Plugins use this for file trees, terminals, help windows, etc.
• Combine with buftype=nofile for full scratch buffer behavior
• Use in autocmds: autocmd FileType qf setlocal nobuflisted