vimtricks.wiki Concise Vim tricks, one at a time.

How do I open all buffers in split windows?

Answer

:ball

Explanation

The :ball command opens a window for every buffer in the buffer list. Each buffer gets its own horizontal split.

How it works

  • :ball creates horizontal splits for all buffers
  • :vertical ball creates vertical splits instead
  • :tab ball opens each buffer in its own tab

Example

With 4 files loaded (:ls shows 4 buffers), :ball creates 4 horizontal splits.

Tips

  • This can create many windows — use with few buffers
  • :tab ball is often more practical for many files
  • :sball is a synonym for :ball
  • :only returns to a single window
  • Combine with :set hidden for smooth buffer management

Next

How do you yank a single word into a named register?