How do I open a specific buffer in a new split without navigating away from my current buffer?

Explanation

:sbuffer {N} opens buffer number N in a new horizontal split, leaving your current window untouched. This is a fast way to bring a second file into view when you already know its buffer number from :ls.

How it works

• :sbuffer (abbreviated :sb) splits the current window horizontally and loads the specified buffer
• {N} is the buffer number shown by :ls
• You can also use a partial filename instead of a number: :sb partial-name
• For a vertical split, use :vertical sbuffer {N} (or :vert sb {N})
• :sbnext and :sbprev split and cycle through the buffer list

Example

Run :ls to view open buffers:

  1  %a   "server.go"      line 42
  2   h   "handler.go"     line 1
  3   h   "models.go"      line 1

To open models.go (buffer 3) in a vertical split beside your current file:

:vert sb 3

Both files are now visible without any intermediate navigation.

Tips

• Combine with <C-w>= after opening to equalise window sizes
• :tab sbuffer {N} opens the buffer in a new tab instead of a split
• :sball opens all loaded buffers in splits at once — useful for a quick multi-buffer review
• Use <C-^> to toggle between the two most recent buffers within the same window