How do I set the working directory for just the current tab page without affecting other tabs?

Explanation

:tcd (tab-local cd) changes the current working directory only for the current tab page. Other tab pages keep their own working directories. This is invaluable for multi-project workflows — each project gets its own tab with its own root directory.

Commands

Example workflow

Open two projects in separate tabs:

:tabnew
:tcd ~/projects/frontend
:tabnew
:tcd ~/projects/backend

Now each tab has its own working directory:

• gt to frontend tab: :pwd → ~/projects/frontend
• gt to backend tab: :pwd → ~/projects/backend

Practical uses

• :find and gf search relative to the tab's directory
• Shell commands (:!make, :terminal) run in the tab's directory
• FZF, CtrlP, and other file-finding plugins search from the tab's root

Tips

• :tcd %:h sets the tab directory to the directory of the currently open file
• :tcd - returns to the previous directory for this tab
• After :tcd, the tab's statusline can show the local directory using %{getcwd()}
• Plugins like vim-rooter can automatically :lcd or :tcd to the project root when you open a file