How do I run builds asynchronously in Vim?

Explanation

vim-dispatch by Tim Pope provides asynchronous build commands in Vim. It runs :make and similar commands in the background, populating the quickfix list when done.

How it works

• :Make runs the current makeprg asynchronously
• :Dispatch command runs any command asynchronously
• Results go to the quickfix list when the command finishes
• Vim remains responsive during execution

Example

:Make                      " Async make
:Dispatch python3 %        " Run current file async
:Dispatch! npm test        " Run in background (no quickfix)

Tips

• Install: Plug 'tpope/vim-dispatch'
• Uses tmux, terminal, or other backends for async execution
• :Focus command sets a command to run with :Dispatch
• :Start command opens a new terminal with the command
• Pairs well with vim-test for async test running