73 results for ":ls"
:put =execute('messages')
Vim's :messages command shows recent output — error messages, echo'd values, and diagnostic information — but the display is ephemeral and hard to search.
:bufdo if &buftype ==# '' | update | endif
bufdo is powerful for multi-buffer automation, but a naive write pass can error on special buffers (help, terminal, quickfix, prompts).
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #ex-commands #automation #workflow
"#p or <C-r># in insert mode
The # register always contains the name of the alternate file — typically the file you were editing just before the current one.
:file {newname}
:file {newname} (short form: :f {newname}) changes the filename Vim associates with the current buffer.
:filter /{pattern}/ history cmd
When command history gets crowded, scanning :history cmd manually is slow.
:leftabove sbuffer #
If you often compare your current file against the previously visited buffer, replacing the current window is disruptive.
:bnext
The :bnext (or :bn for short) command switches to the next buffer in Vim's buffer list.
:keepalt e {file}
Every time you open a file with :edit, Vim updates the alternate file register (#) to the previous buffer.
buffers-windows #buffers #ex-commands #registers #navigation
:drop {file}
When the same file is already open elsewhere, using :edit can create extra navigation friction because you stay in the current window and may lose layout contex
buffers-windows #buffers-windows #windows #buffers #workflow
vim.lsp.enable('server-name')
vim.
:split #
In Vim, # is a special filename that always refers to the alternate file — the most recently active buffer before the current one.
:vnew | setlocal buftype=nofile bufhidden=wipe nobuflisted noswapfile
For quick throwaway notes, command output cleanup, or temporary edits, a normal buffer is noisy: it appears in :ls, can prompt you to save, and may leave swap a
buffers-windows #buffers-windows #buffers #windows #scratch #workflow
:bprev
The :bprev (or :bp for short) command switches to the previous buffer in Vim's buffer list.
:put =system('cmd')
:put =system('cmd') lets you insert the output of any shell command as new lines in your buffer without leaving Vim.
[b and ]b
The vim-unimpaired plugin by Tim Pope adds symmetric [ and ] bracket mappings for navigating common Vim lists.
plugins #navigation #buffers #quickfix #plugins #normal-mode
:e #
:e # opens the alternate file — the file you were editing just before the current one.
:lcd %:p:h
:lcd %:p:h sets the working directory for the current window to the directory of the file you're editing, using Vim's path expansion modifiers.
:tab sb N
How it works The :tab sb N command opens buffer number N in a brand new tab page.
q?
Vim provides three command-line history windows accessible from normal mode: q: for Ex commands, q/ for forward searches, and q? for backward searches.
<C-w><C-^>
Press (Ctrl+W followed by Ctrl+6) to open the alternate file in a horizontal split.
