How do I open netrw in a left sidebar rooted at the current file's directory?
:Lexplore %:p:h
When you are editing deep in a project, opening netrw from the working directory often puts you in the wrong place.
Tag: buffers
How do I save only real file buffers when running bufdo across many open buffers?
: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
How to write a macro that saves the current file and advances to the next file in the argument list in Vim?
:wn
:wn (short for :wnext) writes the current buffer to disk and immediately advances to the next file in the argument list.
How do I set each window's local working directory to its buffer path?
:windo lcd %:p:h<CR>
When multiple splits point at files from different projects, relative-path commands can become inconsistent and error-prone.
How to navigate between buffers, quickfix entries, and location list items using bracket pairs with vim-unimpaired?
[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
How do I make the active window automatically expand to take up most of the screen?
:set winheight=999 winminheight=5
Setting winheight to a very large number forces Vim to always try to make the focused window as tall as possible.
How do I open a file by name by searching through my project directories?
:find {filename}
:find searches for a file in all directories listed in the path option and opens it in the current window.
How do I open a floating window showing diagnostic details at the cursor using a built-in Neovim key?
<C-w>d
Neovim 0.
buffers-windows #diagnostics #lsp #floating-window #neovim #buffers #windows
How do I set up oil.nvim to manage files using Vim's full editing power including macros and visual selections?
stevearc/oil.nvim
oil.
How do I add floating scratch buffers, a built-in file picker, and lazygit integration in Neovim using a single plugin?
folke/snacks.nvim
snacks.
How do I save the current buffer to a different filename and continue editing under the new name?
:saveas {newname}
:saveas saves the buffer to a new file and redirects all future :w commands to write to that new filename — making it the true "Save As" command in Vim.
How do I populate the argument list with a glob pattern to work across multiple files?
:args {pattern}
The :args command sets Vim's argument list to all files matching a glob pattern.
How do I open the directory containing the current file in netrw from within Vim?
:e %:h
The command :e %:h opens netrw (Vim's built-in file browser) in the directory that contains the current file.
command-line #command-line #navigation #buffers #netrw #editing
How do I jump back to where the cursor was when I last left a buffer?
`"
The " mark is an automatic mark Vim sets whenever you leave a buffer — switching to another file, hiding the buffer, or quitting Vim (with viminfo/shada enabl
How do I refer to all files in the argument list at once in an Ex command?
##
The ## special token expands to the names of all files currently in Vim's argument list.
How do I re-open a file in Vim with a specific encoding without restarting?
:e ++enc={encoding}
When Vim auto-detects the wrong character encoding — mojibake where é shows as é is a classic symptom — you can reload the current buffer with a specifi
How do I prevent a window from switching to a different buffer in Neovim?
:set winfixbuf
Neovim's winfixbuf option (added in Neovim 0.
How do I run Lua code in the context of a specific buffer without switching to it in Neovim?
vim.api.nvim_buf_call()
vim.
How do I close a preview window from any other window without having to jump to it first?
<C-w>z
Pressing z closes the preview window from any window in the current tab page.
How do I pull a diff change from another window into the current buffer in Vim?
do
The do command (diff obtain) is shorthand for :diffget.