Switching between multiple files

(Check an even easier wasy using Vim >7 below!)

Open multiple files at once with e.g. vi main.pl maintenance.pl and then hop between them with:

:n

:prev

and see which file are open with  :args

You can also create a split screen view using :sp <filename>

or :sp and then execute :n to open the next file

 

You can also use tabs (introduced in Vim 7)

Opening multiple files in several tabs:

vim -p file1 file2 file3

You can switch between tabs with :tabn and :tabp (or use the GUI!!), With :tabe <filepath> or :tabnew <filepath> you can add a new tab; and with a regular :q or :wq you close a tab. If you map :tabn and :tabp to your F7/F8 keys you can easily switch between files.

Of course, you can open an empty tab just by typing :tabnew or :tabe (there is no need to use a filename to open a new file )

 

Using buffers

http://www.bo.infn.it/alice/alice-doc/mll-doc/linux/vi-ex/node23.html

> If you have a lot of files open in Vim, how do you switch to the one >
you want in the easiest fashion?

:help buffer

:b N


or

:b filename

Next buffer:

:bn

Previous

:bp

To open a split screen use any of the previous commands but add an "s" in front of it. ie:

:sb 2

If there are not that many files and you don't have Vim 7 you can also split your screen in multiple files: :sp <filepath>. Then you can switch between splitscreens with Ctrl+W and then a arrow key in the direction you want to move.

 

Mixing tabs and buffers

To retab all files in buffer list

:tab sball