|
842
|
1 *usr_22.txt* For Vim version 7.0f. Last change: 2006 Apr 24
|
|
7
|
2
|
|
|
3 VIM USER MANUAL - by Bram Moolenaar
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
5 Finding the file to edit
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
8 Files can be found everywhere. So how do you find them? Vim offers various
|
|
|
9 ways to browse the directory tree. There are commands to jump to a file that
|
|
|
10 is mentioned in another. And Vim remembers which files have been edited
|
|
|
11 before.
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
13 |22.1| The file explorer
|
|
|
14 |22.2| The current directory
|
|
|
15 |22.3| Finding a file
|
|
|
16 |22.4| The buffer list
|
|
|
17
|
|
|
18 Next chapter: |usr_23.txt| Editing other files
|
|
|
19 Previous chapter: |usr_21.txt| Go away and come back
|
|
|
20 Table of contents: |usr_toc.txt|
|
|
|
21
|
|
|
22 ==============================================================================
|
|
|
23 *22.1* The file explorer
|
|
|
24
|
|
|
25 Vim has a plugin that makes it possible to edit a directory. Try this: >
|
|
|
26
|
|
|
27 :edit .
|
|
|
28
|
|
|
29 Through the magic of autocommands and Vim scripts, the window will be filled
|
|
|
30 with the contents of the directory. It looks like this:
|
|
|
31
|
|
|
32 " Press ? for keyboard shortcuts ~
|
|
|
33 " Sorted by name (.bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj,.orig,.rej at end of list) ~
|
|
|
34 "= /home/mool/vim/vim6/runtime/doc/ ~
|
|
|
35 ../ ~
|
|
|
36 check/ ~
|
|
|
37 Makefile ~
|
|
|
38 autocmd.txt ~
|
|
|
39 change.txt ~
|
|
|
40 eval.txt~ ~
|
|
|
41 filetype.txt~ ~
|
|
|
42 help.txt.info ~
|
|
|
43
|
|
|
44 You can see these items:
|
|
|
45 1. A comment about using ? to get help for the functionality of the file
|
|
|
46 explorer.
|
|
|
47 2. The second line mentions how the items in the directory are listed. They
|
|
|
48 can be sorted in several ways.
|
|
|
49 3. The third line is the name of the current directory.
|
|
|
50 4. The "../" directory item. This is the parent directory.
|
|
|
51 5. The directory names.
|
|
|
52 6. The ordinary file names. As mentioned in the second line, some are not
|
|
|
53 here but "at the end of the list".
|
|
|
54 7. The less ordinary file names. You are expected to use these less often,
|
|
|
55 therefore they have been moved to the end.
|
|
|
56
|
|
|
57 If you have syntax highlighting enabled, the different parts are highlighted
|
|
|
58 to make it easier to spot them.
|
|
|
59
|
|
|
60 You can use Normal mode Vim commands to move around in the text. For example,
|
|
|
61 move to a file and press <Enter>. Now you are editing that file. To go back
|
|
|
62 to the explorer use ":edit ." again. CTRL-O also works.
|
|
|
63 Try using <Enter> while the cursor is on a directory name. The result is
|
|
|
64 that the explorer moves into that directory and displays the items found
|
|
|
65 there. Pressing <Enter> on the first directory "../" moves you one level
|
|
|
66 higher. Pressing "-" does the same thing, without the need to move to the
|
|
|
67 "../" item first.
|
|
|
68
|
|
|
69 You can press ? to get short help on the things you can do in the explorer.
|
|
|
70 This is what you get:
|
|
|
71
|
|
|
72 " <enter> : open file or directory ~
|
|
|
73 " o : open new window for file/directory ~
|
|
|
74 " O : open file in previously visited window ~
|
|
|
75 " p : preview the file ~
|
|
|
76 " i : toggle size/date listing ~
|
|
|
77 " s : select sort field r : reverse sort ~
|
|
|
78 " - : go up one level c : cd to this dir ~
|
|
|
79 " R : rename file D : delete file ~
|
|
|
80 " :help file-explorer for detailed help ~
|
|
|
81
|
|
|
82 The first few commands are for selecting a file to display. Depending on what
|
|
|
83 command you use, the file appears somewhere:
|
|
|
84
|
|
|
85 <Enter> Uses the current window.
|
|
|
86 o Opens a new window.
|
|
|
87 O Uses the previously visited window.
|
|
|
88 p Uses the preview window, and moves the cursor back
|
|
|
89 into the explorer window. |preview-window|
|
|
|
90
|
|
|
91 The following commands are used to display other information:
|
|
|
92
|
|
|
93 i Display the size and date for the file. Using i again
|
|
|
94 will hide the information.
|
|
|
95 s Use the field the cursor is in to sort on. First
|
|
|
96 display the size and date with i. Then Move the
|
|
|
97 cursor to the size of any file and press s. The files
|
|
9
|
98 will now be sorted on size. Press s while the cursor
|
|
7
|
99 is on a date and the items will be sorted on date.
|
|
|
100 r reverse the sorting order (either size or date)
|
|
|
101
|
|
|
102 There are a few extra commands:
|
|
|
103
|
|
|
104 c Change the current directory to the displayed
|
|
|
105 directory. You can then type an ":edit" command for
|
|
|
106 one of the files without prepending the path.
|
|
|
107 R Rename the file under the cursor. You will be
|
|
|
108 prompted for the new name.
|
|
|
109 D Delete the file under the cursor. You will get a
|
|
|
110 prompt to confirm this.
|
|
|
111
|
|
|
112 ==============================================================================
|
|
|
113 *22.2* The current directory
|
|
|
114
|
|
|
115 Just like the shell, Vim has the concept of a current directory. Suppose you
|
|
|
116 are in your home directory and want to edit several files in a directory
|
|
|
117 "VeryLongFileName". You could do: >
|
|
|
118
|
|
|
119 :edit VeryLongFileName/file1.txt
|
|
|
120 :edit VeryLongFileName/file2.txt
|
|
|
121 :edit VeryLongFileName/file3.txt
|
|
|
122
|
|
|
123 To avoid much of the typing, do this: >
|
|
|
124
|
|
|
125 :cd VeryLongFileName
|
|
|
126 :edit file1.txt
|
|
|
127 :edit file2.txt
|
|
|
128 :edit file3.txt
|
|
|
129
|
|
|
130 The ":cd" command changes the current directory. You can see what the current
|
|
|
131 directory is with the ":pwd" command: >
|
|
|
132
|
|
|
133 :pwd
|
|
|
134 /home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
|
|
|
135
|
|
|
136 Vim remembers the last directory that you used. Use "cd -" to go back to it.
|
|
|
137 Example: >
|
|
|
138
|
|
|
139 :pwd
|
|
|
140 /home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
|
|
|
141 :cd /etc
|
|
|
142 :pwd
|
|
|
143 /etc
|
|
|
144 :cd -
|
|
|
145 :pwd
|
|
|
146 /home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
|
|
|
147 :cd -
|
|
|
148 :pwd
|
|
|
149 /etc
|
|
|
150
|
|
|
151
|
|
|
152 WINDOW LOCAL DIRECTORY
|
|
|
153
|
|
|
154 When you split a window, both windows use the same current directory. When
|
|
|
155 you want to edit a number of files somewhere else in the new window, you can
|
|
|
156 make it use a different directory, without changing the current directory in
|
|
|
157 the other window. This is called a local directory. >
|
|
|
158
|
|
|
159 :pwd
|
|
|
160 /home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
|
|
|
161 :split
|
|
|
162 :lcd /etc
|
|
|
163 :pwd
|
|
|
164 /etc
|
|
|
165 CTRL-W w
|
|
|
166 :pwd
|
|
|
167 /home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
|
|
|
168
|
|
|
169 So long as no ":lcd" command has been used, all windows share the same current
|
|
|
170 directory. Doing a ":cd" command in one window will also change the current
|
|
|
171 directory of the other window.
|
|
|
172 For a window where ":lcd" has been used a different current directory is
|
|
|
173 remembered. Using ":cd" or ":lcd" in other windows will not change it.
|
|
|
174 When using a ":cd" command in a window that uses a different current
|
|
|
175 directory, it will go back to using the shared directory.
|
|
|
176
|
|
|
177 ==============================================================================
|
|
|
178 *22.3* Finding a file
|
|
|
179
|
|
|
180 You are editing a C program that contains this line:
|
|
|
181
|
|
|
182 #include "inits.h" ~
|
|
|
183
|
|
|
184 You want to see what is in that "inits.h" file. Move the cursor on the name
|
|
|
185 of the file and type: >
|
|
|
186
|
|
|
187 gf
|
|
|
188
|
|
|
189 Vim will find the file and edit it.
|
|
|
190 What if the file is not in the current directory? Vim will use the 'path'
|
|
|
191 option to find the file. This option is a list of directory names where to
|
|
|
192 look for your file.
|
|
|
193 Suppose you have your include files located in "c:/prog/include". This
|
|
|
194 command will add it to the 'path' option: >
|
|
|
195
|
|
|
196 :set path+=c:/prog/include
|
|
|
197
|
|
|
198 This directory is an absolute path. No matter where you are, it will be the
|
|
|
199 same place. What if you have located files in a subdirectory, below where the
|
|
|
200 file is? Then you can specify a relative path name. This starts with a dot:
|
|
|
201 >
|
|
|
202 :set path+=./proto
|
|
|
203
|
|
|
204 This tells Vim to look in the directory "proto", below the directory where the
|
|
|
205 file in which you use "gf" is. Thus using "gf" on "inits.h" will make Vim
|
|
|
206 look for "proto/inits.h", starting in the directory of the file.
|
|
|
207 Without the "./", thus "proto", Vim would look in the "proto" directory
|
|
|
208 below the current directory. And the current directory might not be where the
|
|
|
209 file that you are editing is located.
|
|
|
210
|
|
|
211 The 'path' option allows specifying the directories where to search for files
|
|
|
212 in many more ways. See the help on the 'path' option.
|
|
|
213 The 'isfname' option is used to decide which characters are included in the
|
|
|
214 file name, and which ones are not (e.g., the " character in the example
|
|
|
215 above).
|
|
|
216
|
|
|
217 When you know the file name, but it's not to be found in the file, you can
|
|
|
218 type it: >
|
|
|
219
|
|
|
220 :find inits.h
|
|
|
221
|
|
|
222 Vim will then use the 'path' option to try and locate the file. This is the
|
|
|
223 same as the ":edit" command, except for the use of 'path'.
|
|
|
224
|
|
|
225 To open the found file in a new window use CTRL-W f instead of "gf", or use
|
|
|
226 ":sfind" instead of ":find".
|
|
|
227
|
|
|
228
|
|
|
229 A nice way to directly start Vim to edit a file somewhere in the 'path': >
|
|
|
230
|
|
|
231 vim "+find stdio.h"
|
|
|
232
|
|
|
233 This finds the file "stdio.h" in your value of 'path'. The quotes are
|
|
|
234 necessary to have one argument |-+c|.
|
|
|
235
|
|
|
236 ==============================================================================
|
|
|
237 *22.4* The buffer list
|
|
|
238
|
|
|
239 The Vim editor uses the term buffer to describe a file being edited.
|
|
|
240 Actually, a buffer is a copy of the file that you edit. When you finish
|
|
|
241 changing the buffer, you write the contents of the buffer to the file.
|
|
|
242 Buffers not only contain file contents, but also all the marks, settings, and
|
|
|
243 other stuff that goes with it.
|
|
|
244
|
|
|
245
|
|
|
246 HIDDEN BUFFERS
|
|
|
247
|
|
|
248 Suppose you are editing the file one.txt and need to edit the file two.txt.
|
|
|
249 You could simply use ":edit two.txt", but since you made changes to one.txt
|
|
|
250 that won't work. You also don't want to write one.txt yet. Vim has a
|
|
|
251 solution for you: >
|
|
|
252
|
|
|
253 :hide edit two.txt
|
|
|
254
|
|
|
255 The buffer "one.txt" disappears from the screen, but Vim still knows that you
|
|
|
256 are editing this buffer, so it keeps the modified text. This is called a
|
|
|
257 hidden buffer: The buffer contains text, but you can't see it.
|
|
|
258 The ":hide" command argument is another command. It makes that command
|
|
|
259 behave like the 'hidden' option was set. You could also set this option
|
|
|
260 yourself. The effect is that when any buffer is abandoned, it becomes hidden.
|
|
|
261 Be careful! When you have hidden buffers with changes, don't exit Vim
|
|
|
262 without making sure you have saved all the buffers.
|
|
|
263
|
|
|
264
|
|
|
265 INACTIVE BUFFERS
|
|
|
266
|
|
|
267 When a buffer has been used once, Vim remembers some information about it.
|
|
|
268 When it is not displayed in a window and it is not hidden, it is still in the
|
|
|
269 buffer list. This is called an inactive buffer. Overview:
|
|
|
270
|
|
|
271 Active Appears in a window, text loaded.
|
|
|
272 Hidden Not in a window, text loaded.
|
|
|
273 Inactive Not in a window, no text loaded.
|
|
|
274
|
|
|
275 The inactive buffers are remembered, because Vim keeps information about them,
|
|
|
276 like marks. And remembering the file name is useful too, so that you can see
|
|
|
277 which files you have edited. And edit them again.
|
|
|
278
|
|
|
279
|
|
|
280 LISTING BUFFERS
|
|
|
281
|
|
|
282 View the buffer list with this command: >
|
|
|
283
|
|
|
284 :buffers
|
|
|
285
|
|
|
286 A command which does the same, is not so obvious to list buffers, but is much
|
|
|
287 shorter to type: >
|
|
|
288
|
|
|
289 :ls
|
|
|
290
|
|
|
291 The output could look like this:
|
|
|
292
|
|
|
293 1 #h "help.txt" line 62 ~
|
|
236
|
294 2 %a+ "usr_21.txt" line 1 ~
|
|
7
|
295 3 "usr_toc.txt" line 1 ~
|
|
|
296
|
|
|
297 The first column contains the buffer number. You can use this to edit the
|
|
|
298 buffer without having to type the name, see below.
|
|
|
299 After the buffer number come the flags. Then the name of the file
|
|
|
300 and the line number where the cursor was the last time.
|
|
|
301 The flags that can appear are these (from left to right):
|
|
|
302
|
|
|
303 u Buffer is unlisted |unlisted-buffer|.
|
|
|
304 % Current buffer.
|
|
|
305 # Alternate buffer.
|
|
236
|
306 a Buffer is loaded and displayed.
|
|
7
|
307 h Buffer is loaded but hidden.
|
|
|
308 = Buffer is read-only.
|
|
|
309 - Buffer is not modifiable, the 'modifiable' option is off.
|
|
|
310 + Buffer has been modified.
|
|
|
311
|
|
|
312
|
|
|
313 EDITING A BUFFER
|
|
|
314
|
|
|
315 You can edit a buffer by its number. That avoids having to type the file
|
|
|
316 name: >
|
|
|
317
|
|
|
318 :buffer 2
|
|
|
319
|
|
|
320 But the only way to know the number is by looking in the buffer list. You can
|
|
|
321 use the name, or part of it, instead: >
|
|
|
322
|
|
|
323 :buffer help
|
|
|
324
|
|
|
325 Vim will find a best match for the name you type. If there is only one
|
|
|
326 buffer that matches the name, it will be used. In this case "help.txt".
|
|
|
327 To open a buffer in a new window: >
|
|
|
328
|
|
|
329 :sbuffer 3
|
|
|
330
|
|
|
331 This works with a name as well.
|
|
|
332
|
|
|
333
|
|
|
334 USING THE BUFFER LIST
|
|
|
335
|
|
|
336 You can move around in the buffer list with these commands:
|
|
|
337
|
|
|
338 :bnext go to next buffer
|
|
|
339 :bprevious go to previous buffer
|
|
|
340 :bfirst go to the first buffer
|
|
|
341 :blast go to the last buffer
|
|
|
342
|
|
|
343 To remove a buffer from the list, use this command: >
|
|
|
344
|
|
|
345 :bdelete 3
|
|
|
346
|
|
|
347 Again, this also works with a name.
|
|
|
348 If you delete a buffer that was active (visible in a window), that window
|
|
|
349 will be closed. If you delete the current buffer, the current window will be
|
|
|
350 closed. If it was the last window, Vim will find another buffer to edit. You
|
|
|
351 can't be editing nothing!
|
|
|
352
|
|
|
353 Note:
|
|
|
354 Even after removing the buffer with ":bdelete" Vim still remembers it.
|
|
|
355 It's actually made "unlisted", it no longer appears in the list from
|
|
|
356 ":buffers". The ":buffers!" command will list unlisted buffers (yes,
|
|
|
357 Vim can do the impossible). To really make Vim forget about a buffer,
|
|
|
358 use ":bwipe". Also see the 'buflisted' option.
|
|
|
359
|
|
|
360 ==============================================================================
|
|
|
361
|
|
|
362 Next chapter: |usr_23.txt| Editing other files
|
|
|
363
|
|
|
364 Copyright: see |manual-copyright| vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl:
|
