VIM: usr_22

## USR_22

    *usr_22.txt*	For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2025 Jun 04

    		     VIM USER MANUAL - by Bram Moolenaar

    			   Finding the file to edit

    Files can be found everywhere.  So how do you find them?  Vim offers various
    ways to browse the directory tree.  There are commands to jump to a file that
    is mentioned in another.  And Vim remembers which files have been edited
    before.

    |22.1|	The file browser
    |22.2|	The current directory
    |22.3|	Finding a file
    |22.4|	The buffer list

         Next chapter: |usr_23|  Editing other files
     Previous chapter: |usr_21|  Go away and come back
    Table of contents: |usr_toc|

    *22.1*	The file browser

    Vim has a plugin that makes it possible to edit a directory.  Try this:

    	:edit .

    Through the magic of autocommands and Vim scripts, the window will be filled
    with the contents of the directory.  It looks like this (slightly cleaned up
    so that it fits within 80 chars):

      " ===========================================================================
      " Netrw Directory Listing                                        (netrw v180)
      "   /path/to/vim/runtime/doc
      "   Sorted by      name
      "   Sort sequence: [\/]$,*,\(\.bak\|\~\|\.o\|\.h\|\.info\|\.swp\)[*@]\=$
      "   Quick Help: <F1>:help -:go up dir D:delete R:rename s:sort-by x:special
      " ===========================================================================
      ../
      ./
      check/
      Makefile
      autocmd.txt
      change.txt
      eval.txt
      filetype.txt
      help.txt.info

    You can see these items:

    1.  The name of the browsing tool and its version number
    2.  The name of the browsing directory
    3.  The method of sorting (may be by name, time, or size)
    4.  How names are to be sorted (directories first, then *.h files,
        *.c files, etc)
    5.  How to get help (use the <F1> key), and an abbreviated listing
        of available commands
    6.  A listing of files, including "../", which allows one to list
        the parent directory.

    If you have syntax highlighting enabled, the different parts are highlighted
    so as to make it easier to spot them.

    You can use Normal mode Vim commands to move around in the text.  For example,
    move the cursor atop a file and press <Enter>; you will then be editing that
    file.  To go back to the browser use ":edit ." again, or use ":Explore".
    CTRL-O also works.

    Try using <Enter> while the cursor is atop a directory name.  The result is
    that the file browser moves into that directory and displays the items found
    there.  Pressing <Enter> on the first directory "../" moves you one level
    higher.  Pressing "-" does the same thing, without the need to move to the
    "../" item first.

    You can press <F1> to get help on the things you can do in the netrw file
    browser.  This is what you get:

        9. Directory Browsing	 netrw-browse   netrw-dir   netrw-list   netrw-help

        MAPS								 netrw-maps
    	 <F1>.............Help.......................................|netrw-help|
    	 <cr>.............Browsing...................................|netrw-cr|
    	 <del>............Deleting Files or Directories..............|netrw-delete|
    	 -................Going Up...................................|netrw--|
    	 a................Hiding Files or Directories................|netrw-a|
    	 mb...............Bookmarking a Directory....................|netrw-mb|
    	 gb...............Changing to a Bookmarked Directory.........|netrw-gb|
    	 cd...............Make Browsing Directory The Current Dir....|netrw-c|
    	 d................Make A New Directory.......................|netrw-d|
    	 D................Deleting Files or Directories..............|netrw-D|
    	 <c-h>............Edit File/Directory Hiding List............|netrw-ctrl-h|
    	 i................Change Listing Style.......................|netrw-i|
    	 <c-l>............Refreshing the Listing.....................|netrw-ctrl-l|
    	 o................Browsing with a Horizontal Split...........|netrw-o|
    	 p................Use Preview Window.........................|netrw-p|
    	 P................Edit in Previous Window....................|netrw-p|
    	 q................Listing Bookmarks and History..............|netrw-qb|
    	 r................Reversing Sorting Order....................|netrw-r|
    	(etc)

    The <F1> key thus brings you to a netrw directory browsing contents help page.
    It's a regular help page; use the usual |CTRL-]| to jump to tagged help items
    and |CTRL-O| to jump back.

    To select files for display and editing: (with the cursor is atop a filename)

    	<enter>		Open the file in the current window.	   |netrw-cr|
    	o		Horizontally split window and display file |netrw-o|
    	v		Vertically split window and display file   |netrw-v|
    	p		Use the |preview-window|		   |netrw-p|
    	P		Edit in the previous window		   |netrw-P|
    	t		Open file in a new tab			   |netrw-t|

    The following normal-mode commands may be used to control the browser display:

    	i		Controls listing style (thin, long, wide, and tree).
    			The long listing includes size and date information.
    	s		Repeatedly pressing s will change the way the files
    			are sorted; one may sort on name, modification time,
    			or size.
    	r		Reverse the sorting order.

    As a sampling of extra normal-mode commands:

    	cd		Change Vim's notion of the current directory to be
    			the same as the browser directory.  (see
    			|g:netrw_keepdir| to control this, too)
    	R		Rename the file or directory under the cursor; a
    			prompt will be issued for the new name.
    	D		Delete the file or directory under the cursor; a
    			confirmation request will be issued.
    	mb gb		Make bookmark/goto bookmark

    One may also use command mode; again, just a sampling:

    	:Explore [directory]	Browse specified/current directory
    	:NetrwSettings		A comprehensive list of your current netrw
    				settings with help linkage.

    The netrw browser is not limited to just your local machine; one may use
    urls such as:    (that trailing / is important)

    	:Explore ftp://somehost/path/to/dir/
    	:e scp://somehost/path/to/dir/

    See |netrw-browse| for more.

    *22.2*	The current directory

    Just like the shell, Vim has the concept of a current directory.  Suppose you
    are in your home directory and want to edit several files in a directory
    "VeryLongFileName".  You could do:

    	:edit VeryLongFileName/file1.txt
    	:edit VeryLongFileName/file2.txt
    	:edit VeryLongFileName/file3.txt

    To avoid much of the typing, do this:

    	:cd VeryLongFileName
    	:edit file1.txt
    	:edit file2.txt
    	:edit file3.txt

    The ":cd" command changes the current directory.  You can see what the current
    directory is with the ":pwd" command:

    	:pwd
    	/home/Bram/VeryLongFileName

    Vim remembers the last directory that you used.  Use "cd -" to go back to it.
    Example:

    	:pwd
    	/home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
    	:cd /etc
    	:pwd
    	/etc
    	:cd -
    	:pwd
    	/home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
    	:cd -
    	:pwd
    	/etc

    WINDOW LOCAL DIRECTORY

    When you split a window, both windows use the same current directory.  When
    you want to edit a number of files somewhere else in the new window, you can
    make it use a different directory, without changing the current directory in
    the other window.  This is called a local directory.

    	:pwd
    	/home/Bram/VeryLongFileName
    	:split
    	:lcd /etc
    	:pwd
    	/etc
    	CTRL-W w
    	:pwd
    	/home/Bram/VeryLongFileName

    So long as no `:lcd` command has been used, all windows share the same current
    directory.  Doing a `:cd` command in one window will also change the current
    directory of the other window.
       For a window where `:lcd` has been used a different current directory is
    remembered.  Using `:cd` or `:lcd` in other windows will not change it.
       When using a `:cd` command in a window that uses a different current
    directory, it will go back to using the shared directory.

    TAB LOCAL DIRECTORY

    When you open a new tab page, it uses the directory of the window in the
    previous tab page from which the new tab page was opened.  You can change the
    directory of the current tab page using the `:tcd` command.  All the windows in
    a tab page share this directory except for windows with a window-local
    directory.  Any new windows opened in this tab page will use this directory as
    the current working directory.  Using a `:cd` command in a tab page will not
    change the working directory of tab pages which have a tab local directory.
    When the global working directory is changed using the `:cd` command in a tab
    page, it will also change the current tab page working directory.

    *22.3*	Finding a file

    You are editing a C program that contains this line:

    	#include "inits.h"

    You want to see what is in that "inits.h" file.  Move the cursor on the name
    of the file and type:

    	gf

    Vim will find the file and edit it.
       What if the file is not in the current directory?  Vim will use the 'path'
    option to find the file.  This option is a list of directory names where to
    look for your file.
       Suppose you have your include files located in "c:/prog/include".  This
    command will add it to the 'path' option:

    	:set path+=c:/prog/include

    This directory is an absolute path.  No matter where you are, it will be the
    same place.  What if you have located files in a subdirectory, below where the
    file is?  Then you can specify a relative path name.  This starts with a dot:

    	:set path+=./proto

    This tells Vim to look in the directory "proto", below the directory where the
    file in which you use "gf" is.  Thus using "gf" on "inits.h" will make Vim
    look for "proto/inits.h", starting in the directory of the file.
       Without the "./", thus "proto", Vim would look in the "proto" directory
    below the current directory.  And the current directory might not be where the
    file that you are editing is located.

    The 'path' option allows specifying the directories where to search for files
    in many more ways.  See the help on the 'path' option.
       The 'isfname' option is used to decide which characters are included in the
    file name, and which ones are not (e.g., the " character in the example
    above).

    When you know the file name, but it's not to be found in the file, you can
    type it:

    	:find inits.h

    Vim will then use the 'path' option to try and locate the file.  This is the
    same as the ":edit" command, except for the use of 'path'.

    To open the found file in a new window use CTRL-W f instead of "gf", or use
    ":sfind" instead of ":find".

    A nice way to directly start Vim to edit a file somewhere in the 'path':

    	vim "+find stdio.h"

    This finds the file "stdio.h" in your value of 'path'.  The quotes are
    necessary to have one argument |-+c|.

    *22.4*	The buffer list

    The Vim editor uses the term buffer to describe a file being edited.
    Actually, a buffer is a copy of the file that you edit.  When you finish
    changing the buffer, you write the contents of the buffer to the file.
    Buffers not only contain file contents, but also all the marks, settings, and
    other stuff that goes with it.

    HIDDEN BUFFERS

    Suppose you are editing the file one.txt and need to edit the file two.txt.
    You could simply use ":edit two.txt", but since you made changes to one.txt
    that won't work.  You also don't want to write one.txt yet.  Vim has a
    solution for you:

    	:hide edit two.txt

    The buffer "one.txt" disappears from the screen, but Vim still knows that you
    are editing this buffer, so it keeps the modified text.  This is called a
    hidden buffer: The buffer contains text, but you can't see it.
       The argument of ":hide" is another command.  ":hide" makes that command
    behave as if the 'hidden' option was set.  You could also set this option
    yourself.  The effect is that when any buffer is abandoned, it becomes hidden.
       Be careful!  When you have hidden buffers with changes, don't exit Vim
    without making sure you have saved all the buffers.

    INACTIVE BUFFERS

       When a buffer has been used once, Vim remembers some information about it.
    When it is not displayed in a window and it is not hidden, it is still in the
    buffer list.  This is called an inactive buffer.  Overview:

       Active		Appears in a window, text loaded.
       Hidden		Not in a window, text loaded.
       Inactive		Not in a window, no text loaded.

    The inactive buffers are remembered, because Vim keeps information about them,
    like marks.  And remembering the file name is useful too, so that you can see
    which files you have edited.  And edit them again.

    LISTING BUFFERS

    View the buffer list with this command:

    	:buffers

    A command which does the same, is not so obvious to list buffers, but is much
    shorter to type:

    	:ls

    The output could look like this:

      1 #h   "help.txt"			line 62
      2 %a + "usr_21.txt"			line 1
      3      "usr_toc.txt"			line 1

    The first column contains the buffer number.  You can use this to edit the
    buffer without having to type the name, see below.
       After the buffer number come the flags.  Then the name of the file
    and the line number where the cursor was the last time.
       The flags that can appear are these (from left to right):

    	u	Buffer is unlisted |unlisted-buffer|.
    	 %	Current buffer.
    	 #	Alternate buffer.
    	  a	Buffer is loaded and displayed.
    	  h	Buffer is loaded but hidden.
    	   =	Buffer is read-only.
    	   -	Buffer is not modifiable, the 'modifiable' option is off.
    	    +	Buffer has been modified.

    EDITING A BUFFER

    You can edit a buffer by its number.  That avoids having to type the file
    name:

    	:buffer 2

    But the only way to know the number is by looking in the buffer list.  You can
    use the name, or part of it, instead:

    	:buffer help

    Vim will find the best match for the name you type.  If there is only one
    buffer that matches the name, it will be used.  In this case "help.txt".
       To open a buffer in a new window:

    	:sbuffer 3

    This works with a name as well.

    USING THE BUFFER LIST

    You can move around in the buffer list with these commands:

    	:bnext		go to next buffer
    	:bprevious	go to previous buffer
    	:bfirst		go to the first buffer
    	:blast		go to the last buffer

    To remove a buffer from the list, use this command:

    	:bdelete 3

    Again, this also works with a name.
       If you delete a buffer that was active (visible in a window), that window
    will be closed.  If you delete the current buffer, the current window will be
    closed.  If it was the last window, Vim will find another buffer to edit.  You
    can't be editing nothing!

    	Note:
    	Even after removing the buffer with ":bdelete" Vim still remembers it.
    	It's actually made "unlisted", it no longer appears in the list from
    	":buffers".  The ":buffers!" command will list unlisted buffers (yes,
    	Vim can do the impossible).  To really make Vim forget about a buffer,
    	use ":bwipe".  Also see the 'buflisted' option.

    Next chapter: |usr_23|  Editing other files

    Copyright: see |manual-copyright|  vim:tw=78:ts=8:noet:ft=help:norl:

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