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Text File | 1994-11-22 | 15.0 KB | 435 lines | [TEXT/VIM!] |
- Editing with multiple windows and buffers.
-
- Explained here are commands have been added to use multiple windows and
- buffers. Additionally there are explanations for commands that work different
- when used in combination with more than one window.
-
-
- A window is a viewport onto a buffer. You can use multiple windows on one
- buffer. Or several windows on different buffers.
-
- A buffer is a file loaded into memory for editing. The original file remains
- unchanged until you write the buffer to the file.
-
- A buffer can be in one of three states:
-
- active: The buffer is displayed in a window. If there is a file for this
- buffer it has been read into the buffer. The buffer may have been
- modified.
- hidden: The buffer is not displayed. If there is a file for this buffer it
- has been read into the buffer. The buffer may have been modified.
- inactive: The buffer is not displayed and does not contain anything. Options
- for the buffer are remembered if the file was once loaded.
-
- In a table:
-
- state displayed loaded :buffers
- in window shows
- active yes yes ' '
- hidden no yes 'h'
- inactive no no '-'
-
-
- Starting Vim
- -----------
-
- By default Vim starts with one window, just like vi.
-
- The "-o" command line argument can be used to open a window for each file in
- the argument list: "Vim -o file1 file2 file3" will open three windows.
-
- "-oN", where N is a decimal number, opens N windows. If there are more file
- names than windows, only N windows are opened, some files do not get a window.
- If there are more windows than file names, the last few windows will be
- editing empty buffers.
-
- If there are many file names the windows will become very small. You might
- want to set the 'winheight' option to create a workable situation.
-
-
- Opening a new window
- --------------------
-
- CTRL-W s
- CTRL-W S
- CTRL-W CTRL-S
- :[N]split
- Split current window in two. The result is two viewports on
- the same file. Make new window N high (default is to use half
- the height of the current window). Reduces the current window
- height to create room (and others, if the 'equalalways' option
- is set).
-
- CTRL-W n
- CTRL-W CTRL_N
- :[N]new
- Create a new window and start editing an empty file in it.
- Make new window N high (default is to use half the existing
- height). Reduces the current window height to create room (and
- others, if the 'equalalways' option is set).
-
- :[N]new [+command] fname
- :[N]split [+command] fname
- Create a new window and start editing file fname in it. If
- [+command] is given, execute the command when the file has
- been loaded. Make new window N high (default is to use half
- the existing height). Reduces the current window height to
- create room (and others, if the 'equalalways' option is set).
-
-
- Closing a window
- ----------------
-
- CTRL-W q
- CTRL-W CTRL-Q
- :quit Quit current window, unless the buffer was changed and there
- are no other windows for this buffer. When quitting the last
- window, exit Vim.
-
- :quit! Quit current window. If this was the last window for a buffer,
- any changes to that buffer are lost. When quitting the last
- window, exit Vim.
-
- CTRL-W c
- :close Quit current window, unless it is the last window on the
- screen. The buffer becomes hidden (unless there is another
- window editing it). (Note: CTRL-W CTRL-C does not work).
-
- CTRL-W o
- CTRL-W CTRL-O
- :only Make the current window the only one on the screen. All other
- windows are closed. All buffers in the other windows become
- hidden.
-
-
- Moving the cursor to other windows
- ----------------------------------
-
- CTRL-W <CURSOR_DOWN>
- CTRL-W CTRL-J
- CTRL-W j move cursor to Nth window below current one.
-
- CTRL-W <CURSOR_UP>
- CTRL-W CTRL-K
- CTRL-W k move cursor to Nth window above current one.
-
- CTRL-W w
- CTRL-W CTRL-W Without count: move cursor to window below current one. If
- there is no window below, go to upper window.
- With count: go to Nth window.
-
- CTRL-W p
- CTRL-W CTRL-P go to previous (last accessed) window.
-
-
- Moving windows around
- ---------------------
-
- CTRL-W r
- CTRL-W CTRL-R Rotate windows downwards. The first window becomes the second
- one, the second one the third one, etc. The last window
- becomes the first window. The cursor remains in the same
- window.
-
- CTRL-W R Rotate windows upwards. The second window becomes the first
- one, the third one the second one, etc. The first window
- becomes the last window. The cursor remains in the same
- window.
-
- CTRL-W x
- CTRL-W CTRL-X Without count: Exchange current window with next one. If there
- is no next window, exchange with previous window. With count:
- Exchange current window with Nth window (first window is 1).
- The cursor is put in the other window.
-
-
- Window resizing
- ---------------
-
- CTRL-W = make all windows (almost) equal high.
-
- :resize -N
- CTRL-W - decrease current window height by N
-
- :resize +N
- CTRL-W + increase current window height by N
-
- :resize [N]
- CTRL-W CTRL-_
- CTRL-W _ set current window height to N (default: highest possible)
-
- z<nr><CR> set current window height to nr
-
- The option 'winheight' ('wh') is used to set the minimal window height of the
- current window. This option is used each time another window becomes the
- current window. If the option is '0' it is disabled. Set 'winheight' to a very
- large value, e.g. '9999', to make the current window always fill all available
- space. Set it to a reasonable value, e.g. '10', to make editing in the current
- window comfortable.
-
- When the option 'equalalways' ('ea') is set all the windows are automatically
- made the same size after splitting or closing a window. If you don't set this
- option, splitting a window will reduce the size of the current window and
- leave the other windows the same. When closing a window the extra lines are
- given the the window above it.
-
- The option 'commandheight' ('ch') is used to set the height of the command
- line. If you are annoyed by the "hit return to continue" questions for long
- messages, set this option to 2 or 3.
-
- If there is only one window, resizing that window will also change the command
- line height. If there are several windows, resizing the current window will
- also change the height of the window below it (and sometimes the window above
- it).
-
-
- Exiting Vim with multiple windows or buffers
- --------------------------------------------
-
- :qall Exit Vim, unless there are some buffers which have been
- changed. (Use :bmod to go to the next modified buffer).
-
- :qall! Exit Vim. Any changes to buffers are lost.
-
- :wqall
- :xall Write all changed buffers and exit Vim. If there are buffers
- without a file name, which are readonly or cannot be written
- for another reason, Vim is not quit.
-
- :wqall!
- :xall! Write all changed buffers, also the ones that are readonly,
- and exit Vim. If there are buffers without a file name or
- cannot be written for another reason, Vim is not quit.
-
-
- Writing with multiple buffers
- -----------------------------
-
- :wall Write all changed buffers. Buffers without a file name or
- which are readonly are not written.
-
- :wall! Write all changed buffers, also the ones that are readonly.
- Buffers without a file name are not written.
-
-
- Overview of argument and buffer list commands
- ---------------------------------------------
-
- args list buffer list meaning
- 1. :[N]argument [N] 11. :[N]buffer [N] to arg/buf N
- 2. :[N]next [file ..] 12. :[N]bnext [N] to Nth next arg/buf
- 3. :[N]Next [N] 13. :[N]bNext [N] to Nth previous arg/buf
- 4. :[N]previous [N] 14. :[N]bprevious [N] to Nth previous arg/buf
- 5. :rewind 15. :brewind to first arg/buf
- 6. :last 16. :blast to last arg/buf
- 7. :all 17. :ball edit all args/buffers
- 18. :unhide edit all loaded buffers
- 19. :[N]bmod [N] to Nth modified buf
-
- split & args list split & buffer list meaning
- 21. :[N]sargument [N] 31. :[N]sbuffer [N] split + to arg/buf N
- 22. :[N]snext [file ..] 32. :[N]sbnext [N] split + to Nth next arg/buf
- 23. :[N]sNext [N] 33. :[N]sbNext [N] split + to Nth previous arg/buf
- 24. :[N]sprevious [N] 34. :[N]sbprevious [N] split + to Nth previous arg/buf
- 25. :srewind 35. :sbrewind split + to first arg/buf
- 26. :slast 36. :sblast split + to last arg/buf
- 27. :sall 37: :sball edit all args/buffers
- 38. :sunhide edit all loaded buffers
- 39. :[N]sbmod [N] split + to Nth modified buf
-
- 40. :args list of arguments
- 41. :buffers list of buffers
-
- The meaning of [N] depends on the command:
- [N] is number of buffers to go forward/backward on ?2, ?3, ?4
- [N] is an argument number, defaulting to current argument, for 1, 21
- [N] is a buffer number, defaulting to current buffer, for 11, 31
- [N] is a count for 17, 39
-
- Note: ":next" is an exception, because it must accept a list of file names
- for compatibility with vi.
-
-
- The argument list and multiple windows
- --------------------------------------
-
- The current position in the argument list can be different for each window.
- Remember that when doing ":e file" the position in the argument list stays
- the same, but you are not editing the file at that position. Thus the
- message (file N of M) may be misleading (this is inherited from vi).
-
- All the entries in the argument list are added to the buffer list. Thus you
- can also get to them with the buffer list commands, like ":bnext".
-
- :all
- :sall Rearrange the screen to open one window for each argument.
- All other windows are closed (buffers become hidden).
-
- :[N]sargument[!] [N]
- Short for ":split | argument [N]": split window and go to
- Nth argument. But when there is no such argument, of the
- current file cannot be abandoned, the window is not split.
-
- :[N]snext[!] [file ..]
- Short for ":split | [N]next": split window and go to Nth
- next argument. But when there is no next file, or the
- current file cannot be abandoned, the window is not split.
-
- :[N]sprevious[!] [N]
- :[N]sNext[!] [N]
- Short for ":split | Next": split window and go to Nth
- previous argument. But when there is no previous file, or
- the current file cannot be abandoned, the window is not
- split.
-
- :srewind[!] Short for ":split | rewind": split window and go to first
- argument. But when the current file cannot be abandoned the
- window is not split.
-
- :slast[!] Short for ":split | last": split window and go to last
- argument. But when the current file cannot be abandoned the
- window is not split.
-
-
- Tag or file name under the cursor
- ---------------------------------
-
- CTRL-W ]
- CTRL-W CTRL-] split current window in two. Use identifier under cursor as a
- tag and jump to it in the new upper window. Make new window N
- high.
-
- CTRL-W f
- CTRL-W CTRL-F split current window in two. Edit file name under cursor. Like
- ":split ]f", but window isn't split if the file does not exist.
-
-
- Using hidden buffers
- --------------------
-
- A hidden buffer is not displayed in a window, but is still loaded into memory.
- This makes it possible to jump from file to file, without the need to read or
- write the file every time, and having to keep the file in a window.
-
- If the option 'hidden' ('hid') is set, abandoned buffers are kept for all
- commands that start editing another file: ":edit", ":next", ":tag", etc. The
- commands that move through the buffer list make the current buffer hidden
- although the 'hidden' option is not set (see below).
-
- You can make a hidden buffer not hidden, by starting to edit it with any
- command. Or by deleting it with the ":bdelete" command.
-
- :files
- :buffers Show all buffers. Example:
-
- 1 #h "/test/text" line 1
- 2 - "asdf" line 0
- 3 % + "version.c" line 1
-
- Each buffer has a unique number. That number will not change,
- so you can always go to a specific buffer with ":buffer N" or
- "N CTRL-^", where N is the buffer number.
-
- '-' indicates a buffer that is not loaded. 'h' indicates a
- hidden buffer: It is loaded, but currently not displayed in a
- window. '%' indicates the buffer in the current window. '#'
- indicates the alternate buffer for ":e #" or CTRL-^. '+'
- indicates a modified buffer.
-
- :[N]bdelete
- :bdelete [N]
- Unload buffer [N] (default: current buffer) and delete it from
- the buffer list. If the buffer was changed this fails. The
- file remains unaffected. If buffer [N] is the current buffer,
- the next buffer becomes the current buffer.
-
- :[N]bdelete!
- :bdelete! [N]
- Unload buffer [N] (default: current buffer) and delete it from
- the buffer list. If the buffer was changed the changes are
- lost. The file remains unaffected. If buffer [N] is the
- current buffer, the next buffer becomes the current buffer.
-
- :N,Mbdelete[!] do :bdelete[!] for all buffers in the range N to M (inclusive).
-
- :bdelete[!] N1 N2 ..
- do :bdelete[!] for buffer N1, N2, etc.
-
- :[N]bunload
- :bunload [N]
- Unload buffer [N] (default: current buffer). The memory
- allocated for this buffer will be freed. The buffer remains in
- the buffer list. If the buffer was changed this fails. If
- buffer [N] is the current buffer, the next buffer becomes the
- current buffer.
-
- :[N]bunload!
- :bunload! [N]
- Unload buffer [N] (default: current buffer). The memory
- allocated for this buffer will be freed. The buffer remains in
- the buffer list. If the buffer was changed the changes are
- lost. If buffer [N] is the current buffer, the next buffer
- becomes the current buffer.
-
- :N,Mbunload[!] do :bunload[!] for all buffers in the range N to M (inclusive).
-
- :bunload[!] N1 N2 ..
- do :bunload[!] for buffer N1, N2, etc.
-
- :[N]buffer [N]
- Edit buffer [N] from the buffer list. If [N] is not given, the
- current buffer remains being edited.
-
- :[N]bnext [N] Go to [N]th next buffer in buffer list. [N] defaults to one.
-
- :[N]bNext [N]
- :[N]bprev [N] Go to [N]th previous buffer in buffer list. [N] defaults to
- one.
-
- :brewind Go to first buffer in buffer list
-
- :blast Go to last buffer in buffer list
-
- :[N]bmodified [N]
- Go to [N]th next modified buffer in buffer list
-
- :[N]sbuffer [N]
- split window and Edit buffer [N] from the buffer list. If [N]
- is not given, the current buffer is edited.
-
- :[N]sbnext [N] split window and go to [N]th next buffer in buffer list
-
- :[N]sbNext [N]
- :[N]sbprev [N] split window and go to [N]th previous buffer in buffer list
-
- :sbrewind split window and go to first buffer in buffer list
-
- :sblast split window and go to last buffer in buffer list
-
- :[N]sbmodified [N]
- split window and go to [N]th next modified buffer in buffer list
-
- :unhide
- :sunhide Rearrange the screen to open one window for each loaded
- buffer in the buffer list.
-
- :ball
- :sball Rearrange the screen to open one window for each buffer in
- the buffer list.
-
-
- Memory usage limits
- -------------------
-
- The option 'maxmem' ('mm') is used to set the maximal memory used for one
- buffer (in Kbyte). 'maxmemtot' is used to set the maximal memory used for all
- buffers (in Kbyte). The defaults depend on the system used. For the Amiga and
- MSDOS 'maxmemtot' is set depending on the amount of memory available. If you
- don't like Vim to swap to a file, set 'maxmem' and 'maxmemtot' to a very large
- value. The swap file will then only be used for recovery. If you don't want a
- swap file at all, set 'updatecount' to 0, or use the "-n" argument when
- starting Vim. Note that the 'maxmem' option is only used when a buffer is
- created. Changing this option does not affect buffers that have already been
- loaded. Thus you can set it to different values for different files.
- 'maxmemtot' works always.
-