My cheatsheet to operate the bufers, windows and tabs of Vim.

Buffers

  • :badd: buffer add
  • :ls: list buffer
    buffer indicators:
    • %: buffer in current window
    • a: active buffer
    • #: alternate buffer, which can be accessed by Ctrl-6
    • : no indicator means that buffer is not loaded yet
  • :bp: load previous buffer into current window
  • :bn: load next buffer into current window
  • :b2: load buffer No. 2 into current window
  • :br: rewind first buffer into current window
  • :bl: load last buffer into current window
  • :ba: open all buffers into different windows
  • :bd: delete buffer, take buffer number as arguments, :bd 1 2 3

Windows

  • vim -o file1.txt file2.txt: open files in two horizotally split window
  • vim -O file1.txt file2.txt: open files in two vertically split window
  • :sp file.txt: open file as horizontal split
  • :vs file.txt: open file as vertical split
  • :n file.txt: new a file in current window
  • Ctrl-w n: new a file in horizontal split, :w file.txt for saving
  • :vne file.txt: new a file in vertical split

  • Ctrl-w h/j/k/l: switch window

  • Ctrl-w H/J/K/L: move window
  • Ctrl-w T: move current window to a new tab
  • Ctrl-w r: rotates the windows from left to right or from top to bottom

  • Ctrl-w R: rotates the windows from the other direction

  • Ctrl-w =: resize the windows equally
  • Ctrl-w >: incrementally increase the window to the right, takes a parameter, e.g. Ctrl-w 20 >
  • Ctrl-w <: incrementally increase the window to the left
  • Ctrl-w -: incrementally decrease the window’s height
  • Ctrl-w +: incrementally increase the window’s height
  • Ctrl-w _: maximize the window’s height

Tabs

  • vim -p file1.txt file2.txt: open files in separate tabs
  • :tabnew file.txt: open file.txt in a new tab
  • :tabc: close current tab
  • :tabn: go to next tab
  • :tabn 2: go to tab No. 2
  • :tabp: go to previous tab
  • :tabr: rewind to first tab
  • :tabl: go to last tab