How do you return from 'gf' in Vim
VimEditorVim Problem Overview
I am using Vim for windows installed in Unix mode. Thanks to this site I now use the gf
command to go to a file under the cursor.
I'm looking for a command to either:
- return to the previous file (similar to Ctrl+T for ctags), or
- remap
gf
to automatically launch the new file in a new window.
Vim Solutions
Solution 1 - Vim
I use Ctrl-O
Solution 2 - Vim
I frequently use Ctrl-6 for this.
It's handy because it allows me to quickly jump back and forth between the two files.
Solution 3 - Vim
You might want to use CTRL-W gf
to open the file in a new tab.
You can close the newly opened file as always with :bd
, or use CTRL-6
and other usual ways of changing buffers.
Solution 4 - Vim
Just use :e#
followed by Enter - that basically says to edit the last (most recent) file.
Solution 5 - Vim
Use gf to descend into a file and use :bf to get back
Solution 6 - Vim
Ctrl-Shift-6 is one.
:e#↲
is another.
Solution 7 - Vim
I got CTRL-Wf to work.
It's quite depressing that I've spent so long perfecting maps for these commands only to discover that there are built-in versions.
Solution 8 - Vim
I don't know the answer to part 2 of your question, but I can help with part 1. Use
:e#
Vim maintains a list of files (buffers) that it's editing. If you type
:buffers
it will list all the files you are currently editing. The file in that list with a % beside it is the current file. The one with the # beside it is the alternate file. :e# will switch between the current and alternate file. Rather than type that much, I map F2 to :e# so I can easily flip between the current and alternate files. I map the command to F2 by adding this to .vimrc
nmap `<F2> :e#<CR>`
Solution 9 - Vim
See :help alternate-file.
Solution 10 - Vim
When you open a new file (with gf or :n or another command) the old file remains in a buffer list. You can list open files with :ls
If you want to navigate easily between buffers in vim, you can create a mapping like this:
nmap <M-LEFT> :bN<cr>
nmap <M-RIGHT> :bn<cr>
Now you can switch between buffers with Alt+← or Alt+→.
The complete documentation on mappings is here:
:help map.txt
Solution 11 - Vim
I haven't looked at your gf command but I imagine it uses the :e or :find command.
Assuming that this is correct, simply replace the :e or :find with :new (or :vnew for a vertical split) and the file will open in a new window instead of the same one.
e.g.
"Switch between header and cpp nmap ,s :find %:t:r.cpp<CR> nmap ,S :new %:t:r.cpp<CR> nmap ,h :find %:t:r.h<CR> nmap ,H :new %:t:r.h<CR> nmap ,F :new=expand("<cfile>:t")<CR><CR> nmap ,d :new =expand("<cfile>")<CR><CR>