Deleting a buffer without closing the window

Tip 165 Printable Monobook Previous Next

created 2001 · complexity intermediate · version 7.0

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You may use the :split or :vsplit commands to display several windows, with some windows showing different parts of one buffer, while other windows show other buffers.

When finished with a buffer, you can close it with the :bdelete command. However, that command will also close all windows currently showing the buffer.

The script below defines the :Bclose command that deletes a buffer, while keeping the current window layout (no windows are closed).

Usage

The :Bclose command deletes a buffer without changing the window layout. For each window where the buffer is currently displayed:

• Show the alternate buffer (:buffer #), if any.
• Otherwise, show the previous buffer (:bprevious), if any.
• Otherwise, show an empty buffer.

:Bclose

Close buffer in current window.

:Bclose N

Close buffer number N (as shown by :ls).

:Bclose Name

Close buffer named Name (as shown by :ls).

Assuming the default backslash leader key, you can also press \bd to close (delete) the buffer in the current window (same as :Bclose).

Like the :bdelete command, :Bclose will fail if the buffer has been modified. You can append ! to discard all changes (for example, :Bclose! will delete the buffer in the current window; any changes to the buffer are lost).

By default, :Bclose will close a buffer even if it is displayed in multiple windows (the windows are not closed). Put the following in your vimrc if you would prefer that a buffer is not closed if it is displayed more than once:

:let bclose_multiple = 0

Script

Create file ~/.vim/plugin/bclose.vim (Unix) or $HOME/vimfiles/plugin/bclose.vim (Windows) containing the script below, then restart Vim.

" Delete buffer while keeping window layout (don't close buffer's windows).
" Version 2008-11-18 from http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/VimTip165
if v:version < 700 || exists('loaded_bclose') || &cp
  finish
endif
let loaded_bclose = 1
if !exists('bclose_multiple')
  let bclose_multiple = 1
endif

" Display an error message.
function! s:Warn(msg)
  echohl ErrorMsg
  echomsg a:msg
  echohl NONE
endfunction

" Command ':Bclose' executes ':bd' to delete buffer in current window.
" The window will show the alternate buffer (Ctrl-^) if it exists,
" or the previous buffer (:bp), or a blank buffer if no previous.
" Command ':Bclose!' is the same, but executes ':bd!' (discard changes).
" An optional argument can specify which buffer to close (name or number).
function! s:Bclose(bang, buffer)
  if empty(a:buffer)
    let btarget = bufnr('%')
  elseif a:buffer =~ '^\d\+$'
    let btarget = bufnr(str2nr(a:buffer))
  else
    let btarget = bufnr(a:buffer)
  endif
  if btarget < 0
    call s:Warn('No matching buffer for '.a:buffer)
    return
  endif
  if empty(a:bang) && getbufvar(btarget, '&modified')
    call s:Warn('No write since last change for buffer '.btarget.' (use :Bclose!)')
    return
  endif
  " Numbers of windows that view target buffer which we will delete.
  let wnums = filter(range(1, winnr('$')), 'winbufnr(v:val) == btarget')
  if !g:bclose_multiple && len(wnums) > 1
    call s:Warn('Buffer is in multiple windows (use ":let bclose_multiple=1")')
    return
  endif
  let wcurrent = winnr()
  for w in wnums
    execute w.'wincmd w'
    let prevbuf = bufnr('#')
    if prevbuf > 0 && buflisted(prevbuf) && prevbuf != w
      buffer #
    else
      bprevious
    endif
    if btarget == bufnr('%')
      " Numbers of listed buffers which are not the target to be deleted.
      let blisted = filter(range(1, bufnr('$')), 'buflisted(v:val) && v:val != btarget')
      " Listed, not target, and not displayed.
      let bhidden = filter(copy(blisted), 'bufwinnr(v:val) < 0')
      " Take the first buffer, if any (could be more intelligent).
      let bjump = (bhidden + blisted + [-1])[0]
      if bjump > 0
        execute 'buffer '.bjump
      else
        execute 'enew'.a:bang
      endif
    endif
  endfor
  execute 'bdelete'.a:bang.' '.btarget
  execute wcurrent.'wincmd w'
endfunction
command! -bang -complete=buffer -nargs=? Bclose call s:Bclose('<bang>', '<args>')
nnoremap <silent> <Leader>bd :Bclose<CR>

Alternative Script

Below, I have a new, more complicated version of above script. The below script will actually create a scratch buffer if there are no listed buffers left. The script, in addition, takes care of a small annoyance. Before, if you 1) open vim, 2) :e a file, 3) :bd, 4) :e the same file, then there will be two buffers listed (that file and a [no name] buffer). The following script ensures this doesn't happen.

Everything in this tutorial assumes the user does "set hidden".

Using this Kwbd command (:Kwbd) will make Vim windows behave more like an IDE, or maybe even better. You can also setup a mapping, see the end of the script.

"here is a more exotic version of my original Kwbd script
"delete the buffer; keep windows; create a scratch buffer if no buffers left
function s:Kwbd(kwbdStage)
  if(a:kwbdStage == 1)
    if(!buflisted(winbufnr(0)))
      bd!
      return
    endif
    let s:kwbdBufNum = bufnr("%")
    let s:kwbdWinNum = winnr()
    windo call s:Kwbd(2)
    execute s:kwbdWinNum . 'wincmd w'
    let s:buflistedLeft = 0
    let s:bufFinalJump = 0
    let l:nBufs = bufnr("$")
    let l:i = 1
    while(l:i <= l:nBufs)
      if(l:i != s:kwbdBufNum)
        if(buflisted(l:i))
          let s:buflistedLeft = s:buflistedLeft + 1
        else
          if(bufexists(l:i) && !strlen(bufname(l:i)) && !s:bufFinalJump)
            let s:bufFinalJump = l:i
          endif
        endif
      endif
      let l:i = l:i + 1
    endwhile
    if(!s:buflistedLeft)
      if(s:bufFinalJump)
        windo if(buflisted(winbufnr(0))) | execute "b! " . s:bufFinalJump | endif
      else
        enew
        let l:newBuf = bufnr("%")
        windo if(buflisted(winbufnr(0))) | execute "b! " . l:newBuf | endif
      endif
      execute s:kwbdWinNum . 'wincmd w'
    endif
    if(buflisted(s:kwbdBufNum) || s:kwbdBufNum == bufnr("%"))
      execute "bd! " . s:kwbdBufNum
    endif
    if(!s:buflistedLeft)
      set buflisted
      set bufhidden=delete
      set buftype=
      setlocal noswapfile
    endif
  else
    if(bufnr("%") == s:kwbdBufNum)
      let prevbufvar = bufnr("#")
      if(prevbufvar > 0 && buflisted(prevbufvar) && prevbufvar != s:kwbdBufNum)
        b #
      else
        bn
      endif
    endif
  endif
endfunction

command! Kwbd call s:Kwbd(1)
nnoremap <silent> <Plug>Kwbd :<C-u>Kwbd<CR>

" Create a mapping (e.g. in your .vimrc) like this:
"nmap <C-W>! <Plug>Kwbd

See also

• Bbye Delete buffers and close files in Vim without messing up your window layout. Rewritten Bclose.vim to handle multiple windows. Comes with warranty!
• BufClose not useful because it doesn't work as expected (if you close a buffer that's open in several windows, those windows close)
• bufkill unload/delete/wipe a buffer, keep its window(s), display last accessed buffer(s)
• MiniBufExplorer provides this capability with a simple user interface

Comments

For getting asked what should be done, when a file has been modified I use normally :confirm :bd. So I changed the script in 2lines to achieve this:

if empty(a:bang) && getbufvar(btarget, '&modified')
    call s:Warn('No write since last change for buffer '.btarget.' (use :Bclose!)')
"    return
  endif

...

    endif
  endfor
"  execute 'bdelete'.a:bang.' '.btarget
  execute ':confirm :bdelete '.btarget
  execute wcurrent.'wincmd w'

Just comment out the return and replace the command. greetings - Joe