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
- MiniBufExplorer provides this capability with a simple user interface
- bufkill unload/delete/wipe a buffer, keep its window(s), display last accessed buffer(s)
- BufClose not useful because it doesn't work as expected (if you close a buffer that's open in several windows, those windows close)
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