Using tab pages

Tip 1347 Printable Monobook Previous Next

created September 29, 2006 · complexity basic · author mchenryk · version 7.0

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Add the following lines to your vimrc:

map <C-t> :tabnew<CR>
map <C-left> :tabp<CR>
map<C-right> :tabn<CR>

Then in gvim you have the following commands:

• Ctrl-t – open a new tab
• Ctrl-left arrow – move one tab to the left
• Ctrl-right arrow – move one tab to the right

Basic Navigation

:tabs         list all tabs
:tabm 0       move the current tab first
:tabm {i}     move the current tab to the i+1 position
:tabn         move to (view) the next tab
:tabp         move to (view) the previous tab
:tabfirst     move to the first tab
:tabf {file}  open a new tab with the filename given, searching the 'path' to find it
:tabc         close the current tab
:tabc {i}     close the i-th tab
:tabo         close other tabs

For basic tab navigation, it is probably more convenient to use the built-in normal-mode commands:

gt            move to (view) the next tab
gT            move to (view) the previous tab
{i}gt         move to (view) the tab in the i-th position

Comments

 TO DO 

• No point having a tip change the default keybindings for :tabn and :tabp. Explain the defaults.
• Merge in any useful comments from below.
• Perhaps rename to "Using tab pages" (a simpler title that attempts to avoid confusion with the tab key).

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Does not work in [ax]term.

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Or you could use gt and gT without having to move your hands across the keyboard. Also, gt can take the tab number to jump directly to a tab.

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I use Vim in Windows, so remapping C-Left isn't great for me. These are the mappings I use:

" Tab mappings
map <S-Up> :tabclose<CR>
map <S-Down> :tabnew<CR>
map <S-Left> gT
map <S-Right> gt
map <S-PageUp> :tabfirst<CR>
map <S-PageDown> :tablast<CR>

I used down for a new tab because I'm used to that from Opera's mouse gestures.

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I prefer gt and gT. In any case <C-PgUp> and <C-PgDn> are the defaults for the same operations.

Just opening a new tab is kind of useless. I find :tabe <filename> more useful.

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Instead of :tabe filename, I like :tabf filename, because it walks the path to find the name, instead of relying on an required explicit path/filename.

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If you are working with tags or cscope, <Ctrl-T> is for popping the stack.

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I think this can be condensed to:

:tab sp<CR>

Alternative way to move current window to a new tab is: <Ctrl-w> T (capital).

Possibly useful information from tip 1313 (now removed)

:tabo         " only this tab (close other tabs)
:tab ball     " show each buffer in a tab

" Set tab label to show buffer number, filename, if modified.
:set guitablabel=%n/\ %t\ %M

When starting Vim, the -p option opens each file in a tab, for example:

gvim -p *.txt

From comment in tip 259 (now removed)

Press F8 to show all buffers in tabs, or to close all tabs (toggle).

let g:toggleTabs = 0
nnoremap <silent> <F8> :if g:toggleTabs<Bar>:tabo<Bar>:let g:toggleTabs = 0<Bar>:else<Bar>:tab ball<Bar>:let g:toggleTabs = 1<Bar>:endif<CR>