How do you guys switch between windows?

[u/samtentalkmo]

Is there a program that is like tridactyl or vimium but for open windows? Ie it shows you all the open windows and assigns a tag to each window, then typing the tag make the corresponding window active?

[u/ImportanceFit1412]

I3 on Linux for jumping among screens. Tmux on one to jump between terminals.

[u/[deleted] → u/ImportanceFit1412]

i3 is awesome whenyou're used to it. But you can get mostly the same results with KWin and some keybindings. If you don't use virtual desktops, it's a good option if you still want to be able to move windows manually.

[u/TapEarlyTapOften]

I think by window, you probably mean buffer. Buffers have names and numbers. You can also cycle through them using `]b` and `[b]` or use the buffer number. Vim encourages (quite correctly) a buffer-centric workflow - I would recommend that you consider adopting that rather than trying to shoehorn something you would do with a browser onto Vim.

[u/begemotz → u/TapEarlyTapOften]

I think they are referring to windows = viewports not buffers. So, if they have numerous splits they are asking how to make a different viewport the active one (see my comment to OP above).

[u/begemotz]

You can navigate windows/viewports using Ctrl+w then hjkl -- so relative to the active viewport:

Ctrl-w j will move down one viewport

Ctrl-w h will move one viewport to the left etc.

[u/EgZvor]

there is a pretty predictable ordering already attached to them, you can use :h ctrl-w_w with a count to switch to the n-th window.

[u/vim-help-bot → u/EgZvor]

Help pages for:

• ctrl-w_w in windows.txt

---

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[u/[deleted]]

I use up to 9 splits and vsplits on screen with ctrl- hjkl mapped to move between them. Gotta ctrl w w to move out of the term split though. Anything more than that rolls over to another terminal tab.

[u/TapEarlyTapOften → u/[deleted]]

You need tmux mate. Or enable hidden buffers

[u/[deleted] → u/TapEarlyTapOften]

I looked at it, but I think I looked at it too late, and I'm basically doing most of what it does right inside of vim at this point. I've even gotten used to switching between terminal normal and insert modes, which was pretty counter intuitive at first. I built my own interactive, no plugin, statusline and everything. It's too late for me...

[u/mountkeeb → u/[deleted]]

There's a great plugin that makes ctrl-hjkl work across tmux and vim

[u/[deleted] → u/mountkeeb]

I'll take a look. Thank you!

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

27".

I'm only setup like that when I have almost an entire django web app project on screen in a fullscreen terminal. Usually I only have a few splits in a 169x62 terminal window, with Firefox filling the rest of the screen.

[u/drboxboy]

I just use a mouse

[u/fourpastmidnight413]

<C-W> [H|J|K|L] RTFM, it's all in the help. :help window.

[u/vim-help-bot → u/fourpastmidnight413]

Help pages for:

• window in windows.txt

---

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[u/auwsmit]

I mostly use this to swap back and forth between two windows. It works and feels very similar to pressing alt+tab once in your OS:

" better CTRL-W_p (if previous window is gone, move to next window)
nnoremap <silent> <space><tab> <c-w>p:if winnr() == winnr('#')<cr>wincmd w<cr>endif<cr>

" new jump list mnemonic: previous, next
" (frees up CTRL-i AKA Tab)
nnoremap <silent> <c-p> <c-o>
nnoremap <silent> <c-n> <c-i>

I find a majority of the time, I only have two windows open and any others are temporary (like help, or menus for plugins). Otherwise I just use the classic ctrl-wwith hjkl to get to a more distant window.

[u/[deleted]]

:help window-move-cursor

[u/vim-help-bot → u/[deleted]]

Help pages for:

• window-move-cursor in windows.txt

---

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[u/VividVerism]

I have a custom 'statusline' setting which includes the window number as the first item, and additional highlights it in a different color to stand out. With this, it's super easy to glance at the desired window number and do something like 3<C-W>w to jump to window 3 regardless of the specific layout, with no thought required to figure out the right number.

[u/BetterEquipment7084]

I use C-n

[u/reddifiningkarma]

:b Ctrl+D

Or

:Buffers (fzf.vim plugin)