How do you return from 'gf' in Vim

Question

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.

score 322 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 06 '11 at 04:00

322

I use Ctrl-O

edited Sep 06 '11 at 04:00

ib.

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answered Sep 25 '08 at 14:23

jop

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CTRL-O to go to an older position in jump list, or CTRL-I to go to a newer position. – Sébastien RoccaSerra Sep 26 '08 at 10:57
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@g33kz0r the mnemonic would be O = OUT, I = IN => Ctrl - O brings you out, Ctrl brings you in. If every jump is like going through a door, that is. – kronn Oct 14 '15 at 11:36
CTRL-O will jump to last visited position, this is annoying when the new file has been searched in. I prefer Shift-Ctrl-6 (in my case Ctrl-6 don't work) – Adriano Jan 11 '18 at 09:11
I think paxdiablo's answer is better. :e# goes just one step back(even when we opend file or directory). ctrl-o goes to the first file. – Chan Kim Jan 23 '21 at 02:08

score 83 · Answer 2 · edited Sep 06 '11 at 04:01

83

I frequently use Ctrl-6 for this.

It's handy because it allows me to quickly jump back and forth between the two files.

edited Sep 06 '11 at 04:01

ib.

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answered Sep 25 '08 at 20:21

Dominic Dos Santos

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score 53 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 26 '08 at 09:42

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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.

answered Sep 26 '08 at 09:42

Roman Odaisky

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tab is more convenient than buffer for me, and using `nnoremap gf gf` to open in a new tab may be better. – Searene Feb 08 '13 at 01:47

score 15 · Answer 4 · edited Sep 06 '11 at 04:01

15

Just use :e# followed by Enter - that basically says to edit the last (most recent) file.

edited Sep 06 '11 at 04:01

ib.

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answered Sep 25 '08 at 14:24

paxdiablo

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score 14 · Answer 5 · answered May 05 '10 at 10:08

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Use gf to descend into a file and use :bf to get back

answered May 05 '10 at 10:08

Ram

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I had two windows open in a tab and this just opened the second window in the first instead of jumping back to the previous buffer. – Kenny Evitt Sep 24 '15 at 19:24

score 12 · Answer 6 · edited Jun 22 '21 at 19:08

12

Ctrl-Shift-6 is one.

:e#↲ is another.

edited Jun 22 '21 at 19:08

AEM

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answered Sep 25 '08 at 14:21

tzot

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The shift is not necessary. Stop abusing your fingers. – Zathrus Sep 25 '08 at 14:42
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Um. I'm kind of an old timer. Ctrl-6 wouldn't work with vi on the Wyse terminal I used to have at work years ago. See, some things remain etched. And not using Shift in this combo would hardly make a difference to my total finger abuse. Hey, at least you tried your best. HTH. HAND. – tzot Sep 25 '08 at 23:21
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This switches to what's called the [*alternate file*](http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/editing.html#alternate-file). – jpaugh Jul 03 '18 at 13:57

score 8 · Answer 7 · edited Jun 23 '21 at 21:31

8

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.

edited Jun 23 '21 at 21:31

AEM

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answered Sep 26 '08 at 10:51

codebunny · Answer 8 · 2009-06-19T15:04:16.327

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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>`

edited Jun 19 '09 at 15:04

answered Sep 25 '08 at 15:12

codebunny

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I don't think you want to use :e# because that could potentially reload the file. :b# does the equivalent without this problem. – lambacck Jan 26 '11 at 18:41
Good point. That switches to the other buffer without reloading it. – codebunny Feb 02 '11 at 19:13

score 4 · Answer 9 · edited Jun 23 '21 at 08:31

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

score 2 · Answer 10 · answered Sep 25 '08 at 14:36

2

See :help alternate-file.

answered Sep 25 '08 at 14:36

Bruno De Fraine

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score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Sep 26 '08 at 09:29

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>

`gf` is built-in. It belongs to all of us. :-) – jpaugh Jul 03 '18 at 13:59 — jpaugh, Jul 03 '18 at 13:59

How do you return from 'gf' in Vim

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