Practical Vim, 2nd Edition

Tip 37

Track Open Files with the Buffer List

We can load multiple files during an editing session. Vim lets us manage them using the buffer list.

Understand the Distinction Between Files and Buffers

Just like any other text editor, Vim allows us to read files, edit them, and save our changes. When we discuss our workflow, it’s tempting to say that we’re editing a file, but that’s not what we’re actually doing. Instead, we’re editing an in-memory representation of a file, which is called a buffer in Vim’s terminology.

Files are stored on the disk, whereas buffers exist in memory. When we open a file in Vim, its contents are read into a buffer, which takes the same name as the file. Initially, the contents of the buffer will be identical to ...