How can I close a buffer without closing the window?

Question

Vim\'s multilayered views (Windows, Buffers and Tabs) left me a little confused. Let\'s say I split the display (:sp) and then select a different buffer to display in each w

Answer 1

I think this is what you're looking for

http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/windows.html#window-moving

Try this:

Look ar your buffer id using

:buffers

you will see list of buffers there like

1  a.cpp
2  b.py
3  c.php

if you want to remove b.py from buffer

:2bw

if you want to remove/close all from buffers

:1,3bw

Answer 2

Simply do :new|bd# or Paste this into your vimrc

let mapleader = " "
" CLOSE current Buffer without closing window
nnoremap <silent><leader>d :new<BAR>bd#<CR>
" CLOSE current window
noremap <leader>x <c-w>c

Then hit (space + d) or (space + x)

EDIT: even better with

nnoremap <silent><leader>d :new<BAR>bd#<BAR>bp<CR>

Answer 3

My favorite solution for this is the bufkill.vim plugin (GitHub). It provides alternate versions of the various :b-prefix commands that work the same as their counterparts, but leave the window open. They display whatever the last visible buffer contained, or an empty/new buffer if there was no prior buffer.

From the documentation:

When you want to unload/delete/wipe a buffer, use:
  :bun/:bd/:bw to close the window as well (vim command), or
  :BUN/:BD/:BW to leave the window(s) intact (this script).

Answer 4

I searched for this today and came up with

:b#|bd#

which changes the current window to the previously open buffer and deletes/hides the buffer you just switched away from.

This requires at least two known buffers.

If another window but the current shows the same buffer this will still destroy splitting. You can change all windows to the previously open buffer with

:windo b#

I added more detail about the former command discussing a mapping for it (and some pitfalls) in an answer to a similar question.

Answer 5

For those who use NERDTree.

I fix this using this plugin https://github.com/jistr/vim-nerdtree-tabs and now I can close the only buff/file/tab without closing the window.

After having the plugin above installed put the following code on my .vimrc:

let g:nerdtree_tabs_autoclose=0

The description for the variable above is: Close current tab if there is only one window in it and it's NERDTree (default 1)

More info here: https://github.com/jistr/vim-nerdtree-tabs#configuration

Answer 6

I don't think there is a one shot way to do this, but you could do :enew or :ls to list your buffers and swap to a different one using :b [number].

Once you've got a different buffer in the window :bd # will delete the previous buffer in the window, and since the current buffer still exists the window won't be closed.