how to edit text in multiple columns in vim

Question

How can I edit my code in Vim by displaying it in any number of columns?

My laptop and desktop monitors are widescreen (I suspect that is true of most monitors made in t

Answer 1

I think what you want to do is split windows...

Type :Vexplore to split a window vertically.

Then use Ctrl + W + arrowkey to navigate to another window. :Sexplore will enable you to split the window horizontally.

To evenly space after resizing, you can type Ctrl + W + =

Answer 2

Just press CTRL-W v and the file you are working on will be split into two separate independent columns. Repeat CTRL-W v as many times as you want.

Set scrollbind: set scrollbind to columns that you want to scroll in sync.

For example:

vim afile         # Open a file
^w v              # split it
gg                # go to top
:set scrollbind   # bind this one
^w l              # go to the new split
L                 # go to bottom of this split
zt                # make it the top line
:set scrollbind   # bind with this one

Now, while you move on one column, the other one scrolls so as if the first column overflows the text to the second column.

Answer 3

This is what I use: http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/View_text_file_in_two_columns.

It's a little clunky... Sometimes the scroll synchronization gets offset or disconnected, forcing you to re-columnate the view (in cmd mode, CTRL+W,q to close a a col. window, & \vs to add one.).

But it works great 90% of the time. I use it a lot.