kakoune-buffers

kakoune plugin to ease navigation between opened buffers.

Install

Add buffers.kak to your autoload dir: ~/.config/kak/autoload/.

Or via plug.kak:

plug 'delapouite/kakoune-buffers' %{
  map global normal ^ q
  map global normal <a-^> Q
  map global normal q b
  map global normal Q B
  map global normal <a-q> <a-b>
  map global normal <a-Q> <a-B>
  map global normal b ': enter-buffers-mode<ret>' -docstring 'buffers'
  map global normal B ': enter-user-mode -lock buffers<ret>' -docstring 'buffers (lock)'
}

Usage

Run the info-buffers command. It will display an info box with a numbered list of opened buffers.

• The current buffer is prefixed by a >.
• The alt buffer is prefixed by a # (use ga to reach it).
• Modified buffers are prefixed by a +.

If this list gets too big, decrease the max_list_buffers option (42 entries by default).

To jump to a specific buffer index use the buffer-by-index n command. Use buffer-first and buffer-last to move to the ends of the list. With buffer-first-modified, jump to the first modified buffer.

To delete all buffers except the current one, use buffer-only or the more destructive buffer-only-force version. You can also delete all buffers except the ones in the same dir as the current buffer with buffer-only-directory.

User mode

All these commands are grouped in a dedicated buffers user-mode.

While opened in lock mode, it means that you can press p or n many times to cycle through your buffers. Press <esc> to leave this mode.

# Suggested hook

hook global WinDisplay .* info-buffers

# Suggested mappings

map global user b ':enter-buffers-mode<ret>'              -docstring 'buffers…'
map global user B ':enter-user-mode -lock buffers<ret>'   -docstring 'buffers (lock)…'

# Suggested aliases

alias global bd delete-buffer
alias global bf buffer-first
alias global bl buffer-last
alias global bo buffer-only
alias global bo! buffer-only-force

More controversial mappings

Ask yourself: how often do you use macros? If you're like me, not so much thanks to all the cool interactive ways to accomplish a task with Kakoune. But they waste a nice spot on the q key! Time to free it for something else.

What about moving the b actions, (moving word backward) here instead? It makes sense on a qwerty keyboard. The q is on the left of w which goes the opposite direction. The q, w and e actions are now finally together just under your left hand like the 3 musketeers.

Therefore your b key is free and you can now use it for buffer actions:

# ciao macros
map global normal ^ q
map global normal <a-^> Q

map global normal q b
map global normal Q B
map global normal <a-q> <a-b>
map global normal <a-Q> <a-B>

map global normal b ':enter-buffers-mode<ret>'              -docstring 'buffers…'
map global normal B ':enter-user-mode -lock buffers<ret>'   -docstring 'buffers (lock)…'

Screenshots

info displayed by the info-buffers command:

info displayed by the buffers user-mode:

See also

• kakoune-cd
• kakoune-registers
• explore.kak
• ncurses implementation of a buffer list
• sidetree
• kakoune-buffer-switcher

Licence

MIT

Thanks a lot to danr and occivink for the original implementation: https://github.com/occivink/config/blob/master/.config/kak/buflist.kak