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https://github.com/gpanders/vim-oldfiles

Improve Vim's native recent file history
https://github.com/gpanders/vim-oldfiles

vim

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Improve Vim's native recent file history

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README 

        
vim-oldfiles

============



Improve Vim's native recent file history.



Motivation

----------



Vim natively keeps a list of your file history in the `v:oldfiles` variable

which you can see with the `:oldfiles` command or, even better, with `:browse

oldfiles`. Unfortunately, `:oldfiles` has two significant drawbacks:



1. The output of the command takes up the entire screen and uses Vim's

   inelegant "more prompt".

2. The list of recent files is not updated as you use Vim, and is only

   re-written when you close Vim. One can get around this with the use of the

   `:wviminfo` and `:rviminfo` commands, but this is cumbersome and not very

   intuitive.



This plugin enhances Vim's native capability by addressing these two problems.

The command `:Oldfiles` uses `:oldfiles` under the hood, but presents a list of

your recently visited files in the quickfix list. Once in the quickfix list,

you can use all of the standard tools to navigate and search through your list

of recent files (e.g. `:clist`, `:cc`, `:Cfilter`, and so on). **vim-oldfiles**

will also automatically filter non-existent and unreadable files from the list,

something vanilla `:oldfiles` does not do.



Further, while you can natively filter the output of `:oldfiles` using the

`:filter` command, this is a bit clunky. Instead, `:Oldfiles` (capital `O`)

lets you pass a search pattern as an optional second argument to allow easy

filtering.



Before:



```vim

:filter /pattern/ oldfiles

```



With **vim-oldfiles**:



```vim

:Oldfiles /pattern/

```



If you don't have any other conflicting user commands, this can be shortened

even further to simply `:Old` or even `:Ol`.



Most importantly, **vim-oldfiles** keeps the `v:oldfiles` variable up to date

as you use Vim, so when you open a new buffer you will see it at the top of the

`:Oldfiles` list.



Usage

-----



Use `:Oldfiles` to view your recent files in the quickfix list. You can also

use `:Oldfiles {pattern}` to only show files matching that pattern, or

`:Oldfiles! {pattern}` to only show files that do not match that pattern.



This plugin provides a `(Oldfiles)` mapping which you can use to map the

`:Oldfiles` command like so



```vim

nmap  (Oldfiles)

```



By default, this is mapped to `g`.



See `:h Oldfiles` for more information.



Installation

------------



### Manual



If your version of Vim supports packages (`has('packages')` returns `1`),

simply clone this repository to `~/.vim/pack/gpanders/start/vim-oldfiles`.



Otherwise, copy the `plugin` and `doc` directories into your Vim runtime folder

(`$HOME/.vim` on macOS/Unix, `$HOME/vimfiles` on Windows) and run `:helptags

ALL` to generate help tags. Use `:help Oldfiles` to view the help docs.



### Pathogen



```console

cd ~/.vim/bundle

git clone https://github.com/gpanders/vim-oldfiles.git

```



### vim-plug



```vim

Plug 'gpanders/vim-oldfiles'

```



FAQ

---



**Q:** How can I make the oldfiles list automatically close after I select an

entry?



**A:** Add the following snippet to `~/.vim/after/ftplugin/qf.vim`:



```vim

if get(w:, 'quickfix_title') =~# 'Oldfiles'

    nnoremap   :cclose

endif

```



or if you prefer to keep everything in your `~/.vim/vimrc` file, use:



```vim

augroup oldfiles

    autocmd!

    autocmd FileType qf if get(w:, 'quickfix_title') =~# 'Oldfiles' | nnoremap   :cclose | endif

augroup END

```



See [here][explanation] for more information.



[explanation]: https://github.com/gpanders/vim-oldfiles/issues/2#issuecomment-776442884