vim-tmuxlike

Bring familiar tmux-style prefix commands to Vim and Neovim.

If you regularly use tmux, this plugin provides a similar workflow for navigating, splitting, resizing, and managing editor windows and tabs.

• Requirements
• Usage
  • Windows
  • Resize mode
  • Tabs
  • Other commands
• Installation
• Configuration
  • Prefix key
  • Split keys
  • Message history
  • Vim window chooser
  • Neovim Lua configuration

Requirements

• Vim with popup-window support for the interactive resize mode and built-in window chooser
• Neovim 0.11 or later for the Lua-powered resize mode, message window, and built-in window chooser

Usage

Like tmux, vim-tmuxlike uses a prefix key. The default prefix is Ctrl-A. Every command below starts with <prefix>.

Windows

• h, j, k, l or the arrow keys: move to the window in that direction

• ;: move to the previously selected window

• z: toggle zoom for the current window

  

• %: create a vertical split with a new buffer

  

• |: vertically split the current buffer

  

• ": create a horizontal split with a new buffer

  

• _: horizontally split the current buffer

  

• x: confirm and close the current window

• !: move the current file to a new tab

  

• Space: cycle through even-horizontal, even-vertical, main-horizontal, and main-vertical layouts

• {: swap the current pane with the previous pane

• }: swap the current pane with the next pane

Pane swapping wraps at the beginning and end of the window list. Focus follows the original pane content to its new position.

Resize mode

Press H, J, K, or L to resize once and enter resize mode:

• H: increase the current window's width
• L: decrease the current window's width
• J: increase the current window's height
• K: decrease the current window's height
• Esc, Enter, or q: leave resize mode

While resize mode is active, other keys are ignored. A small status window remains visible until the mode exits.

Tabs

• c: open a new tab after the last tab
• Ctrl-H or Ctrl-P: select the previous tab
• Ctrl-N or Ctrl-L: select the next tab
• &: confirm and close the current tab

Other commands

• ?: open the vim-tmuxlike help page

• ~: show message history

  

• d: suspend Vim or Neovim, like Ctrl-Z

• r: redraw the screen

• t: display the current time

• ]: paste from the system clipboard (+ register)

• q, s, =: open the window chooser

Vim and Neovim both include a built-in chooser that displays a label over each window. Press a label in lowercase or uppercase to select that window, or press q/Esc to cancel. When more than one tab exists, the chooser also displays a numbered tab bar; press 1–9 to jump directly to a tab.

Chooser markers use static A–Z glyphs generated with TOIlet. The available fonts are smblock (default) and pagga. Pane labels are assigned from the preset character sequence ABEFHIJKLMNOPRSTUVWXYZ; C, D, G, and Q are excluded.

Installation

Using vim-plug:

Plug 'karmenzind/vim-tmuxlike'

Using lazy.nvim:

{
  "karmenzind/vim-tmuxlike",
  config = function()
    require("tmuxlike").setup()
  end,
}

Configuration

Prefix key

The plugin uses Ctrl-A when no mapping to <Plug>(tmuxlike-prefix) already exists. Define your own mapping to replace it:

" Ctrl-A (default)
nmap <C-A> <Plug>(tmuxlike-prefix)

" Ctrl-Backslash
nmap <C-\> <Plug>(tmuxlike-prefix)

" Press the leader key twice
nmap <Leader><Leader> <Plug>(tmuxlike-prefix)

Neovim users can configure the prefix through Lua instead:

require("tmuxlike").setup({
  prefix = "<C-a>",
})

Split keys

The keys used to split the current buffer can be changed before the plugin is loaded:

let g:tmuxlike_key_vsplit = '\'  " Default: |
let g:tmuxlike_key_hsplit = '-'  " Default: _

Message history

Message history opens in a scratch buffer by default:

let g:tmuxlike_messages_container = 'scratch'

Supported values are:

• scratch: open message history in a scratch buffer
• float: open message history in a popup on Vim or a scrollable floating window on Neovim
• any other value: use the standard :messages display

Vim window chooser

Vim users can configure the built-in chooser before the plugin is loaded:

let g:tmuxlike_chooser_scope = 'current'  " current or all
let g:tmuxlike_chooser_font = 'smblock'   " smblock or pagga
let g:tmuxlike_chooser_characters = 'ABEFHIJKLMNOPRSTUVWXYZ'

Neovim Lua configuration

Neovim users can configure resize behavior, message display, the window chooser, and every command key:

require("tmuxlike").setup({
  prefix = "<C-a>",
  resize_step = 3,
  messages = "float",
  chooser = {
    scope = "current", -- "current" or "all"
    font = "smblock",  -- "smblock" or "pagga"
    characters = "ABEFHIJKLMNOPRSTUVWXYZ",
  },
  mappings = {
    messages = "~",
    choose_window = { "q", "s", "=" },
    split_vertical = "|",
    split_horizontal = "_",
    resize_left = "H",
    resize_down = "J",
    resize_up = "K",
    resize_right = "L",
    next_layout = "<Space>",
    swap_pane_previous = "{",
    swap_pane_next = "}",
  },
})

Mapping values may be a key, a list of keys, or false to disable the command. Available mapping names are:

help, zoom, new_horizontal, split_horizontal, new_vertical, split_vertical,
new_tab, previous_tab, next_tab, close_window, close_tab, messages,
break_pane, suspend, redraw, time, paste, previous_window, window_left,
window_down, window_up, window_right, resize_left, resize_down, resize_up,
resize_right, choose_window, next_layout, swap_pane_previous, swap_pane_next

The existing g:tmuxlike_key_vsplit, g:tmuxlike_key_hsplit, g:tmuxlike_messages_container, and g:tmuxlike_chooser_scope variables remain supported as defaults. g:tmuxlike_chooser_font selects the Vim chooser font and is also used as the Neovim default. Chooser labels c, d, g, q, and digits are reserved and automatically excluded. Digits 1–9 select tabs when multiple tabs are open. Explicitly configuring C, D, G, or Q raises an error. See Known Issues for details.

If you find a problem, please open an issue.