Move current window between tabs

Tip 1554 Printable Monobook Previous Next

created 2008 · complexity intermediate · author Paluh · version 7.0

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These two functions allow you to move window between tabs. Unlike the :tabmove command, which moves an entire tab to a new position, these functions will move a window in the current tab into another existing tab (or a new tab if there are no other existing tabs).

For example, assume you are editing files in three tabs: [1],[2],[3] – where [] indicates a tab page, and the list of numbers inside brackets shows the windows open in that tab (when there is more than one window in one tab, the script splits it horizontally).

Assume that we are in the first tab (so we are editing window with buffer with file 1 – bold marks current window). After :call MoveToNextTab() there will be [1,2],[3]. After the next :call MoveToNextTab() the windows will be arranged thusly: [2][1,3]. And after next one: [2],[3],[1].

Of course MoveToPrevTab() works in opposite direction.

function MoveToPrevTab()
  "there is only one window
  if tabpagenr('$') == 1 && winnr('$') == 1
    return
  endif
  "preparing new window
  let l:tab_nr = tabpagenr('$')
  let l:cur_buf = bufnr('%')
  if tabpagenr() != 1
    close!
    if l:tab_nr == tabpagenr('$')
      tabprev
    endif
    sp
  else
    close!
    exe "0tabnew"
  endif
  "opening current buffer in new window
  exe "b".l:cur_buf
endfunc

function MoveToNextTab()
  "there is only one window
  if tabpagenr('$') == 1 && winnr('$') == 1
    return
  endif
  "preparing new window
  let l:tab_nr = tabpagenr('$')
  let l:cur_buf = bufnr('%')
  if tabpagenr() < tab_nr
    close!
    if l:tab_nr == tabpagenr('$')
      tabnext
    endif
    sp
  else
    close!
    tabnew
  endif
  "opening current buffer in new window
  exe "b".l:cur_buf
endfunc

My mapping for them:

nnoremap <A-.> :call MoveToNextTab()<CR>
nnoremap <A-,> :call MoveToPrevTab()<CR>

Related plugins

• Tabmerge will merge all the windows of one tab into another

Comments

If you prefer vertically-split windows, you can add <C-w>H to the mappings to make the moved buffer vertical. My mappings look like this:
map <C-m> :call MoveToNextTab()<CR><C-w>H
map <C-n> :call MoveToPrevTab()<CR><C-w>H

Alternately, replace the sp lines with vert topleft split