JABS.nvim

Just Another Buffer Switcher is a minimal buffer switcher window for Neovim written in Lua.

How minimal? One command and one window minimal!

JABS shows exactly what you would expect to see with :buffers or :ls, but in a prettier and interactive way.

Requirements

• Neovim ≥ v0.5
• A patched nerd font for the buffer icons
• nvim-web-devicons for filetype icons (recommended)

Installation

You can install JABS with your plugin manager of choice. If you use packer.nvim, simply add to your plugin list:

use 'matbme/JABS.nvim'

Usage

As previously mentioned, JABS only has one command: :JABSOpen, which opens JABS' window.

By default, you can navigate between buffers with j and k as well as <Tab> and <S-Tab>, and jump to a buffer with <CR>. When switching buffers the window closes automatically, but it can also be closed with <Esc> or q.

You can also open a preview window for the buffer selected under the cursor with <S-p>, which by default appears above JABS' window. See below how to change its default behavior.

Configuration

All configuration happens within the setup function, which you must call inside your init.lua file even if you want to stick with the defaut values. Alternatively, you can redefine a number of parameters to tweak JABS to your liking such as the window's size, border, and placement.

A minimal configuration keeping all the defaults would look like this:

require 'jabs'.setup {}

A more complex config changing every default value would look like this:

require 'jabs'.setup {
    -- Options for the main window
    position = {'center', 'top'}, -- position = {'<position_x>', '<position_y>'} | <position_x> left, center, right,
                                  --                                             <position_y> top, center, bottom
                                  -- Default {'right', 'bottom'}

    relative = 'editor', -- win, editor, cursor. Default win
    clip_popup_size = false, -- clips the popup size to the win (or editor) size. Default true

    width = 80, -- default 50
    height = 20, -- default 10
    border = 'single', -- none, single, double, rounded, solid, shadow, (or an array or chars). Default shadow

    offset = { -- window position offset
        top = 2, -- default 0
        bottom = 2, -- default 0
        left = 2, -- default 0
        right = 2, -- default 0
    },

    sort_mru = true -- Sort buffers by most recently used (true or false). Default false
    split_filename = true -- Split filename into separate components for name and path. Default false
    split_filename_path_width = 20 -- If split_filename is true, how wide the column for the path is supposed to be, Default 0 (don't show path)

    -- Options for preview window
    preview_position = 'left', -- top, bottom, left, right. Default top
    preview = {
        width = 40, -- default 70
        height = 60, -- default 30
        border = 'single', -- none, single, double, rounded, solid, shadow, (or an array or chars). Default double
    },

    -- Default highlights (must be a valid :highlight)
    highlight = {
        current = "Title", -- default StatusLine
        hidden = "StatusLineNC", -- default ModeMsg
        split = "WarningMsg", -- default StatusLine
        alternate = "StatusLine" -- default WarningMsg
    },

    -- Default symbols
    symbols = {
        current = "C", -- default 
        split = "S", -- default 
        alternate = "A", -- default 
        hidden = "H", -- default ﬘
        locked = "L", -- default 
        ro = "R", -- default 
        edited = "E", -- default 
        terminal = "T", -- default 
        default_file = "D", -- Filetype icon if not present in nvim-web-devicons. Default 
        terminal_symbol = ">_" -- Filetype icon for a terminal split. Default 
    },

    -- Keymaps
    keymap = {
        close = "<c-d>", -- Close buffer. Default D
        jump = "<space>", -- Jump to buffer. Default <cr>
        h_split = "h", -- Horizontally split buffer. Default s
        v_split = "v", -- Vertically split buffer. Default v
        preview = "p", -- Open buffer preview. Default P
    },

    -- Whether to use nvim-web-devicons next to filenames
    use_devicons = false -- true or false. Default true
}

Default Keymaps

Key	Action
j or <Tab>	navigate down
k or <S-Tab>	navigate up
D	close buffer
<CR>	jump to buffer
s	open buffer in horizontal split
v	open buffer in vertical split
<S-p>	open preview for buffer

If you don't feel like manually navigating to the buffer you want to open, you can type its number before <CR>, s, or v to quickly split or switch to it.

Symbols

Future work

JABS is in its infancy and there's still a lot to be done. Here's the currently planned features:

• Switch to buffer by typing its number
• Preview buffer
• Close buffer with keymap (huge thanks to @garymjr)
• Open buffer in split
• Sort modes (maybe visible and alternate on top)
• Custom keymaps (thanks, @MaxVerevkin

Suggestions are always welcome 🙂!