Monday, August 22, 2011

Re: :e handles one file

On 08/22/2011 01:47 PM, Tim Chase wrote:
> On 08/22/2011 12:09 PM, Tom wrote:
>> I know :args can load multiple files in multiple buffers but why would
>> you explicitly make :e only handle one, then complain if there's more
>> then one argument and create other commands to do what you're trying
>> to prevent with the first command? That seems a bit illogical...
>>
>> Would it be a good idea to have vim handle multiple files with :e in
>> the future, and if not why?
>
> Because :e replaces the contents of the current window with the contents
> of the specified file, asking for multiple files makes for an undefined
> result: should the first file be put in the current window, and the
> other files added to the args? Should the first file be put in the
> current window, and the other files split into other windows? How about
> each in its own tab?


> Should the last file in the resulting filespec
> override the others (as if ":e f[12].txt" did the same thing as ":e
> f1.txt" followed by ":e f2.txt")?


My guess is that if you asked 100 vim users, 90-95 would be fine with
either leaving first or last file in current window and loading the
rest in buffer list.

I have to say this is an odd argument.. Vim has maybe on the order of
five thousand commands and options that might conceivably work one way
or another, one way is chosen as a more reasonable default and the
other ways are available via a setting or some workaround.

But for this command, out of thousands, it can't be done!

-ak

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