Vim Fuzzy file search and navigation without plugins

Recently, I got curious about how Vim’s built-in commands handle file finding and navigation. Even though I was using modern fuzzy finding plugins at the time, I decided to explore Vim’s native mechanisms. To my surprise, I started enjoying the simplicity and effectiveness of these built-in tools.

If you prefer to see these tips in action, check out the video linked at the end of this post!

Using :find for Fuzzy Searching

By default, the :find command in Vim requires the full path of the file you want to open. For instance, you might type :find src/parser/parser.odin.

Here’s a handy trick: if you set the path option to **, Vim will search through all directories from your current working directory. You can do this by adding the following line to your .vimrc:

set path=**

With this setting, :find becomes much more flexible. For example, if you type :find par and hit Tab, Vim will suggest files that match “par” anywhere in your directory. It’s a simple way to perform fuzzy searches without extra plugins.

Navigating Buffers with :buffer

To switch between open files, you can use the :buffer command (or just :b). Suppose you have these files open:

• src/parser/parser.odin

• src/main.odin

• src/tokenizer/tokenizer.odin

Typing :b to and pressing Enter will take you to the buffer that matches the input. In this case it’ll open the src/tokenizer/tokenizer.odin file. It’s a straightforward method for navigating between your open files.

Enjoying the Simplicity

As I started using these built-in commands more, I found them to be quite effective. They offer a simple and efficient way to search and navigate files and buffers without relying on additional plugins.

Vertical Completion Menu

If you prefer a vertical completion menu, similar to what you might see in Neovim, you can enable it in Vim by setting wildoptions to pum. Unlike Neovim, this isn’t the default in Vim. Add this to your .vimrc:

set wildoptions=pum

Conclusion

Exploring Vim’s built-in file finding and navigation features has been a rewarding experience. By adjusting :find and using :buffer, you can navigate and manage your files effectively with just the default tools.

You can see these techniques in action in the video below.

Happy Vimming!