lf.vim

directory travesal, with simple extension (cp, mv, rm...)

(a gif showing coping files between different directories)

Features

• Supports UNC path on Windows, like wsl folder, Virtual Box shared folder.
• When there are exactly two lf.vim buffers in a Vim tab, commands like :LfMoveTo / :LfCopyTo can be used without a destination argument, emulating behavior like in Dual-Pane file manager.
• Files copy operation (:LfCopyTo) is implemented as async operation: it does not block UI.

Usage

create an lf buffer to list files / directories

• From normal buffer, press - (the cursor is moved to the line representing the file);
• In any buffer, run command :Lf {argument}: the argument can be a directory or a file; in the latter case, the parent directory of the file is open, while the cursor is moved to the line representing the file.
• In one lf buffer, use window creating operation (like CTRL-W_v / :split) to create a new window; operations in this new window is independent from the original window. (This is how we emulate Dual-Pane UI)

map in an lf buffer

• e to edit the file where the cursor is on;
• h to go to one level up (of the parent directory of current file);
• l to go to one level down;
• K (shift+k) to show file info of current file;
• r to refresh current lf buffer;
• R to refresh all lf buffers in current Vim tab;
• f / F accepts a following character, which will move cursor to the next (or previous) entry beginning with the character;
• ; / , is like f / F, but reuse the character;
• yy to yank full path of current entry;
• q to quit Vim if there is only one lf buffer;
• all other key mappings operating on a buffer (like gg, G, j, k, p...).

UserCommand

• :Lf {file-or-dir}: create an lf buffer (introduced above). All following commands ask for user confirmation before doing actions on files.
• :LfCopyTo [dest]: copy entries selected by range, to [dest] dir; the [dest] can be omitted if exactly one another lf buffer exists in current Tab;
• :LfMoveTo [dest]: like :LfCopyTo, but operation is replaced with move;
• :LfDelete: delete entries selected by range.

About

The plugin name lf.vim comes from Terminal file manager lf, which I used in Vim as a file selector.

lf does not support Dual-Pane UI natively (though can be done with terminal multiplexer or terminal emulator), so I decided to implement it myself (in a Vim plugin).

In this plugin, I also add support for Windows UNC path, which is missing from vim-dirvish (the directory viewer I used years ago).