then "view" is created in
"$VIM/vimfiles".
An existing file is always overwritten then. Use
|:loadview| to load this view again.
When [file] is the name of a file ('viewdir' is not
used), a command to edit the file is added to the
generated file.
The output of ":mkview" contains these items:
1. The argument list used in the window. When the global argument list is
used, it is reset to the global list.
The index in the argument list is also restored.
2. The file being edited in the window. If there is no file, the window is
made empty.
3. Restore mappings, abbreviations and options local to the window, if
'viewoptions' contains "options" or "localoptions". Only option values
that are local to the current buffer and the current window are restored.
When storing the view as part of a session and "options" is in
'sessionoptions', global values for local options will be stored too.
4. Restore folds when using manual folding and 'viewoptions' contains
"folds". Restore manually opened and closed folds.
5. The scroll position and the cursor position in the file. Doesn't work very
well when there are closed folds.
6. The local current directory, if it is different from the global current
directory and 'viewoptions' contains "curdir".
Note that Views and Sessions are not perfect:
- They don't restore everything. For example, defined functions, autocommands
and ":syntax on" are not included. Things like register contents and
command line history are in ShaDa, not in Sessions or Views.
- Global option values are only set when they differ from the default value.
When the current value is not the default value, loading a Session will not
set it back to the default value. Local options will be set back to the
default value though.
- Existing mappings will be overwritten without warning. An existing mapping
may cause an error for ambiguity.
- When storing manual folds and when storing manually opened/closed folds,
changes in the file between saving and loading the view will mess it up.
- The Vim script is not very efficient. But still faster than typing the
commands yourself!
*:lo* *:loadview*
:lo[adview] [nr] Load the view for the current file. When [nr] is
omitted, the view stored with ":mkview" is loaded.
When [nr] is specified, the view stored with ":mkview
[nr]" is loaded.
The combination of ":mkview" and ":loadview" can be used to store up to ten
different views of a file. These are remembered in the directory specified
with the 'viewdir' option. The views are stored using the file name. If a
file is renamed or accessed through a (symbolic) link, the view will not be
found.
You might want to clean up your 'viewdir' directory now and then.
To automatically save and restore views for `*.c` files: >
au BufWinLeave *.c mkview
au BufWinEnter *.c silent! loadview
==============================================================================
Shada ("shared data") file *shada* *shada-file*
If you exit Vim and later start it again, you would normally lose a lot of
information. The ShaDa file can be used to remember that information, which
enables you to continue where you left off. Its name is the abbreviation of
SHAred DAta because it is used for sharing data between Nvim sessions.
This is introduced in section |21.3| of the user manual.
The ShaDa file is used to store:
- The command line history.
- The search string history.
- The input-line history.
- Contents of non-empty registers.
- Marks for several files.
- File marks, pointing to locations in files.
- Last search/substitute pattern (for 'n' and '&').
- The buffer list.
- Global variables.
You could also use a Session file. The difference is that the ShaDa file
does not depend on what you are working on. There normally is only one
ShaDa file. Session files are used to save the state of a specific editing
Session. You could have several Session files, one for each project you