Is it possible to make open_vsplit, open_split to open on right, bottom?

[nyngwang]

As title.

Why? Because creating new splits on right/bottom is the default behaviour on Tmux. I want to sync. my experience. I highly hope this is possible 🥺

Debug info.

NVIM Version

NVIM v0.7.0-dev+913-ge07a4b97f
Build type: Release
LuaJIT 2.1.0-beta3

[cseickel]

Yes. The question I am trying to answer for myself is: is this a documentation/how-to issue or a feature request.

One way this can be handled is by overriding the built-in "open_split" and "open_vsplit" commands. I'll put up a recipe in the wiki at some point today.

[nyngwang]

This is something I did for my own plugin facing a similar issue. This might be too simple but if it could save your time it for reading some docs:

https://github.com/nyngwang/NeoZoom.lua/blob/caa644400b0853e986121fc1a9bb9ced58dd95bc/lua/neo-zoom.lua#L58

function M.neo_split() -- this will create a new vsplit on the bottom
  local bottom_win = vim.api.nvim_get_current_win()
  vim.cmd('split')
  local top_win = vim.api.nvim_get_current_win()
  vim.cmd('wincmd j')
  -- the following is not related to this issue.
  if bottom_win == top_win then print('***ing IMPOSSIBLE'); return end
  clone_parent_info_to(bottom_win, top_win)
end

[cseickel]

As it turns out, I needed to add something to allow overriding in a reasonable way. If you are willing to try out the main branch, you can now handle a new "file_open_requested" event and implement your own window picking logic. Here is an example that recreates the complete built-in logic, it should be a good starting point for you to customize it:

"neo-tree").setup({
  event_handlers = {
    {
      event = "file_open_requested",
      handler = function(args)
        local state = args.state
        local path = args.path
        local open_cmd = args.open_cmd or "edit"

        -- use last window if possible
        local suitable_window_found = false
        local nt = require("neo-tree")
        if nt.config.open_files_in_last_window then
          local prior_window = nt.get_prior_window()
          if prior_window > 0 then
            local success = pcall(vim.api.nvim_set_current_win, prior_window)
            if success then
              suitable_window_found = true
            end
          end
        end
        -- find a suitable window to open the file in
        if not suitable_window_found then
          if state.window.position == "right" then
            vim.cmd("wincmd t")
          else
            vim.cmd("wincmd w")
          end
        end
        local attempts = 0
        while attempts < 4 and vim.bo.filetype == "neo-tree" do
          attempts = attempts + 1
          vim.cmd("wincmd w")
        end
        if vim.bo.filetype == "neo-tree" then
          -- Neo-tree must be the only window, restore it's status as a sidebar
          local winid = vim.api.nvim_get_current_win()
          local width = require("neo-tree.utils").get_value(state, "window.width", 40)
          vim.cmd("vsplit " .. path)
          vim.api.nvim_win_set_width(winid, width)
        else
          vim.cmd(open_cmd .. " " .. path)
        end

        -- If you don't return this, it will proceed to open the file using built-in logic.
        return { handled = true }
      end
    },
  },
})

[nyngwang]

Is it possible to keep the floating tree open after the file gets open in either existing windows or a new window under the current tab? I will call this behaviour 'preview'. Might be more appropriate to open as a separate issue?

[cseickel]

I gotta say no to that one. If you want the tree to stay open, then you don't want a floating window! That's is what a sidebar is for. If you just want it on the right hand side, you can set the filesystem.window.position to "right" in your config.

[nyngwang]

@cseickel: The reason I want to use floating tree is that it won't mess-up my carefully organized window-layout. The current problem of open is that I cannot select with window to open the buffer I selected(or hovered by my cursor.). Since I came from nvim-tree.lua I would like to have a function to do the similar. While your script above works, it's too complicated and I'm afraid that I will forget what it does in the future. So I will expect a window selector, when possible for sure.

[cseickel]

If it helps, there is also a open_files_in_last_window option. It will use the last focused window as the target for open commands. My current project is to improve the documentation...

[nyngwang]

@cseickel: Wow, let me try it now! And thanks for your effort.

[nyngwang]

open_files_in_last_window

@cseickel

Now I got a warning:

Invalid mapping for <cr> : nil

So why I cannot use two different keys for the same behavior? This is my settings:

            mappings = {
              -- My custom
              ['-'] = 'navigate_up',
              ['<C-]>'] = 'set_root',
              ['%'] = 'open_vsplit',
              ['"'] = 'open_split',
              ['<Tab>'] = 'open_files_in_last_window', ['<cr>'] = 'open_files_in_last_window',
              ['/'] = 'filter_on_submit',
              -- Disable
              ['<BS>'] = 'none',
              ['.'] = 'none',
              ['s'] = 'none',
              ['S'] = 'none',
            },

[cseickel]

Oh, sorry for the confusion, it is an option, not a command. You can leave <tab> and <cr> mapped to "open", but add this into your config:

require("neo-tree").setup({
  open_files_in_last_window = true
  filesystem = {
    ...

[wookayin]

@nyngwang Have you tried set splitbelow, set splitright option?

[nyngwang]

@nyngwang Have you tried set splitbelow, set splitright option?

OK then I've wasted some time on these builtin functions...

[nyngwang]

@wookayin I just tested it and there is no problem currently. But I think the problem of this one is that some plugins will depend on it (while this means a bad design tho.)

[wookayin]

It is a practical config that many users are often using. So if this breaks the plugin, that's a problem of the plugin. Managing windows can be controlled explicitly by the plugin (e.g. :botright 10vsplit), so you should have no problem with the option.

[nyngwang]

@wookayin: thanks for the confirmation. As a gift: if you need a layout preserving buffer-killer try this plugin: https://github.com/nyngwang/NeoNoName.lua, which I haven't released on reddit, while I feel that it's extremely stable now.