How to run internal Vim terminal at current file's dir?

Question

When I edit file:

/home/me/projects/myproj/src/util.c

I would like to start terminal at:

/home/me/projects/myproj/src.

With Vim version > 8 I can run :terminal but it always starts at folder in which I've opened Vim (which is /home/me/projects/myproj)

How can I do this?

ephemerr · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-14T09:35:43.830

15

I am grateful to @statox for useful hints, but as I don't wont to change current dir each time I come to following:

map <F6> :let $VIM_DIR=expand('%:p:h')<CR>:terminal<CR>cd $VIM_DIR<CR>

edited Dec 14 '17 at 09:35

answered Dec 14 '17 at 09:15

ephemerr

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I don't quite get why this doesn't work for me; typing :echo $VIM_DIR outputs the correct directory, but the command fails :( – Krish Mar 12 '21 at 20:33
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@Krish How to debug a mapping might help. – statox Apr 16 '21 at 13:53
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@Krish try :terminal<CR>Acd $VIM_DIR<CR>
in Neovim atleast, terminal opens up in normal mode, so you get into insert mode first (a/i/A/I) to type in the rest of the command
– Dre Westcook Jan 20 '22 at 03:22
Is there a way to do this as a command instead of as a mapping? – Thayne Oct 18 '22 at 20:21
@Thayne here is what i have in my vimrc for neovim. (replace terminal with shell for vim, also don't need the A i don't think): command Cdot normal! :lcd%:h<CR>:terminal<CR>A<CR> – John Huynh Mar 02 '23 at 23:00
If you don't want to instantly lose 3 lines whenever you open a terminal with this method tack on a clear to the end of this mapping. – cuppajoeman Mar 03 '24 at 05:40

statox · Answer 2 · 2017-12-13T09:52:52.953

10

See :h :cd and :h :lcd.

:cd changes the current directory for all the windows while :lcd changes the current directory for the current window.

You can change the current directory to the directory containing the current file with:

:cd %:p:h

And you can use set autochdir in your .vimrc to change the current working directory whenever you open a file, switch buffers, delete a buffer or open/close a window. It will change to the directory containing the file which was opened or selected. (see :h 'autochdir')

Also note that the doc mentions that autochdir may break some plugin and this wikia page suggests the following autocommand to replace this setting:

autocmd BufEnter * silent! lcd %:p:h

edited Dec 13 '17 at 09:52

answered Dec 13 '17 at 09:47

statox

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Note that when a local directory is in use for the current window, it's best to avoid :cd. When exists('*haslocaldir') && haslocaldir() is true, always use :lcd. Otherwise, we have the choice. – Luc Hermitte Dec 13 '17 at 13:29
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Put it all together: split | lcd %:h | terminal ++curwin. May want to wrap this up into a command. e.g. command! -nargs=* Terminal split | lcd %:h | terminal ++curwin <args> – Peter Rincker Dec 13 '17 at 16:03
@PeterRincker With the ++curwin option to `terminal, it seems to be passing the "++curwin" as an argument to my shell rathe rthan opening the terminal in the current window – Thayne Oct 18 '22 at 20:34
According to :h :term: ++curwin is a valid option. Is it possible you are using an older version of Vim or maybe Neovim? – Peter Rincker Oct 19 '22 at 20:30

Thayne · Answer 3 · 2022-10-20T19:05:37.027

3

Building on the other answers, in neovim, you can do:

command! LocalTerm let s:term_dir=expand('%:p:h') | below new | call termopen([&shell], {'cwd': s:term_dir })

(this assumes that your shell is a single command with no options)

edited Oct 20 '22 at 19:05

answered Oct 18 '22 at 20:35

Thayne

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this is neovim only – Christian Brabandt Oct 19 '22 at 07:04
very helpful. I`m using project.nvim and just this answer worked for me. – mohamadi_arch Jan 17 '24 at 09:09
I add |:startinsert to last for going to insert mode, how can I use <UP> arrow for getting the last termianl command? – mohamadi_arch Jan 17 '24 at 09:59

Abdulkhak Tursunov · Answer 4 · 2023-09-06T20:12:29.363

0

You can use a Vim keymap with a single function. In my case, the leader is a space.

Short cut to open terminal Space+t.

What the Lua function does:

It switches to directory of current file.
Opens terminal on current file's directory.
Switches to "insert" mode by itself.

The Lua function is as following:

vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>t", function()
   vim.cmd("cd %:p:h")
   vim.cmd("terminal")
   vim.cmd("startinsert")
end)

edited Sep 06 '23 at 20:12

answered Sep 06 '23 at 20:03

Abdulkhak Tursunov

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This changes Vim's pwd, which as a side-effect is not present in other answers and might be worth highlighting as a tradeoff. – D. Ben Knoble Sep 06 '23 at 23:21

How to run internal Vim terminal at current file's dir?

4 Answers4