Linux / Unix vi / vim: Open and Switch Between Multiple Files

To open multiple files in vi or vim, you can specify the names of the files as arguments when starting the editor. For example, to open two files called file1.txt and file2.txt, you can use the following command:

vi file1.txt file2.txt

This will open both files in vi or vim, with file1.txt being the active file. You can use the :n command to switch to the next file, and the :N command to switch to the previous file. For example, to switch to file2.txt, you can use the following command:

:n

To switch back to file1.txt, you can use the following command:

:N

You can also use the :e command to open a new file. For example, to open a new file called file3.txt, you can use the following command:

:e file3.txt

This will open file3.txt in a new window. You can use the CTRL-W + CTRL-W keys to switch between windows.

It's important to note that vi and vim only allow you to edit one file at a time. When you switch between files, the changes you make to one file are not automatically saved to the other file. You will need to use the :w command to save your changes to the current file before switching to another file.