An IDE-style tabpage and buffer navigation plugin for Neovim 0.11+, using the tabline as a hierarchical interactive UI.
- Two-Level Navigation:
- Tab Mode: Manage workspaces (Neovim tab pages).
- Buffer Mode: Manage file buffers belonging to the current workspace.
- Git Integration:
- Automatically sets tab names to the git branch name for new tabs if you're in a git repository.
:TabflowOpenWorktree <branch>: Open an existing git worktree in a new tab using tab-local directory (tcd).
- Full Mouse Support:
- Left Click: Switch tab/buffer or toggle modes.
- Middle Click: Close tab or remove buffer from workspace.
- Right Click: Rename tab.
- Drag & Drop: Reorder tabs, reorder buffers, or move buffers between workspaces.- Neovim 0.11+ Exclusive:
- Uses native
relative = "tabline"floating windows for visual "ghost" drag feedback.
- Smart Labels:
- Automatically disambiguates duplicate filenames by showing parent directory segments.
- Supports
nvim-web-deviconsfor file icons. - Can show diagnostic counts for buffers and tabs.
- Workspace Aware: Tracks "last active buffer" per tab page, restoring it when you switch back.
- Neovim 0.11.0 or newer.
- A terminal emulator with mouse support.
- (Optional) nvim-web-devicons for file icons.
{
"goropikari/tabflow.nvim",
dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" }, -- Optional, for icons
opts = {
markers = {
modified = "●",
unmodified = "",
pinned = "[P]",
},
diagnostics = {
enabled = true,
markers = {
error = "E",
warn = "W",
info = "I",
hint = "H",
},
},
-- Optional: Custom label formatter for full control over tab/buffer display
label_formatter = function(item, ctx)
-- item.type = 'tab' or 'buffer'
-- item.name = base name
-- item.markers = { pinned?, modified?, unmodified? }
-- item.diagnostics = { error, warn, info, hint } (if enabled)
-- item.icon = devicon (buffer mode only, if available)
-- ctx.is_active = true if this is the active tab/buffer
local parts = {}
if item.icon then
table.insert(parts, item.icon)
end
table.insert(parts, item.name)
if item.markers.pinned then
table.insert(parts, item.markers.pinned)
end
if item.markers.modified then
table.insert(parts, item.markers.modified)
end
if item.diagnostics and item.diagnostics.error > 0 then
table.insert(parts, 'E' .. item.diagnostics.error)
end
return table.concat(parts, ' ')
end,
-- Optional: Custom right-aligned tabline section
right_section = function()
return os.date(" %H:%M:%S ")
end,
-- Optional: redraw interval for right_section in milliseconds
right_section_refresh_ms = 1000,
},
}right_section should return a raw tabline string. Return nil or "" to hide it.
You can include statusline/tabline items such as %#Highlight# or %{...} when needed.
right_section is evaluated when the tabline redraws. For time-based content such as clocks, set
right_section_refresh_ms to opt into periodic redrawtabline.
- Click a tab or buffer to switch to it.
- Click the
[TABS]/[BUFFERS]indicator to toggle display modes. - Middle-Click an item to close it.
- Pinned tabs must be unpinned before they can be closed.
- Right-Click a tab item to rename it.
- Drag an item to reorder it.
- Dropping a buffer onto a different tab item moves that buffer to that workspace.
- Mouse Wheel (on tabline): Navigate between tabs or buffers.
- In Tab mode: Switch between tabs.
- In Buffer mode: Switch between buffers.
:TabflowTabsMode: Switch to Tab Page mode.:TabflowBuffersMode: Switch to Buffer mode.:TabflowToggleMode: Toggle between modes.:TabflowNextTab/:TabflowPrevTab: Navigate tabs.:TabflowNextBuffer/:TabflowPrevBuffer: Navigate buffers in current workspace.:TabflowRenameTab <name>: Rename the current workspace.:TabflowTogglePinTab: Toggle pin on the current workspace.:TabflowPinTab: Pin the current workspace.:TabflowUnpinTab: Unpin the current workspace.- Pinned workspaces cannot be closed until unpinned.
:TabflowSetGitBranchName: Set the current tab name to the git branch name.:TabflowNewTab: Create a new workspace.:TabflowCloseTab: Close the current workspace.:TabflowCloseBuffer: Remove the current buffer from the workspace.:TabflowOpenWorktree <branch>: Open an existing git worktree in a new tab for the specified branch.
You can customize the look by overriding these highlight groups:
IdeTablineActive: The active tab/buffer (links toTabLineSelby default).IdeTablineInactive: Inactive tabs/buffers (links toTabLineby default).IdeTablineFill: The empty space in the tabline (links toTabLineFillby default).IdeTablineModified: Marker for modified buffers (default:#e0af68).IdeTablineHover: The drop target or item being hovered during drag (links toVisualby default).
Example:
vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, "IdeTablineActive", { fg = "#7aa2f7", bold = true, underline = true })You can use the following functions in your Lua configuration:
-- Get current mode ('tabs' or 'buffers')
require('tabflow.state').get_mode()
-- Switch to Tab mode
require('tabflow.actions').enter_tabs_mode()
-- Switch to Buffer mode
require('tabflow.actions').enter_buffers_mode()
-- Toggle between modes
require('tabflow.actions').toggle_mode()-- Switch to next/previous tab
require('tabflow.actions').next_tab()
require('tabflow.actions').prev_tab()
-- Switch to next/previous buffer in current workspace
require('tabflow.actions').next_buffer()
require('tabflow.actions').prev_buffer()
-- Switch to a specific tab (by tab handle)
require('tabflow.actions').switch_to_tab(tab_handle)
-- Switch to a specific buffer (by bufnr)
require('tabflow.actions').switch_to_buffer(bufnr)-- Rename a tab
require('tabflow.actions').rename_tab(tab_handle, name)
-- Pin or unpin a tab
require('tabflow.actions').toggle_tab_pinned(tab_handle)
require('tabflow.actions').pin_tab(tab_handle)
require('tabflow.actions').unpin_tab(tab_handle)
-- Open rename prompt for a tab
require('tabflow.actions').prompt_rename_tab(tab_handle)
-- Close a tab (workspace)
require('tabflow.actions').close_tab(tab_handle)
-- Remove a buffer from current workspace
require('tabflow.actions').close_buffer(bufnr)
-- Open a git worktree in a new tab
require('tabflow.actions').select_worktree(branch_name) -- or nil for interactive selection-- Check if a buffer is in any tab
require('tabflow.actions').is_buffer_in_any_tab(bufnr)
-- Reorder tabs
require('tabflow.actions').reorder_tabs(source_tab, target_index)
-- Reorder buffers within a tab
require('tabflow.actions').reorder_buffers(tab_handle, source_index, target_index)
-- Move a buffer between tabs
require('tabflow.actions').move_buffer_between_tabs(bufnr, source_tab, target_tab, target_index)local util = require('tabflow.util')
-- Format diagnostic counts into a string (e.g., "E2 W1")
util.format_diagnostics(counts, markers)
-- Combine label elements with proper spacing
util.combine_elements({ icon, name, marker, diagnostics })vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>tt', require('tabflow.actions').toggle_mode, { desc = 'Toggle tab/buffer mode' })
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>tn', require('tabflow.actions').next_tab, { desc = 'Next tab' })
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>tp', require('tabflow.actions').prev_tab, { desc = 'Previous tab' })
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>bn', require('tabflow.actions').next_buffer, { desc = 'Next buffer' })
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>bp', require('tabflow.actions').prev_buffer, { desc = 'Previous buffer' })
-- Move left/right depending on current mode (tabs or buffers)
vim.keymap.set('n', '<C-A-h>', function()
local state = require('tabflow.state')
local actions = require('tabflow.actions')
if state.get_mode() == 'tabs' then
actions.prev_tab()
else
actions.prev_buffer()
end
end, { desc = 'Move left (tab/buffer)' })
vim.keymap.set('n', '<C-A-l>', function()
local state = require('tabflow.state')
local actions = require('tabflow.actions')
if state.get_mode() == 'tabs' then
actions.next_tab()
else
actions.next_buffer()
end
end, { desc = 'Move right (tab/buffer)' })