Auto-open NERDTree in vim

Question

Does someone know how to force .vimrc to auto-open NERDTree each time vim is invoked? The operation system is *nix.

Heilungkiang

Answer 1

 au VimEnter *  NERDTree

in your vimrc should do it

:he autocmd.txt for background

Franci

Answer 2

You can also only open Nerd Tree when there was no file on the command line:

function! StartUp()
    if 0 == argc()
        NERDTree
    end
endfunction

autocmd VimEnter * call StartUp()

Taken from a blog post by Ovid.

Edgardo

Very nice tip. Thank you. (I don't know why nobody upvoted that before). – Fume

This should be the accepted solution. It's a PITA when the tree opens when a file is passed in as a CLI argument, and you have to C-WW over every time. – Phenacetin

Answer 3

One liner to open NERDTree when no file argument provided would be

autocmd vimenter * if !argc() | NERDTree | endif
OR
au vimenter * if !argc() | NERDTree | endif

The above code just checks if no argument is provided then open NERDTree.

Passably

Answer 4

Building on @zoul's answer, I in my case I wanted NERDTree to be open by default if I specify a directory or if I specify nothing, and not be open if I specify a single file, so I ended up with:

function! StartUp()
    if !argc() && !exists("s:std_in")
        NERDTree
    end
    if argc() && isdirectory(argv()[0]) && !exists("s:std_in")
        exe 'NERDTree' argv()[0]
        wincmd p
        ene
    end
endfunction

autocmd StdinReadPre * let s:std_in=1
autocmd VimEnter * call StartUp()

Nectareous

Answer 5

If you are looking for a way to have a persistent NERDTree, that remains even when you open new tabs, you'd better use jistr/vim-nerdtree-tabs and add in your .vimrc :

let g:nerdtree_tabs_open_on_console_startup=1

The package is not maintained anymore, but it works and I don't know any equivalent.

Hydrastine

Answer 6

There is an official answer in NERDTree Document.

https://github.com/preservim/nerdtree#how-do-i-open-nerdtree-automatically-when-vim-starts

" Start NERDTree and leave the cursor in it.
autocmd VimEnter * NERDTree

---

" Start NERDTree and put the cursor back in the other window.
autocmd VimEnter * NERDTree | wincmd p

---

" Start NERDTree when Vim is started without file arguments.
autocmd StdinReadPre * let s:std_in=1
autocmd VimEnter * if argc() == 0 && !exists('s:std_in') | NERDTree | endif

---

" Start NERDTree. If a file is specified, move the cursor to its window.
autocmd StdinReadPre * let s:std_in=1
autocmd VimEnter * NERDTree | if argc() > 0 || exists("s:std_in") | wincmd p | endif

---

" Start NERDTree, unless a file or session is specified, eg. vim -S session_file.vim.
autocmd StdinReadPre * let s:std_in=1
autocmd VimEnter * if argc() == 0 && !exists('s:std_in') && v:this_session == '' | NERDTree | endif

---

" Start NERDTree when Vim starts with a directory argument.
autocmd StdinReadPre * let s:std_in=1
autocmd VimEnter * if argc() == 1 && isdirectory(argv()[0]) && !exists('s:std_in') |
    \ execute 'NERDTree' argv()[0] | wincmd p | enew | execute 'cd '.argv()[0] | endif

Lathrop

Answer 7

In your vim config file (I use nvim, so for me its in ~/.config/nvim/init.vim),
Add the line anywhere in the file: au VimEnter * NERDTree

Quadrivium