windowcolumns.nvim

Column-first window management for Neovim.

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What is windowcolumns.nvim?

windowcolumns.nvim helps you manage your Neovim layout with a column-first (vertical split–oriented) workflow. It lets you create full-height vertical splits, move entire columns of horizontal splits, and reposition windows between columns.

⚠️ Note: This plugin is not compatible with vertical splits nested inside horizontal splits.

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Functions

create_column(direction)

Creates a new full-height vertical window (column) on the left or right of the current window. Unlike a standard :vsplit, this works even when the current window is nested inside horizontal splits.

Parameters:

• direction (optional): 'left' or 'right'. If omitted, it defaults to the splitright option.

Example:

require('windowcolumns').create_column('right')

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move_column(direction)

Moves the entire column (all horizontal splits in the current column) to the left or right. This allows repositioning a group of vertically aligned windows as a unit.

Parameters:

• direction: 'left' or 'right'.

Example:

require('windowcolumns').move_column('right')

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move_window(direction, column_opt)

Moves the current window in the specified direction, with special logic for horizontal moves between columns.

• For 'up' or 'down': moves the window vertically within the current column.
• For 'left' or 'right': the behavior is determined by column_opt.

Parameters:

• direction: 'up', 'down', 'left', or 'right'.
• column_opt (optional): 'new', 'existing', or 'both'. Defaults to 'both'.

Column Option Behavior:

• 'new': Moves the window out to a new column.
• 'existing': Moves the window into an existing column based on the cursor's screen row.
• 'both':
  • If the current column has multiple windows, move out to a new column.
  • If the current window is already in a single-window column, move into an existing column.

Example:

require('windowcolumns').move_window('right', 'new')

Installation

Using lazy.nvim:

{
    'mkajsjo/windowcolumns.nvim',
    version = 'v1.0.0',
    keys = {
        { '<leader>wv', function() require('windowcolumns').create_column() end },
        { '<leader>wh', function() require('windowcolumns').move_column('left') end },
        { '<leader>wl', function() require('windowcolumns').move_column('right') end },
        { '<leader>wj', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('down') end },
        { '<leader>wk', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('up') end },
        { '<leader>Wh', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('left') end },
        { '<leader>Wl', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('right') end },
    },
}

Using vim-plug:

Plug 'mkajsjo/windowcolumns.nvim', { 'tag': 'v1.0.0' }

Using packer.nvim:

use {
    'mkajsjo/windowcolumns.nvim',
    tag = 'v1.0.0',
}

Example configuration if not using lazy.nvim:

vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>wv', function() require('windowcolumns').create_column() end)
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>wh', function() require('windowcolumns').move_column('left') end)
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>wl', function() require('windowcolumns').move_column('right') end)
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>wj', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('down') end)
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>wk', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('up') end)
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>Wh', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('left') end)
vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>Wl', function() require('windowcolumns').move_window('right') end)