Reply to message «Multiple vim instances versus single instance?», 
sent 01:28:56 22 March 2011, Tuesday
by howard Schwartz:

> I have an unsubstantiaed belief that running multiple vim's with multiple
> files, each writing viminfo, swap, backup, or session files, etc. -- now
> and then, is asking for trouble.
Swap files prevent you from editing one file in different vim sessions. Others 
are fine, though without plugins like my `parinfo' (not posted to vim.org, is 
to 
be rewritten, but works now: bitbucket.org/ZyX_I/parinfo), using viminfo is not 
much fun: you will be constantly loosing parts of command-line history. Though 
I 
never experienced corrupt viminfo. Other files (backup, sessions) are just fine 
if you don't disable swap and don't edit one file in different vim instances.

> I wonder what others think about this? Certainly, vim's text-based windows
> are no match for graphical xterms. But the huge apparatus of multiple
> args, buffers, file explorers, windows, and tabs, sessions, views - - is
> meant to manage multiple files better inside vime, compared to outside -
> no? Otherwise, why bother?
When I want to edit a file I just type `vim file'. What I am supposed to do if 
I 
want to keep one vim session? Don't suggest me switching to other terminal 
window and typing anything there.

> Certainly, inside vim one can more easily switch files/buffers, cut and
> paste between files, do global changes and jumps, with many files, and so
> on.
I don't need to instantly paste anything between different projects, so `one 
vim 
for one project + one vim for each non-project file' is fine. Though I keep 
editing tests in a separate vim, not in that one that holds project. Setting 
vim 
up to `one vim for one project' is easier than `one vim for all projects'.

Original message:
> John wrote:
> > Well, multiple instances give more flexibility with window placement,
> > and make use of one's window manager and one's skills with it.
> > There's already multiple windows with browser, xterms, file managers,
> > and so on.
> 
> Yes, I have a (blind) friend that prefers to manage multiple vim instances
> from a shell so he can use his familiar unix command-line skills.
> 
> I have an unsubstantiaed belief that running multiple vim's with multiple
> files, each writing viminfo, swap, backup, or session files, etc. -- now
> and then, is asking for trouble. Indeed, my friend does seem to experience
> corrupt viminfo files with some frequency. I wonder if using a single
> instance is less prone to errors, corrupt files, etc?
> 
> > and vim has a limited repertoire of window stuff
> 
> I wonder what others think about this? Certainly, vim's text-based windows
> are no match for graphical xterms. But the huge apparatus of multiple
> args, buffers, file explorers, windows, and tabs, sessions, views - - is
> meant to manage multiple files better inside vime, compared to outside -
> no? Otherwise, why bother?
> 
> Certainly, inside vim one can more easily switch files/buffers, cut and
> paste between files, do global changes and jumps, with many files, and so
> on. And the shell command lets one leave vim easily and do shell or xterm
> work, as one pleases.
> 
> I would think there would only be major advantages of multiple vims in
> multiple windows, if vim were a graphical editor like wordpad.

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