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Working without Tabs -> Simulating Buffers section #7043

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e0a2fbf
Simulating Buffers in "Working without Tabs" section
aguynamedben Feb 18, 2024
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Fix typo
aguynamedben Feb 18, 2024
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aguynamedben Feb 18, 2024
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Add link to Simulating Buffers
aguynamedben Feb 18, 2024
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aguynamedben May 25, 2024
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15 changes: 15 additions & 0 deletions docs/getstarted/userinterface.md
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Expand Up @@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ When you have more than one editor open you can switch between them quickly by h

>**Tip:** You can resize editors and reorder them. Drag and drop the editor title area to reposition or resize the editor.

If you like to split your editor window without using tabs see [Simulating Buffers](/docs/getstarted/userinterface.md#simulating-buffers).

### Split in group

You can also split the current editor without creating a new editor group with the **View: Split Editor in Group** command (`kb(workbench.action.splitEditorInGroup)`). To learn more about this editor mode and specific commands for navigating between the two sides, you can read the section in [Custom Layout](/docs/editor/custom-layout.md#split-in-group) topic.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -382,6 +384,19 @@ Windows/Linux:
{ "key": "ctrl+w", "command": "workbench.action.closeEditorsInGroup" }
```

### Simulating Buffers

If you're coming from buffer-centric editors such as Emacs or vi, you can emulate that workflow with:

```json
"workbench.editor.showTabs": "single",
"workbench.editor.revealIfOpen": true,
"workbench.editor.moveToActiveGroupIfOpen": true,
"workbench.editor.closeEmptyGroups": false,
```

VS Code has a model where Editors live hierarchically within Editor Groups, and to split your screen you must use Editor Groups. Using `revealIfOpen` with `moveToActiveGroupIfOpen` causes Quick Open to move already-open Editors into the active Editor Group. This allows you to emulate buffer-centric environments—no tabs, split your screen, and you can view any Editor within any Editor Group without opening a file multiple times.

## Window management

VS Code has some options to control how windows (instances) should be opened or restored between sessions.
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