Quickfix

Quickfix list, location list, and workflows for navigating errors and search results.

Quickfix List

Open and close the quickfix window

:copen      " open the quickfix window
:cclose     " close the quickfix window
:cwindow    " open quickfix window only if there are errors

Navigate quickfix entries

:cnext      " go to next entry (also :cn)
:cprev      " go to previous entry (also :cp)
:cfirst     " go to first entry
:clast      " go to last entry
:cc 5       " go to entry number 5

List quickfix entries

:clist      " show all quickfix entries
:colder     " go to older quickfix list
:cnewer     " go to newer quickfix list

Populating the Quickfix List

From make

:make           " run makeprg, populate quickfix with errors
:make!          " run make but don't jump to first error

From grep

:grep pattern files       " run grepprg, populate quickfix
:vimgrep /pattern/ files  " use Vim's internal grep
:vimgrep /TODO/ **/*.lua  " search recursively for TODO in Lua files

From compiler output

:compiler gcc     " set errorformat for GCC
:compiler pyunit  " set errorformat for Python unittest

Location List

The location list is per-window (vs quickfix which is global).

Open and close location list

:lopen      " open location list window
:lclose     " close location list window
:lwindow    " open only if entries exist

Navigate location list entries

:lnext      " go to next location list entry
:lprev      " go to previous entry
:lfirst     " go to first entry
:llast      " go to last entry
:ll 5       " go to entry number 5

Populate location list

:lgrep pattern files        " grep into location list
:lvimgrep /pattern/ files   " vimgrep into location list
:lmake                      " make into location list

Quickfix with External Tools

Use ripgrep as grepprg

vim.opt.grepprg = "rg --vimgrep --smart-case"
vim.opt.grepformat = "%f:%l:%c:%m"

Then :grep pattern uses ripgrep and populates quickfix.

Run any shell command into quickfix

:cexpr system('rg --vimgrep TODO')

Quickfix Do

Execute a command on every quickfix entry

:cdo s/old/new/g        " substitute in every file with a quickfix hit
:cdo update             " save all modified files after :cdo
:cfdo %s/old/new/g      " substitute once per file (not per entry)
:cfdo update            " save all modified files

Quickfix Filtering

Filter quickfix list

:cfilter /pattern/      " keep only entries matching pattern
:cfilter! /pattern/     " remove entries matching pattern

Diagnostic Integration (Neovim)

Neovim LSP diagnostics can populate the quickfix or location list.

Send diagnostics to quickfix

vim.diagnostic.setqflist()     -- all diagnostics to quickfix
vim.diagnostic.setloclist()    -- buffer diagnostics to location list