Can I open a file using the index shown by ":scriptnames"?

Question

I am wondering how to open a file or load it into a buffer using the index shown by :scriptnames?

 23: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/tarPlugin.vim
 24: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/tohtml.vim
 25: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/vimballPlugin.vim
 26: /usr/share/vim/vim80/plugin/zipPlugin.vim

e.g., the 25th?

Answer 1

Since Vim 8.1.553, you can simply supply a count to the scriptnames command to have it edited. So in your case, you can simply use:

 :25scriptnames

or

 :scriptnames 25

to edit the zipPlugin.vim

Answer 2

Another option is the Scriptnames command in Tim Pope's vim-scriptease plugin.

https://github.com/tpope/vim-scriptease

The script names are loaded into a quickfix list. Hitting return opens the script name under the cursor.

Answer 3

Another alternative is to load the output of :scriptnames in a buffer like so:

:call setline('.', split(execute('scriptnames'), '\n'))

This will give you this in the current buffer:

  1: ~/.vim/vimrc
  2: /usr/share/vim/vim82/syntax/syntax.vim
  3: /usr/share/vim/vim82/syntax/synload.vim
  4: /usr/share/vim/vim82/syntax/syncolor.vim
  5: /usr/share/vim/vim82/filetype.vim
  [..]

And you can then use gf to go to the files.

---

I find this pattern in general useful enough that I have a little command for it:

comm! -complete=command -nargs=+ Load call call(
            \ (len(filter(getline(1, '$'), {_, v -> len(v) > 0})) == 0 ? 'setline' : 'append'),
            \ ['.', split(execute(join([<f-args>], ' ')), '\n')])

You can then just type :Load scriptnames.

You can modify it to automatically create a new (scratch) buffer or split or whatnot (although you can use :new | Load scriptnames).