Make :edit {file} use current directory during :Explore

Question

I often use :Ex or :Sex to explore the filesystem from an opened file directory, or just invoke vim passing a directory to start exploring the filesystem and then opening a file.

In any case, while navigating the directory tree, using the :edit {file} command to open new files always takes paths relative to the current directory from which vim was executed; so:

~# vim .
-> navigate to Development/
-> open a file
:e <tab> will complete path from home dir

or:

~# vim Development/
-> open a file
:Sex
:e <tab> will complete paths from Development/

is it possible (automagically or with a command) to change vim current working directory to the current selected directory while navigating the filesystem?

Answer 1

It is possible by setting the netrw configuration variable g:netrw_keepdir to 0 (default is 1).
To make it permanent, add in the .vimrc file this line:

let g:netrw_keepdir=0

Answer 2

Yes, vim has a :cd command, which either prints the current directory or changes the current directory. In the help is this - note the last lines:

:cd[!] {path}           Change the current directory to {path}.
                        If {path} is relative, it is searched for in the
                        directories listed in |'cdpath'|.
                        Does not change the meaning of an already opened file,
                        because its full path name is remembered.  Files from
                        the |arglist| may change though!
                        On MS-DOS this also changes the active drive.
                        To change to the directory of the current file: >
                                :cd %:h

As noted at the top of the help for :cd, this affects vim's working directory, not just what :Ex returns to or internal commands use, so external commands will also use the new location.

Answer 3

I set the following two options to ensure that Vim's current working directory is always the same as the current buffer's.

set autochdir                   " Changes the cwd to the directory of the current
                                " buffer whenever you switch buffers.
set browsedir=current           " Make the file browser always open the current
                                " directory.