Controlling the cusor in the file browser in Vim

[pwilliams]

From the command line I enter `vim`.
I am greeted with the Vim version number etc.
Then I type ` :e .`
I'm now in the file browser.
I get the usual long list of files,I move the cursor say to
the fourth from the top , enter the file and edit it ,so far so good.
NOW I use` ^O ` ie.` Ctrl O`. Here is the irritation -- The cursor
goes right to the bottom of the list. Is there a way of curing
this so that cursor stays at the last file opened ?
This is about the only aspect of Vim that I find annoying.
Help would be much appreciated.

[sicarie]

Here's what the vi doc I found said

*CTRL-O*
CTRL-O Go to [count] Older cursor position in jump list
(not a motion command). {not in Vi}
{not available without the +jumplist feature}

Does that help? What are you trying to do when you use Ctrl+O inside the file?

[pwilliams]

Controlling the cusor in the file browser in Vim

Many thanks for your reply sicarie . No I'm afraid Ctrl+O does not work,as I say, it sends the cursor right to the bottom of the list ;Ctrl^ is slightly better taking the cursor to the very top of the list ; best of all so far is not a Ctrl Command but ` :Rexplore ` or ` :Rex `, this takes the cursor right back onto the name of the file that has just been exited . What I was trying to do by using Ctrl+0 within the file , was to get back from whence I came .

I have pasted the reference here:

:Rexplore This command is a little different from the others. When one
edits a file, for example by pressing <cr> when atop a file in
a netrw browser window, :Rexplore will return the display to
that of the last netrw browser window. It is a command version
of the <2-leftmouse> map (which is only available under gvim and
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[sicarie]

So if I understand this correctly, you would like to

1) open a file through vim
2) edit or perform some action in the file
3) execute a command to return to the area/list from which you opened the file in step 1

Is that accurate?

[pwilliams]

Controlling the cusor in the file browser in Vim

Yes sicarie,and so far ` :Rex ` seems to be the only option.