> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ploegert.gitbook.io/til/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ploegert.gitbook.io/til/tools/vim/buffer-time-travel.md).

# Buffer Time Travel

Vim allows you to go to an *earlier* text state for a buffer with `:earlier`. For instance, if you want to see the state of the buffer from 10 minutes ago:

```
:earlier 10m
```

Similarly, you can move back toward the present text state of the buffer with `:later`. If 10 minutes earlier was too far, you can come back 5 minutes like so:

```
:later 5m
```

I encountered these in [Nick Nisi's 'Vim + Tmux'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r6yzFEXajQ) talk.