How to effectively work with multiple files in Vim

Why not use tabs (introduced in Vim 7)?
You can switch between tabs with :tabn and :tabp,
With :tabe <filepath> you can add a new tab; and with a regular :q or :wq you close a tab.
If you map :tabn and :tabp to your F7/F8 keys you can easily switch between files.

If there are not that many files or you don’t have Vim 7 you can also split your screen in multiple files: :sp <filepath>. Then you can switch between splitscreens with Ctrl+W and then an arrow key in the direction you want to move (or instead of arrow keys, w for next and W for previous splitscreen)

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