Sharing Vim Yank Register

Question

Is it possible to run multiple instances of Vim which share their yank registers? I'd like to avoid having to yank to the system clipboard with "+y or opening my files in split windows within the same Vim instance.

Answer 1

In case the main thing you don't like about the "+y solution is the extra "+ typing, here's how to make the default y/d/p/c register (the so-called "unnamed" register "") system-global:

:set clipboard+=unnamed

When the "unnamed" string is included in the 'clipboard' option, the unnamed register is the same as the "* register. Thus you can yank to and paste the selection without prepending "* to commands.

source: last paragraph of :help clipboard

Answer 2

Have a look here: Using vim/gvim with multiple... Looks like it is on a todo list for the dev's

Answer 3

User gggg has posted a question that has received an answer which solves this problem via a shared text file and catching events via autocommands: Make vim yankings global via a shared text file

Answer 4

I made a plugin that does this.

https://github.com/ardagnir/united-front will have your vim instances automatically share most of their registers, including the default and yank registers. It works somewhat similarly to gggg's idea.