A simple plugin that creates tab names that can be accessed via t:name or vim.t.name. Created for use with hand-crafting custom tablines.

Installation

lazy.nvim:

{
    'pynappo/tabnames.nvim',
    config = function() -- calling setup is optional if you want defaults as shown here:
        local tabnames = require('tabnames')
        tabnames.setup({
            auto_suggest_names = true,
            default_tab_name = function(tabnr)
                return
                    tabnames.presets.special_tabs(tabnr)
                    or tabnames.presets.special_buffers(tabnr)
                    or tabnames.presets.short_tab_cwd(tabnr)
            end,
            session_support = false,
            update_default_tab_name = {'TabNewEntered', 'BufEnter'},
            setup_autocmds = true,
            setup_commands = true,
        })
    end
}

Usage

:TabRename {name} to rename the current tab. If name is omitted, uses default_tab_name(tabnr) to reset the tab name. Variables like % are expanded.

:TabRenameClear to clear the current tab name.

Tab name can be accessed through vim.t.name, here's how I use it in my heirline.nvim setup:

tabpage = {
    init = function(self) self.name = vim.t[self.tabnr].name end,
    provider = function(self) return '%' .. self.tabnr .. 'T ' .. self.tabnr .. (self.name and ' ' .. self.name or '') .. '%T' end,
    hl = function(self) return self.is_active and 'TabLineSel' or 'TabLine' end,
}

API:

require('tabnames').set_tab_name(tabnr, name, opts)

• tabnr: tabpage number, can be 0 or nil for current tab
• name: string for manual naming, nil for default_tab_name
• opts: optional table with following keys:
  • notify: boolean or nil - whether or not vim.notify() notifies the user of the new tab name
• returns the new tab name