Reload file in vim [duplicate]

When I have a file open in vim, in this case a log file, I'd like to trigger a refresh and load any file changes into my existing vim session.

I often use tail -f on log files, but as I'm using java and tomcat, the log messages are too much for tail...

Is there a vim command to reload an open file?

Solution 1:

Give this a try:

:e

From :h :e:

Edit the current file. This is useful to re-edit the current file, when it has been changed outside of Vim.

Solution 2:

While :e is the correct answer to the question you asked, if the goal is to tail a log with good scrollback, you can use less. F while viewing a file will scroll Forward, with continuous reloading. From the man page:

   F      Scroll  forward, and keep trying to read when the end of file
          is reached.  Normally this command would be used when already
          at the end of the file.  It is a way to monitor the tail of a
          file which is growing while it is being viewed.  (The  behav-
          ior is similar to the "tail -f" command.)

Less of an imposition on the user than rapidly :eing in vim.