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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-12T07:55:48+00:00

I just started using ctags and greatly appreciate the tool but the way I

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I just started using ctags and greatly appreciate the tool but the way I manage my tag file is somewhat cumbersome in my opinion and very inflexible.

How I currently manage my tag file:

  1. I have one monolithic tag file stored in my home folder at ~/.vim/tags
  2. When I update my code or change projects I run a script that deletes the old tag file and regenerates the monolithic tag file (you have to change the location of where ctags executes from when you change projects)

Having one monolithic tag file works for me because it lets me jump to all the relevant symbols for the current project I am working on.

Would a single monolithic tag file will not work for a large/huge codebase? Why would a huge tag file not work on a large/huge codebase?

What are other ways to manage your tag file (or tag files plural)?

And why would your new method for managing your tag files be better? (Presumably a better solution would sometimes be more complex. So if your solution is more complex I am asking you what is the added benefit for a more complex method for managing your tag files.)

p.s. I found a stackoverflow question talking about ctags called “vimctags-tips-and-tricks” but this question doesn’t talk about how to manage your tag files.

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    I put my tags file in the project directory. That keeps the tags separate for each project.

    For large codebases, I just reduce the frequency at which I update it. I usually only update it if I try to jump to a keyword and it’s not there for some reason. After all, the purpose is to quickly get to some other part of the code, and if it gets there by whatever means, then it worked even if the tag file is out of date.

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