How to change tabs order in VIM?

You can use :tabmove followed by the tab number to move past. For example, :tabmove 3 will make the current tab move past the 3rd. :tabmove 0 moves to the beginning and :tabmove (without a number) moves to the end.

Another way - though not orthodox - is to enable mouse via :set mouse=a and drag-and-drop tabs around. It might look simpler for a start.

Move Tabs to the Left / Right

To me it makes much more sense to move the tabs to the left or right of their current position instead of first figuring out the exact numerical position I want them at. These simple keymaps do exactly that:

noremap <A-Left>  :-tabmove<cr>
noremap <A-Right> :+tabmove<cr>

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Now you'll be able to move the current tab:

• To the left using: Alt + Left
• To the right using: Alt + Right

For MacVim, try using M instead of A (i.e. <M-Left>)