Version control for solutions

Version control enhances team collaboration, allowing multiple users to view, track, and restore different versions of a solution at any time. This enables developers to build and test automations without overwriting each other’s work.

Version control in Studio Web works differently depending on the type of workspace:

1. Cloud workspaces: version control is managed via snapshots in the Change History panel.
2. Local workspaces: version control is managed via Git in the Version Control panel.

Version control in the Cloud Workspace

Version control for cloud solutions is handled within the Change History panel through snapshots. You can think of snapshots as "checkpoints" of the solution as various stages in its development. Snapshots preserve the entire solution state, including its automation projects, resources, and deployment configuration.

There are three types of snapshots:

1. Auto snapshot: The current (latest) version of a solution. It appears as Current version at the top of the list of snapshots in the Change History panel.
2. Manual snapshots: Snapshots created manually by users. They have a name and an optional description. Selecting or hovering over a manual snapshot shows the name of its author and when it was created. Can only be opened in read-only mode.
3. Publish snapshots: Snapshots created automatically each time the solution is published. Their name is the published solution version. Hovering over a publish snapshot shows the name of its author and when it was created. Can only be opened in read-only mode.

Note: All snapshots, including manual ones, are available for anyone who has access to the solution.

The Change History panel lists all snapshots chronologically, showing their:

• Version number and description (for example, "v1.1.0 - Feedback form included").
• Author and timestamp (for example, "2 months ago by John Doe").
• Title (for example, "Stable build before testing NetSuite integration").

When you select a snapshot from the Change History panel, you are viewing the solution as it existed at that particular point in time. A temporary banner message appears when browsing a past snapshot, informing you that you are viewing a past version of the solution in read-only mode.

To create a new manual snapshot:

1. Open the Change History panel. Ensure that the Current version snapshot is selected.
2. Select the Create snapshot button in the top-right corner of the panel.
3. Enter a name for your snapshot.
4. Optionally, press the Tab key or select the Add description field to enter a description.
5. Click anywhere in the Studio Web Designer or press the Enter key. The new snapshot is created and is added in the Change History panel.

One of the main features of snapshots is the ability to restore the solution to a particular point in time. By default, restoring a solution from a snapshot creates a copy of the latest snapshot (that is, Current version) for reference. This ensures that you do not lose any work that you did on the latest version of the solution.

To access the restore feature:

1. Open the Change History panel.
2. Select a manual snapshot or a publish snapshot.
3. Right-click the snapshot.
4. Select Restore entire solution. The Restore snapshot window appears.
5. Under the Title field, enter a mandatory name for the copy of the latest snapshot.
6. Optionally, enter a description of the updates made to the solution.
7. Select the Restore button. A banner message appears, informing you that the solution was successfully restored to that particular point in time.
8. Alternatively, select Restore without saving to discard the latest version of the solution.

Selecting Restore without saving restores the solution without saving the latest snapshot (the Current version snapshot). This means that the latest version of your solution is deleted.

Note: Currently, you cannot restore a shared solution.

Version control in the Local Workspace

Studio Web integrates with Git to enable efficient version control for solutions saved locally on your machine.

As a prerequisite, make sure you are working on a locally-saved solution:

1. Open Studio Web.
2. Navigate to the Local Workspace page.
3. Open an existing local solution via the Open solution button or create a new one from the Create New button. You can also select an existing solution from the list of previously opened solutions.
4. Select the folder where an existing solution is saved locally or indicate a folder where the new solutions should be created. You new local solution opens.
   Important: When prompted by your browser, allow Studio Web to edit files.
5. Open to the Version control panel.

The first time you open the panel, you are instructed to initialize a local Git repository. This step is mandatory and is performed automatically by selecting the Initialize repository button. When you initialize a local Git repository, Studio Web:

• Creates a .gitignore file.
• Makes an initial commit with the current files in the solution.
• Creates a local branch named "master".

Creating and managing branches

Select the branch name from the top-left corner of the Version control panel to:

1. Create a new branch from the Create new branch button. Enter the branch name and then select Create. The branch is added to the list of available branches.
2. Switch branches by selecting a branch name from the list under Local branches. The solution reloads when switching branches.

Committing and pushing changes

When working on a solution, the changes that you make are recorded under Changes in the Version control panel. Select each change in the list to see a side-by-side view of what changed. Changes are highlighted as follows:

• Green and the + icon indicate that something has been added to a project file.
• Orange and the / icon indicate that the file has been modified.
• Red and the - icon indicate that something has been remove from a project file.

To commit the changes made to your solution and push them to the branch you are currently on:

1. Select the Commit button in the Version control panel.
2. Enter a commit message. The changes included in the commit are displayed under the Changes section.
3. Select Commit. Your new commit appears in the Commit History section.

Viewing the commit history

The Commit history section contains all your commits in chronological order starting from the initial commit. Each commit shows information about its author and when it was created.

Select a commit from the list the see the Changes section for that particular commit.

Right-click a commit and select:

• Create branch from this commit to create a new local branch beginning from this commit. Give the new branch a name and select Create. The new branch is now active and appears in the list of available branches.
• Reset local branch to this commit to restore the current branch to the state it was when the commit was created. Commits that are more recent than this commit are automatically deleted from the Commit history.