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Add a repository or folder

You can view all content within a repository or folder with Zide. You can also add and create repositories and folders in Zide.

Add a local repository or folder

To add a local repository or folder, click File > Open Folder. Then, select a folder to open.

Clone a repository

To clone a repository, complete the following steps.

  1. Click File > Clone Repository.
  2. In the Clone Repository dialog, click Browse Providers and select a repository to clone, or click URL and enter the repository URL. In Browse Providers, you can add repositories from multiple provider accounts.
  3. In the Destination field, select where the repository folder will be saved to.
  4. Click Clone.

You can select a branch to base the repository on or select what type of clone to perform in Advanced options.

Create a new folder

To create a new folder, complete the following steps.

  1. Click File > New Folder.
  2. In the New Folder dialog, select where the repository folder will be saved in the Location field.
  3. In the Folder name field, enter the folder name. A Will create in: line shows the full destination path.
  4. Click Create.

If you want Zide to help you build the project instead of only creating an empty folder, click the Open the New Project Wizard link in the New Folder dialog. Zide carries forward any name and location you have already entered.

Start a new project with Zide

The New Project Wizard creates a new project and hands it off to a guided Zide Assist session that helps you plan and build it. Use it when you know the outcome you want but have not decided the technical details yet. New Folder remains the fast path when you only want an empty folder.

To start a new project with Zide, complete the following steps.

  1. Click File > New Project Wizard. You can also click I’m starting something new on the Open Folder tab’s welcome screen, or the New Project Wizard row on the Open Folder tab.
  2. Choose what you would like to create, such as a website, web app, mobile app, desktop app, or a script or tool.
  3. Choose how Zide should help: Take the lead, Work with me, or Teach me as we go.
  4. Enter a project name and choose the parent folder. A Will create in: line shows the full destination path, and Make this a Git repository is selected by default.
  5. Click Create and Start.

Zide creates and opens the folder, then shows the file browser beside a Zide Assist session that follows your selected assistance style: Take the lead makes reasonable choices and begins building, Work with me pauses for material choices, and Teach me as we go explains important decisions while progressing.

The wizard is always available, whatever your plan or credit balance. If you are signed out or have no available credits, the button reads Create and Open: Zide still creates and opens the project, and the guided session waits in a ready-to-start state until you sign in or add credits. Zide never spends credits automatically. When Zide Assist becomes available, click Start with Zide to begin.

Create a new repository

You can create either a new remote repository or a new local repository.

Create a new remote repository

To create a new remote repository, complete the following steps.

  1. Click File > Create New Repository.
  2. In the Create New Repository dialog, select Remote.
  3. Click the Account dropdown and select which account and provider to create the repository with.
  4. Select which group, organization, or workspace to create the repository in.
  5. In the Repository Name field, enter the repository name.
  6. Optional: In the Description field, enter a brief summary of the repository.
  7. In the Visibility field, select whether the repository will be private or public.
  8. For GitHub and GitLab, select Initialize with README to initialize the repository with a README.
  9. Select Clone to my computer after creating to clone the repository to your local machine.
  10. In the Parent Folder field, click Browse and select where to create the repository.
  11. Click Create.

Create a new local repository

To create a new local repository, complete the following steps.

  1. Click File > Create New Repository.
  2. In the Create New Repository dialog, select Local.
  3. In the Parent Folder field, click Browse and select where to create the repository.
  4. Select Initialize with README to initialize the repository with a README.
  5. In the Repository Name field, enter the repository name.
  6. Click Create.

Publish repositories and folders

To publish local repositories and folders, complete the following steps.

  1. Click File > Publish Folder.
  2. In the Publish Folder dialog, click the Account dropdown and select which account and provider to create the repository with.
  3. Select which group, organization, or workspace to create the repository in.
  4. In the Visibility field, select whether the repository will be private or public.
  5. In the Remote Name field, enter the name of the remote branch.
  6. Click Publish.

Explore with a sample project

If you want to see Zide work before pointing it at your own code, open the bundled sample project: a small practice web page with real git history, made to be experimented on. Nothing you do in it touches your own code or any account, and creating it needs no network connection.

You can open the sample project from any of these places:

  • On a fresh install, click Explore with a sample project on the Open Folder tab’s welcome screen.
  • On the Open Folder tab, click the entry in the Sample Projects section.
  • Click Help > Explore with a Sample Project.

If the sample project is already open, the door focuses its tab, and if its folder is still on disk, the door reopens it. Otherwise, complete the following steps.

  1. In the Create Sample Project dialog, select where to create the sample in the Parent Folder field.
  2. Optional: In the Folder Name field, change the folder name.
  3. Click Create Sample.

The sample opens as a normal Project Tab with its README shown. The README is a self-guided tour with suggested first moves, such as asking Zide Assist to find the seeded bug. Everything in the folder is disposable: delete it whenever you like, and the door can always create a fresh copy.