Skip to content
Zide Zide Zide

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.

If you select a folder that is a linked worktree, Zide opens it as a worktree project tab instead of a standalone project and opens its parent repository behind it. This works whether or not the parent repository is already open, including when you select several worktrees from the same repository at once. See Worktrees.

Clone a repository

To clone a repository, complete the following steps.

  1. Click File > Clone Repository.
  2. In the Clone Repository dialog, type a repository address in Repository source, or click Browse… to pick one from your connected provider accounts. The Authentication area below the field names the identity Zide will clone with.
  3. In the Parent Folder field, choose the folder to clone into. Zide creates the repository’s own folder inside it, and the line beneath shows the full path.
  4. Click Clone.

Advanced Options holds the rest. Branch clones a branch other than the remote’s default. The clone type is Regular clone, Shallow clone, which skips history and finishes sooner, or Sparse checkout, which is for repositories large enough that you only want part of the working tree. A sparse clone checks out root-level files only; add the directories you need afterwards in the Sparse Checkout tab.

The same Repository source control appears wherever Zide needs a repository address: cloning, adding a remote, adding a submodule, and connecting a subtree. See Choose a repository source for the address forms Zide accepts, the repository picker, and the Authentication states.

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.

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 the group, organization, or workspace for the repository. A note below the list warns if entries may be missing, such as The organization list may be incomplete. If the list cannot load, you can still create the repository in your personal namespace.
  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. Check Local Folder, which names the folder being published and its full path. Long names and paths wrap so they stay readable in full.
  3. In the Publish Folder dialog, 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, adjust the name for the new remote repository. It starts as the local folder’s name, and the folder itself is not renamed.
  6. In the Visibility field, select whether the repository will be private or public.
  7. In the Remote Name field, enter the name of the remote branch.
  8. Click Publish.

Start a new project with Zide

You can use the New Project wizard to create a new project and use Zide Assist to help plan and build your project.

The New Project Wizard requires access to Zide Assist and usable credits before it opens.

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

  1. Click File > New Project Wizard.
  2. In the New Project Wizard dialog, select what you would like to create, then click Continue.
  3. Optional: In the In a sentence, what is it? field, describe the project in one sentence.
  4. Select Make choices for me or Ask me about big choices, and choose whether Zide should explain the process. Then click Continue.
  5. Optional: Enter a project name and choose the parent folder. If you leave the name blank, Zide generates a short adjective–noun folder name, such as swift-oak.
  6. Click Create.

Zide creates the folder, initializes it as a Git repository with an initial commit, and opens the folder with a Zide Assist session using your default model.

If you run out of credits before you click Create, Zide still creates and opens the project but the Zide Assist session does not start. When Zide Assist becomes available, click Start with Zide to begin the project.