Editing and Versioning

Tools in Assist use a version system similar to git. Every change you make is tracked, and you can roll back to any previous version. This guide covers the full lifecycle: editing, saving, committing, publishing, and rolling back.

The version lifecycle

Each tool version goes through four states:

StateWhat it means
UnsavedYou have edited the code but have not saved yet. A red "Unsaved" chip appears in the header.
DraftYou saved the code. It is stored but not permanent. An amber "Draft" chip appears.
CommittedYou committed the draft with a message. It is now a permanent checkpoint. A purple "Committed" chip appears.
PublishedYou published the committed version. It is now the live version that agents and apps use. A green "Published" chip appears.

Editing code

1. Open the tool editor

Navigate to Tools, click the tool you want to edit, then click Edit next to the draft version in the version history panel.

If there is no draft version, click Duplicate on any committed version to create a new draft based on that version's code.

2. Make your changes

Edit the code in the left panel. The editor supports syntax highlighting, word wrap, and standard keyboard shortcuts. Your changes are tracked automatically -- the "Unsaved" chip appears as soon as you modify the code.

3. Save

Click Save. The chip changes from "Unsaved" to "Draft". Your code is now stored in Assist but is not yet permanent. You can continue editing and saving as many times as you need.

Committing a version

When your code is ready, commit it to create a permanent checkpoint.

1. Click Commit

After saving, the Commit button appears (amber). Click it.

2. Enter a commit message

A dialog asks for a commit message. Describe what changed -- for example, "Add pagination support" or "Fix authentication header format." The commit message helps you and your team understand the version history later.

3. Confirm

Click Commit in the dialog. The version is now permanently saved. The chip changes to "Committed."

Publishing a version

Publishing makes a committed version the live version that agents, sandcastle apps, and MCP clients use.

Click Publish on any committed version. The chip changes to "Published" and this version is now active.

Only one version can be published at a time. Publishing a new version automatically replaces the previous one.

Rolling back

If a published version has a problem, you can roll back by publishing an older version.

1. Open the version history

Navigate to the tool's detail page. The Version History panel on the left shows all versions in chronological order, with the current (published) version marked.

2. Find the version you want

Scroll through the version history. Each entry shows the version number, commit message, and creation date.

3. Duplicate and publish

Click Duplicate on the version you want to restore. This creates a new draft with that version's code. Commit it, then publish it. The tool is now running the restored code.

Viewing version history

The version history panel shows every version of the tool:

  • Version number -- Sequential identifier
  • Commit message -- What changed in this version
  • Code hash -- First 7 characters of the code's SHA-256 hash
  • Created date -- When the version was created
  • Current indicator -- Shows which version is live

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