Zed DeltaDB: Version Control That Records Every Edit and Links It to the AI Conversation
Zed introduces DeltaDB, a version control system that captures every operation between commits, giving each a stable identity. It links code changes to the agent conversations that produced them, allows branching at any point in history, and enables teammates to join and annotate work in progress without waiting for a commit or push.
Software is made between commits.
- NoDodgeQuestion
Zed should focus on basics. When it focuses on basics Zed is good.
https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/discussions/54150 failing to show newly created files and declining to provide a refresh button, instead adding a polling backend, breaks Zed on WSL.
Why a new version control system? Why not git, jj, or another existing system?
- umvi
Hmm, yeah before "DeltaDB" I have a big list of things I would rather they develop/fix:
- Vertical activity bar (https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/pull/58868#issuecommen... - rejected because it "doesn’t match our design vision for Zed")
This is my #1 annoyance: clicking microscopic icons at the very bottom of the screen to switch views.
- Don't crash my entire PC when there's a large (100+ MB) JSON file in the working directory
- Don't freeze when resuming from suspension (I suspect this is GPU-driver related on linux) forcing me to `killall zed-editor`
- yza
Why develop this when the core editor is almost unusable? On Linux wayland, copypaste is broken, the file manager is laggy and snippets do not trigger before the heavy hint logic is done. This is just on top of my head, the list is long
- sarreph
A lot of the copy on this page feels like the kind of copy an AI would produce. But I’m assuming, surely, Zed writes their own copy so I don’t want to accuse them of doing that.
Marketing aside, this is the kind of thing (advancements in VCSes) that I’d usually be excited about, but which I’m less excited about coming from Zed because it makes me start to worry that they’re going to continue focussing less on the core editor experience.
I love Zed and I hope that it doesn’t start to go flakey.
- docheinestages
Sounds like a side-effect of being VC-backed. Like what the ex GitHub CEO went on to build (Entire). Unnecessary.
- xvrgdrt
I've been working on a somewhat related tool called Spor: https://github.com/emprcl/spor
It's primarily aimed at creative workflows. I mainly use it for creative coding, but I realize now it could also serve the same purpose for tracking changes made by AI agents.
- nvegater
A lot of haters in the comments, but I think it’s a bit too much negativity.
It’s true that they could focus on polishing the edit experience, but given that I rarely code anymore by hand, I have some doubts that it’s future proof to do that.
I think is not a bad bet trying to innovate in the LLM-coding space. Looking forward to try deltaDB and I hope it works outside of Zed !
- javierhonduco
I really love Zed and I want them to really succeed. Unfortunately it seems that they are swamped with various things and the issue tracker is not a priority for the team, which fair enough. OSS is a gift and I take it as such. Wild proposal but if someone is willing to start a "user advocate" contributor, I'll be happy to donate monthly so user requests can be taken a look at :)
- pknopf
A non-existent problem that nobody asked to solve...
- hollowturtle
> Every change is linked to the agent conversation that produced it
A total nightmare and imo every dev should push back using this stuff. You'd otherwise have management brag about you not being a good communicator with the ai agent, the same management that have no idea how to steer these tools.
I really like Zed the editor, I'm not sure I like the path they getting into