File history and local versions

File History

Git › File History (Cmd-Option-Y) opens a read-only tab beside the file. It follows Git renames and lists commits that changed that file. Left/Right steps through versions, Home/End goes to oldest/working text, and the timeline can be dragged. Escape returns to the live file.

Local versions sit between commits by time. Their Local pill says why they were kept, such as saved, idle or before reload. The filter beside Newer selects All, Commits or Local. A file outside Git can show its local versions alone.

The view marks changes against the preceding version. vs Working Tree compares against your live text instead. Versions load into a bounded window; this is per-file history, not a repository log or commit graph.

Restore a version

Restore, or Git › Restore This Version, replaces the live file’s text as one edit. Nothing is written until Save; Undo returns to the text it replaced. crc keeps that replaced text in local history first.

Git › Recover Deleted File opens the last kept version of a deleted file. Clear History for This File and Clear All Local History delete kept versions after confirmation.

What local history keeps

Local history is enabled by default. It keeps files up to 2 MiB, for up to 30 days: as opened, on save, before reload, when closed unsaved and after 30 seconds without typing. .env files, keys and ~/.ssh are excluded. Use local_history_exclude for additional comma-separated glob patterns, or local_history = false to disable recording.

The database is ~/Library/Application Support/crc/history.db. It is separate from Git commits and from the copies used to undo agent writes. Retention and size caps mean it is not a backup of every file.

Undo after restart

Reopening a file restores its saved undo/redo history only when its disk contents still match the text crc last recorded. A file changed externally does not receive a stale undo stack. Crash recovery remains a separate mechanism; a power cut is not covered by its crash handler.

Blame Heat

Git › Blame Heat, off by default, adds an age strip beside line numbers. Hover for commit details and Cmd-click to open that version in File History. Unsigned commits are dashed; signed commits are checked on first tooltip display. blame_heat sets the initial preference.