Versioning Notebooks

Curvenote provides versioning for your notebooks and their individual cells. When you add a notebook to Curvenote the version numbering for the notebook as a whole begins at one (the cells are also versioned individually as blocks, learn more Blocks & Cells). You and your collaborators can then make changes and save new versions of your notebook. You can preview and use previous versions on both Curvenote and Jupyter with the Curvenote Jupyter extension.

Curvenote Jupyter Extension¶

You can save versions, track changes, and switch to previous versions within the local copy of your notebook by using the Curvenote Jupyter extension.

Save New Version¶

When working in Jupyter and using the Curvenote Jupyter extension, a new version can be saved after changes have been made since the last saved version. To save a new version of your notebook you can either:

• Click the SAVE button in the top right of the Jupyter toolbar.
• Click the SAVE NEW VERSION button at the top of the Curvenote Jupyter extension panel.

Saving a new version of your notebook will save a new version of any cells within your notebook that have changes. All icons, showing where changes have been made will be updated to the $\bf\textcircled{\checkmark}$.

Change Status Icons¶

The icons, located to the left of the version number in the Jupyter toolbar indicate the status of changes made within the notebook. The following status options are possible:

• The current notebook is the latest saved version and there are no changes since the notebook has been saved. The save button is unavailable due to the lack of new changes to save.

  

• Changes exist in the notebook since the last saved version. If you hover over the icon the type of change(s) is specified as different number of cells, cell contents, new cells, and/or outputs. The save button is available to save a new version with these changes.

• Newer saved versions of the notebook exist, but currently the notebook displays Version 10 without any changes from when that version was saved. The save button is unavailable due to the lack of new changes to save.

• Newer saved versions of the notebook exist, but currently the notebook displays Version 10 with changes. If you hover over the icon the type of change(s) is specified as different number of cells, cell contents, new cells, and/or outputs. The save button is available to save a new version with these changes.

  

Use a Different Version¶

You can switch between different saved versions of your entire notebook. All previous versions of your notebook are listed in the Curvenote Jupyter extension Panel by number, and display the time and date that they were saved. The current version is indicated by the bookmark icon.

To switch to a different version:

• Click on the Version # you want to use and either:
  • Click on the $\mathbf{\vdots}$ Options menu for the version.
    • Select Use Version.
  • Click the USE VERSION # button at the top of the panel.
• A Warning will appear.
  • If you are ready to switch versions, click CONFIRM.

Versioning with Collaborators¶

When working with others on a notebook, each collaborator can have their own local copy of the notebook linked to Curvenote. Your local notebook will not automatically update to the latest saved version unless you saved it. We recommend you check the change status icon in the Jupyter toolbar and the Previous Versions list in the extension panel before making changes to your local copy. The USE LATEST VERSION button at the top of the extension will overwrite your local copy with the most recent saved version from your collaborator.

Curvenote¶

You can access a copy of your notebook directly on Curvenote, which will always display the latest saved version. You can also open your notebook in Curvenote by clicking the Open in Curvenote button in either the Jupyter toolbar or Curvenote Jupyter extension panel. This link will open the saved version you were using in Jupyter, in Curvenote. On Curvenote you can then edit and save new versions or preview the previous versions of your notebook.

Save New Version¶

To make changes to your notebook on Curvenote, requires you to be in Draft Mode, which is indicated by the yellow ✏️ and version number to the right of the notebook title. You may only edit the most recent saved version of your notebook on Curvenote. Curvenote cannot currently run code cells thus the content of both code and output cells can only be edited using the Curvenote Jupyter extension. You can edit Markdown cells on Curvenote, and any new blocks added will be consider Markdown cells when they are opened in Jupyter. Learn more about editing your notebooks in Curvenote ➡️ Curvenote+Jupyter

To save a new version of your notebook on Curvenote:

• Click SAVE VERSION in the app bar (left).
  • Saving a new version of your notebook will save a new version of any blocks/cells within your notebook that were also in Draft Mode and had changes.
• You will be redirected out of Draft Mode, and into a view of your newly saved version.
  • This version is available in the Curvenote Jupyter extension.

Preview Previous Versions¶

In Curvenote you can preview previous versions of your notebook, but you are not able to select and use previous versions of your entire notebook, as you were in Jupyter. To view previous versions of your notebook:

• You must be in View Mode.
  • If you are in Draft Mode you must either click STOP EDITING or SAVE VERSION to exit.
• Expand the Block Details Panel. ◀️
  • The previous versions are listed by number, with their save date and time included.
• Click on the Version # you wish to preview.

Versioning with Collaborators¶

When working with others on a notebook, it is possible that multiple people are editing and saving versions at the same time. If you are in Draft Mode when someone else saves a version of the notebook, you will be warned that you are now editing a stale draft and should discard the draft. To discard a stale draft:

• A warning will appear at the top of the Editor which reads:
  • $\bf\textcircled{!}$editing stale draft on v#$\bf\textcircled{\times}$.
  • The notebook version number and draft mode icon ✏️ will change from yellow to red.
  • If you hover the warning, it reads:
    • The draft is stale, you should discard it before continuing. To discard, press the ‘×’ icon here. If in doubt contact support.
• Click the $\bf\textcircled{\times}$.
• If you are certain that you want to delete the draft, click DELETE in the pop-up window.
• The draft will be discarded and the page should automatically reload.
  • You can manually reload the page by refreshing or clicking RELOAD in the pop-up window.
• To continue editing your notebook you will need to reenter Draft Mode.