Code Checkpoints Extension

One-click code checkpoints: save, restore, and experiment fearlessly with AI.

Perfect for Cursor, VS Code, and AI-assisted coding! When working with AI assistants like Copilot, Claude, or ChatGPT, you often try multiple code suggestions rapidly. But what happens when an AI-generated change breaks your working code? Rolling back through git commits is slow and disruptive. You need instant, hassle-free checkpoints that let you experiment boldly and restore quickly when things go wrong.

This extension creates checkpoints of your entire project, working independently of git with zero setup required.

🎯 The Problem This Solves

🤖 AI Coding Challenges:

AI suggests code changes that might break your working project
You want to try multiple AI-generated solutions rapidly
Git commits feel too heavy for experimental iterations
You need to bypass git hooks, CI checks, and quality gates
You want to save progress even when your code doesn't compile

💡 The Solution:

Instant checkpoints with a single keypress (Cmd+Shift+S)
One-click restore to any previous working state
Works immediately - no git setup, no configuration, no dependencies
Complete project snapshots - not just individual files
Bypass all gates - save even broken, uncommittable code
Git-like comparison - compare files between checkpoints seamlessly

Perfect for AI-assisted coding where you need frequent, reliable save points with zero friction!

✨ Features

🚀 Core Functionality

Quick Checkpoints: Save your current state instantly with Cmd+Shift+S
Named Checkpoints: Create descriptive checkpoints for important milestones
Full Checkpoints: Force complete project snapshots when needed
Easy Restoration: Browse and restore from any checkpoint
Quality Gates Bypass: Works independently of git quality gates

🌳 Advanced View

File Explorer: Browse checkpoint contents like a file tree
Multi-Select: Select multiple checkpoints for bulk operations
Change Indicators: Visual indicators showing file changes (+/~/-)

🔍 Comparisons

File Comparison: Compare any file between checkpoints
Previous/Next: Navigate through checkpoint timeline
Side-by-Side Diff: Native VS Code diff editor integration
Read-Only Viewing: Safe file viewing without accidental edits

⚡ Smart Operations

Bulk Compare: Compare multiple checkpoints at once
Bulk Delete: Remove multiple checkpoints efficiently
Auto-Cleanup: Remove invalid checkpoints automatically
Incremental Checkpoints: Only save changed files for efficiency

🎮 Commands

📝 Checkpoint Management

Code Checkpoints: Save Checkpoint - Create a named checkpoint with description
Code Checkpoints: Save Full Checkpoint - Force complete project snapshot
Code Checkpoints: Quick Checkpoint - Create timestamped checkpoint instantly
Code Checkpoints: List Checkpoints - View all available checkpoints
Code Checkpoints: Restore Checkpoint - Restore from selected checkpoint
Code Checkpoints: Delete All Checkpoints - Remove all checkpoints

🔍 Comparison & Analysis

Code Checkpoints: Compare Checkpoints - Compare two checkpoints
Code Checkpoints: Compare Selected - Compare multiple selected checkpoints
Code Checkpoints: Compare with Previous - Compare with chronologically previous checkpoint
Code Checkpoints: Compare with Latest - Compare with most recent checkpoint

📁 File Operations

Code Checkpoints: View Files - Browse files in a checkpoint
Code Checkpoints: Open File - Open file from checkpoint (read-only)
Code Checkpoints: Compare with Current - Compare checkpoint file with current workspace
Code Checkpoints: Compare File with Previous - Compare file with previous checkpoint version
Code Checkpoints: Compare File with Next - Compare file with next checkpoint version

🎛️ Selection & Bulk Operations

Code Checkpoints: Toggle Selection - Select/deselect checkpoint
Code Checkpoints: Select All - Select all checkpoints
Code Checkpoints: Clear Selection - Clear all selections
Code Checkpoints: Delete Selected - Delete selected checkpoints

🧹 Maintenance

Code Checkpoints: Clean Old Checkpoints - Remove checkpoints older than X days
Code Checkpoints: Check Code Quality - Validate code complexity
Code Checkpoints: Refresh - Refresh checkpoint list

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Cmd+Shift+S / Ctrl+Shift+S - Quick Checkpoint
Cmd+Shift+L / Ctrl+Shift+L - List Checkpoints
Cmd+Shift+R / Ctrl+Shift+R - Restore Checkpoint

🚀 Quick Start Guide

1. Installation

# For Cursor Users
1. Open Cursor
2. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Code Checkpoints" and install

# For VS Code Users  
1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Code Checkpoints" and install

2. Basic Usage

# Before making changes with AI
Cmd+Shift+S  # Create quick checkpoint

# If something breaks
Cmd+Shift+R  # Restore from checkpoint

# Browse checkpoints
Cmd+Shift+L  # List all checkpoints

User Interface

Code Checkpoints Extension in Cursor IDE

🎯 Use Cases

🤖 AI-Assisted Development:

# Before asking AI to refactor
Cmd+Shift+S  # "Before refactor"

# Try AI suggestion
# If it breaks...
Cmd+Shift+R  # Restore and try different approach

🧪 Experimental Features:

# Save working state
Cmd+Shift+S  # "Working auth system"

# Try new feature
# Compare changes
# Restore if needed

🔄 Code Reviews:

# Create checkpoint before review
Cmd+Shift+S  # "Pre-review state"

# Make review changes
# Compare with original
# Restore specific files if needed

📚 Learning & Tutorials:

# Save progress at each step
Cmd+Shift+S  # "Step 1 - Basic setup"
Cmd+Shift+S  # "Step 2 - Add authentication"
Cmd+Shift+S  # "Step 3 - Add database"

# Jump back to any step
Cmd+Shift+R  # Choose step to restore

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

Q: Checkpoints not showing in tree view? A: Try refreshing the panel or restarting the extension

Q: Can't compare files? A: Ensure both checkpoints contain the file you're trying to compare

Q: Permission errors? A: The extension handles read-only files automatically - this is normal

Q: Checkpoint restoration not working? A: Check that the checkpoint directory exists and isn't corrupted

Debug Information:

Open Developer Console (Help > Toggle Developer Tools)
Look for [DEBUG] messages in the console
Check .vscode/checkpoints/ directory for checkpoint files

🏗️ How It Works

Checkpoint Creation:

Full Checkpoints: Complete copy of entire project
Incremental Checkpoints: Only changed files (efficient)
Metadata: Timestamp, description, file count, size info
Read-Only: Checkpoint files are protected from accidental editing

File Comparison:

Temporary Files: Clean copies in /tmp/vscode-checkpoints/
Unique Paths: Each checkpoint gets its own directory
Diff Editor: Native VS Code comparison interface
Auto-Cleanup: Temporary files removed automatically

Storage Structure:

.vscode/checkpoints/
├── checkpoints.json          # Metadata
├── checkpoint_1/             # Full checkpoint
│   ├── src/
│   └── package.json
├── checkpoint_2/             # Incremental checkpoint
│   └── src/modified_file.js
└── quick_2024-01-15T10-30-00/
    └── src/

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see our Contributing Guide for details.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🔗 Links

VS Code Marketplace: Code Checkpoints
OpenVSX Registry: Code Checkpoints
GitHub Repository: pritam-ajmire/checkpoints
Issues & Support: GitHub Issues

🙏 Acknowledgments

Built for the AI-assisted development community
Inspired by the need for fearless experimentation with AI tools
Compatible with Cursor, VS Code, and other VS Code-based editors

Happy coding with confidence! 🚀

Code Checkpoints

pritam-ajmire