Note history
Andon keeps earlier versions of every note automatically. You can see what changed, when, and bring back any earlier version, without ever having to think about it while you write.
When a version is saved
A new version is recorded whenever the note is saved:
- Auto-save: about three seconds after you stop typing.
- Checkpoint: when you press Ctrl+S or click Save.
- Markdown sync: when a synced Markdown file updates the note (see chapter 9).
Open the history
Click History in the Notes toolbar. A panel opens beside the note with one card per version, newest first. Click History again, or close the panel, to hide it.
[Screenshot: the history panel beside a note, with a SAVED checkpoint card and an auto-save card]
Reading a card
Each card shows when the version was saved and a short description of the change:
| Description | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Initial content | The first version of the note |
| Minor edit / Small change | A few words or lines changed |
| Large addition | A lot of new content |
| Large deletion | A lot of content removed |
| Manual save | A checkpoint saved with Ctrl+S |
| MD sync | Content updated from a Markdown file |
Checkpoints also carry a SAVED badge, so they stand out in a long list.
Compare versions
When the panel opens, the note shows its current content. Click a card to see that version compared with the current note: added text and removed text are highlighted, and markers beside the scrollbar show where the changes are. If too much changed for a readable comparison, Andon says so and shows the latest version instead.
Restore a version
Click Restore on a card to bring that version back into the editor. Andon saves the restored content as a new checkpoint and closes the history panel. Nothing is lost: the version you replaced is still in the history. Every card except the oldest has a Restore button.
How long versions are kept
Keeping every auto-save forever would make the history huge, so Andon thins out old versions automatically, keeping fewer as they get older.
| Age | What is kept |
|---|---|
| Last 24 hours | Every version |
| Newest 20 versions | Always kept, whatever their age |
| From 1 to 30 days | The last version of each day |
| From 30 to 180 days | The last version of each week |
| Older than 180 days | The last version of each month |
| Checkpoints (Ctrl+S) | Kept forever |
In practice: today's work is fully recoverable, last month's work day by day, and older work month by month, plus every checkpoint you made. These are the defaults and are not shown in Preferences.
History and deleted tasks
Archiving a project keeps its note history. Deleting a task deletes its history along with it, which is one more reason to set abandoned work to red instead of deleting it. A task shared with another project (chapter 12) is the exception: deleting it in one project only removes it from there, and the other project keeps it with its whole history.
Tips
- Press Ctrl+S before rewriting a large part of a note, so you have a clean point to come back to.
- Press Ctrl+S when a note reaches a meaningful state, such as "design agreed" or "ready for review".
- If you deleted something by mistake, open History, click the most recent card that still has it, and Restore.