Rolling Back to Previous Versions in Lovable

 
Creating a Backup File for Your Code
 

• In the Lovable code editor, create a new file named backup.js. This file will contain functions that save a backup of your work every time you save changes.
• Copy and paste the following code into backup.js. This code uses your browser’s local storage to keep a timestamped backup of your content:

  <pre><code class="hljs">
  

  function backupContent(content) {
  // Create a backup with a unique timestamp as the key
  const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
  localStorage.setItem("backup_" + timestamp, content);
  }

  function getLatestBackup() {
  // Retrieve all backup keys, sort them, and return the most recent one
  const backups = Object.keys(localStorage).filter(key => key.startsWith("backup_")).sort();
  if (backups.length) {
  return localStorage.getItem(backups[backups.length - 1]);
  }
  return null;
  }

  function restoreLatestBackup() {
  const backup = getLatestBackup();
  if (backup !== null) {
  // Assuming your editable area has an ID "editor"
  document.getElementById("editor").value = backup;
  alert("Latest backup restored.");
  } else {
  alert("No backup found.");
  }
  }
  
  



• 
  Because Lovable doesn’t have a terminal, you don’t need to install any dependencies. All functions use standard browser features.
  

 
Integrating Backup on Save
 

• Locate your main code file (for example, index.js or the file where you manage saving edits) in Lovable.
• Find the part of your code where you save changes. It might be within an event handler for a “Save” button.
• Add a call to the backupContent function in that handler so that each time a save occurs, a backup is created. For example:

  <pre><code class="hljs">
  

  document.getElementById("saveButton").addEventListener("click", function() {
  // Get the current content from the editor (with ID "editor")
  const currentContent = document.getElementById("editor").value;

  // Create a backup with the current content
  backupContent(currentContent);

  // Continue with your normal save process (such as updating a database or file)
  alert("Your changes have been saved and backed up.");
  });
  
  



• 
  Ensure that the IDs used in the code reflect the actual IDs in your HTML. For instance, if your save button has a different ID than saveButton, change it accordingly.
  

 
Creating a Roll Back Button
 

• To allow you to roll back to the most recent backup, add a button for this functionality.
• In your main HTML file (for example, index.html), insert the following code where you want the rollback control to appear:

  <pre><code class="hljs">
  

  Roll Back Changes
  
  



• 
  Then, in your main JavaScript file (commonly index.js), add this code to make the button work:

  <pre><code class="hljs">
  

  document.getElementById("rollbackButton").addEventListener("click", function() {
  // Restore the latest backup from localStorage
  restoreLatestBackup();
  });
  
  



• 
  This button will replace your current content in the editor with the most recent backup you made.
  

 
Summary of the Changes Made
 

• Created a new file backup.js containing functions to back up and restore your content using local storage.
• Added a backup call inside your save event handler in your main JavaScript file, ensuring each save operation creates a backup.
• Inserted a rollback button in your HTML and attached an event listener to it, so you can restore the last saved backup anytime.
• No external installations or command line interactions are necessary since everything runs using built-in browser features.

 
Setting Up a Revision Manager Module
 

• In the Lovable code editor, create a new file named revision\_manager.py. This file will help you track and store your code revisions without integrating a full versioning system.
• Copy and paste the following code into revision\_manager.py. This module creates a revision log file and saves snapshots of important sections of your code, with a timestamp:

• 
  import os
  import datetime
  
  def get_revision_filename():
      timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
      return f"revision_{timestamp}.txt"
  def save_revision(content):
      filename = get_revision_filename()
      # Define the folder for revisions (it will be created if not exists)
      folder = "revisions"
      if not os.path.exists(folder):
          os.makedirs(folder)
      path = os.path.join(folder, filename)
      with open(path, "w") as f:
          f.write(content)
      print(f"Revision saved as {path}")
        

  
  




• This module contains functions to create a unique filename using the current date and time and to save any passed content. You can call these functions whenever you want to capture a snapshot of your code or configuration.

 
Integrating Revision Manager in Your Main Code
 

• Identify the part of your main code where you want to keep track of changes. For example, if you have a file called app.py, open it in the Lovable editor.
• At the beginning of app.py, add an import to use the revision manager functionality:

• 
  from revision_manager import save_revision
        

• Find a suitable location in your workflow (for example, after a significant processing step) and insert a snippet to save the current state. For instance, after a configuration block, add the following:

•   
  Example section in app.py
  configuration = """
  [configuration]
  setting1=value1
  setting2=value2
  """
  
  Save this revision of configuration
  save_revision(configuration)
        

  
  




• This code uses the function from the revision manager module to create a new file under a folder called revisions with the snapshot of your configuration.

 
Automating Dependency Installation via Embedded Code
 

• Since Lovable does not have a terminal, dependencies must be handled in code. If you ever need to ensure that a module like datetime is available (or any third-party module), you can add a check in your main code app.py.
• At the very start of app.py, add the following snippet. This code block tries to import and, if necessary, programmatically install a missing module (using an inline method):

• 
  import importlib
  import subprocess
  import sys
  
  def install_and_import(package):
      try:
          return importlib.import_module(package)
      except ImportError:
          subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", package])
          return importlib.import_module(package)
  Ensure dateutil is installed, for example
  dateutil = install_and_import("python-dateutil")
        

  
  




• This snippet automatically installs missing packages by calling the pip installer through code. Place this block at the top of app.py so it runs before the rest of your code.

 
Creating a Manual Backup Routine
 

• It is a best practice to occasionally create backups. In Lovable, create a new file called backup.py where you can write code to backup major data files or configurations.
• Add the following code to backup.py to copy files to a backup folder. Adjust the filename and folder names as necessary:

• 
  import os
  import shutil
  import datetime
  
  def backup_file(source_path):
      if not os.path.exists(source_path):
          print(f"No file found to backup: {source_path}")
          return
      backup_folder = "backups"
      if not os.path.exists(backup_folder):
          os.makedirs(backup_folder)
      timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
      base_name = os.path.basename(source_path)
      backup_path = os.path.join(backup_folder, f"{base_name}_{timestamp}.bak")
      shutil.copy(source_path, backup_path)
      print(f"Backup saved as {backup_path}")
  Example usage: Backup your configuration file
  backup_file("config.txt")
        

  
  




• This code handles copying an important file (like config.txt) to a backup folder with a timestamp. Run this module from within Lovable by triggering it through the appropriate configuration in your project settings.

 
Regular Revision Reviews
 

• Establish a routine to manually review the revisions and backups. For each significant alteration, open the corresponding file in the revisions or backups folder to monitor changes.
• This practice offers you the flexibility to revert changes by reading an earlier snapshot, which is essential when a new change creates unexpected issues. The files generated by the revision manager and backup script serve as a manual but effective history of your modifications.