Preventing v0 from overwriting manual logic

 
Separate Generated Code from Your Manual Code
 

• Create a new file named manual-changes.js in your project’s main directory. This file will hold all the custom code you write manually.
• In this file, add your custom functions or changes. For example:

  
    // manual-changes.js
    
    // Write your custom code here
    function customFeature() {
        console.log("This is a manual code change.");
    }
    // Export the custom function if you need to use it elsewhere
    module.exports = { customFeature };
      

  
  


• This file is separate from the auto-generated v0 code, so any changes here will not be overwritten.

 
Link Your Manual Code to the Main Application File
 

• Open the main application file where the v0 code resides. It might be named something like app.js or similar.
• At the bottom or at the appropriate initialization point of this file, add code to import and use your manual code. For example:

  
    // app.js
    
    // Import manual changes
    try {
        const manual = require('./manual-changes.js');
        // Use your custom function as needed
        manual.customFeature();
    } catch (error) {
        console.log("manual-changes.js not found or has errors.");
    }
      

  
  


• This import ensures that even when v0 auto-generates or updates its parts of the code, your manual changes in manual-changes.js remain intact.

 
Protect Your Custom Code Using Guard Comments
 

• Inside auto-generated files (if you have any sections that are partially editable), insert guard markers to preserve your changes. For example, in your app.js file, mark an area for manual edits:

  
    // BEGIN MANUAL EDITS - Do not remove or modify the markers below
    /_ MANUAL CODE START _/
    
    // Any manual overrides or additional configurations can be added here.
    /_ MANUAL CODE END _/
    // END MANUAL EDITS
      

  
  


• When future generations of v0 code run, they can be programmed to detect the markers and avoid modifying the enclosed custom code. (If you have control over how v0 handles its generation, consider updating its template to respect these markers.)

 
Configure v0 to Skip Overwriting Manual Changes
 

• If the v0 generator supports configuration options, create or update a configuration file – such as v0-config.json – and add the setting to prevent overwrites. For example:

  
    {
        "overwriteCustom": false,
        "customCodeMarkers": {
            "start": "/_ MANUAL CODE START _/",
            "end": "/_ MANUAL CODE END _/"
        }
    }
      

• Place the v0-config.json file in the root of your project so that the generator can detect your preferences before applying any updates.
• This tells v0 not to overwrite any code found between the specified markers, preserving your manual tweaks.

 
Simulate Dependency Installation in Lovable
 

• Since Lovable does not have a terminal for installing dependencies, you can simulate this by including the necessary modules via code. For example, if your application needs an additional library, include it in your app.js file like so:

  
    // app.js
    
    // Simulated dependency installation
    try {
        require.resolve("some-library");
    } catch (e) {
        console.log("Please ensure 'some-library' is available in your project.");
        // You can add the library code manually or host it locally
    }
      

  
  


• If you have the dependency as a file, you can also copy it to your project directory and require it similarly to other modules.


• This method ensures that your code is self-contained and does not rely on terminal-based dependency installations.

 
Organize Your Code into Separate Areas
 

• Create two folders in your project. One folder will contain the auto‑generated v0 code and the other will hold your manual code. For example, name them v0_generated and manual. This separation means that when v0 updates its files, only the files in the v0_generated folder are replaced.
• If your project uses a configuration file for file paths, add entries to define these two folders. For example, create a file named project.config.js in your project root with the following code:

  
  module.exports = {
    autoGenerated: './v0\_generated',
    manual: './manual'
  };
      

 
Insert Markers to Protect Manual Code Sections
 

• In files that are partially auto‑generated, insert clear comment markers to wrap the code you wrote manually. These markers help both you and any tool processes know which sections should not be overwritten. For example, in a JavaScript file, add:

  
  // BEGIN MANUAL SECTION
  // Add your custom code here. For example:
  function customFunction() {
    // Your custom logic
  }
  // END MANUAL SECTION
      

• Discuss with your team or check the documentation for v0 to see if it supports automatic preservation of these markers.

 
Use a Separate File for Manual Customizations
 

• If possible, create separate code files specifically for your manual changes rather than inserting them into auto‑generated files. For instance, if v0 generates a file called index.html, you can create a custom.js file inside the manual folder that includes your manual logic. Link this file in index.html so that your changes are applied without interfering with the auto‑generated code.
• Here is an example of how to include your custom file in an HTML file:

  
  <!DOCTYPE html>
  <html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>My Application</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <script src="./v0\_generated/app.js"></script>
    <script src="./manual/custom.js"></script>
  </body>
  </html>
      

 
Configure v0 to Exclude Manual Files
 

• If v0 has a configuration file to set file patterns or directories to ignore, update it by adding your manual folder and any file name patterns that should not be overwritten. For example, if v0 uses a file named v0.config.json, modify it as follows:

  
  {
    "inputDir": "source",
    "outputDir": "v0\_generated",
    "ignore": [
      "manual/\*\*",
      "custom.js"
    ]
  }
      

• This configuration tells v0 to skip files in the manual folder and any file pattern specified, protecting your manual modifications.

 
Document Your Custom Code and Process
 

• Create a documentation file (for instance, README_manual.txt or README_MANUAL.md if markdown is acceptable) in your project root. In this file, describe the locations of your manual code, the purpose of each file, and where the markers are placed. Documentation will help any developer understand that these sections should not be altered by automated processes.
• For example, your documentation can include:

  
  Manual Code Locations:
  - Manual custom code is in the "manual" folder.
  - Inside auto-generated files, custom updates must be inserted between "BEGIN MANUAL SECTION" and "END MANUAL SECTION" markers.
  - The configuration file "v0.config.json" has been updated to ignore manual folders.
      

 
Keep Your Custom Code and Generated Code in Sync
 

• Whenever v0 regenerates code, review the new auto‑generated files before deploying your application. This safe practice allows you to ensure that your manual code remains functional and no conflicts occur.
• If you spot any overwritten changes, use your documented markers or separate manual files to restore your custom code. Make backups of your manual folder periodically so you can recover quickly.