Start your first workbench

In this tutorial you will open a local project, create a terminal thread, edit one file, and inspect the resulting Git change. You need zd, Git, and a terminal available on your computer.

1. Make a small project

mkdir zd-first-project
cd zd-first-project
git init
printf '# Field notes\n\nA quiet first paragraph.\n' > notes.md
git add notes.md
git commit -m "add field notes"
zd .

The project appears in the Projects pane on the left. Its expanded file tree appears under Files on the right. Native access is limited to the project you opened.

2. Create a thread

Choose the + action in the project heading. Its accessible name is New terminal in zd-first-project. You can press Cmd+N on macOS or Ctrl+N elsewhere to perform the same action for the active project.

The centre switches to a terminal named Terminal, running your configured shell in the project root. Run a harmless command:

git status --short

To use Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode, or another terminal program, enter its normal command in this shell. zd does not install or launch an agent on your behalf.

3. Open and edit a file

Choose a folder row or its disclosure chevron to expand it; choose the row again to collapse it. Choose notes.md under Files. The centre switches to the current file while the thread remains available under its project. Add a second paragraph, then press Cmd+S on macOS or Ctrl+S elsewhere.

Markdown remains directly editable, including cells inside rendered tables. Press Cmd+E or Ctrl+E when you need to edit the table delimiters or other literal Markdown source. Code and configuration files use the same editor with a filename-derived language mode.

You can also paste a clipboard image directly into this Markdown file. zd saves it below docs/screenshots and inserts the relative image link at the caret. Select text when you want to attach a review comment; the resulting inline note is also written to zd-feedback.txt at the worktree root.

To copy a file path for a command or note, right-click the file under Files. Choose Copy Relative Path for a path from the worktree root, such as notes.md, or Copy Full Path for its absolute path on your computer. You can open the same menu from the keyboard with Shift+F10 or the Context Menu key.

The same menu opens files, creates children in a folder, renames files or folders, and moves them to your operating system’s Trash or Recycle Bin after confirmation. Right-click empty tree space to create at the worktree root. Save or discard an unsaved draft before moving its path to Trash.

4. Inspect the change

Choose Changes on the right. Select notes.md in the working-tree list to open its read-only before-and-after buffers. Your live editor buffer is not replaced or marked dirty by the diff. Use [f] in the top drag strip when you want to hide or restore Files/Changes and give the centre the full width.

You have completed the core loop: project, thread, file, and Git state stayed in one workbench. See Manage projects and threads to add another repository or worktree, Review Markdown with comments for a precise handoff, Paste a screenshot for visual context, and Inspect Git changes for history comparisons.