Collaboration in Zed

Zed's Collaboration Philosophy

Collaboration is at the heart of Zed's design. Unlike traditional editors that treat collaboration as an add-on feature, Zed was built from the ground up for real-time multiplayer editing:

• Native Integration: Collaboration is a core feature, not a plugin
• Low Latency: Designed for real-time interaction with minimal delay
• End-to-End Encryption: Secure communication between collaborators
• Persistence: Projects and sessions are maintained between connections

Setting Up Your Account

Before collaborating in Zed, you need to set up a Zed account:

1. Create an Account

   If you haven't already done so, create a Zed account by clicking on your username in the bottom left corner of the editor and selecting "Sign Up" or "Sign In."

2. Set Your Display Name

   Choose a display name that will be visible to your collaborators. You can set this when creating your account or update it later in your profile settings.

3. Add Collaborators

   Connect with collaborators by adding them as contacts. Press ⌘ShiftP, type "Contacts," and select "Add Contact" to search for and add team members by their username or email.

Creating Collaborative Sessions

Starting a New Session

There are several ways to start collaborating:

1. Host a Project

   Open the project you want to share, then press ⌘ShiftP and type "Share Project" to start hosting your current project.

   

2. Invite Collaborators

   After hosting, you'll get a shareable link or you can directly invite contacts from your list. Select the collaborators you want to invite and send the invitation.

3. Set Permissions

   Choose whether collaborators can edit or only view your project. You can also set permissions on a per-user basis for more fine-grained control.

   For quick collaboration sessions, you can use the "Copy Invite Link" option to generate a URL that can be shared through any communication channel.

Joining Collaborative Sessions

Accepting Invitations

Join a collaborative session through invitations:

• Via Notifications: When invited, you'll receive a notification in Zed that you can click to join
• Via Links: Click a shared link to open it directly in Zed
• Via Contacts: View your online contacts and join their active sessions

The Collaboration Panel

Once connected, the Collaboration Panel shows active participants:

• View all connected collaborators
• See everyone's cursor position and selections
• Follow a specific collaborator's view

Working Together in Real-Time

Multiplayer Editing

With Zed's multiplayer editing, everyone can simultaneously edit the same files:

• Cursor Awareness: See everyone's cursor position with their name label
• Selection Visibility: See what others are selecting in real-time
• Conflict Resolution: Zed automatically handles conflicting edits

Following Collaborators

You can choose to follow another collaborator's view:

1. Enable Following

   Click on a collaborator's name in the Collaboration Panel and select "Follow" to automatically track their cursor position and file navigation.

2. Stop Following

   Click anywhere in the editor or press Esc to stop following and resume independent navigation.

Communication During Collaboration

Chat

Zed includes a built-in text chat for communicating with collaborators:

• Press ⌘ShiftC to open the chat panel
• Send messages to all collaborators
• Share code snippets or links

Voice Chat

For direct communication, Zed also offers voice chat:

• Click the microphone icon in the Collaboration Panel to toggle voice chat
• Adjust voice settings in the preferences
• Mute yourself or specific participants as needed

Collaboration Workflows

Pair Programming

Zed's collaboration features are perfect for pair programming:

• Driver/Navigator: Take turns typing while the other navigates
• Ping-Pong: Write a failing test, then have your partner make it pass
• Side-by-Side: Work on different parts of the same file simultaneously

Code Reviews

Conduct interactive code reviews in real-time:

• Walk through changes together with voice chat
• Make suggested edits immediately
• Discuss implementation details while examining code

Team Collaboration

For larger teams, Zed supports:

• Multiple collaborators working on different files in the same project
• Shared terminal sessions for running tests or builds
• Group discussion through voice and text

Managing Permissions and Security

Permission Levels

As a host, you can set different permission levels for collaborators:

• Edit: Full ability to edit all files in the project
• View Only: Can see files and follow others, but cannot make changes
• Terminal Access: Control whether collaborators can use the terminal

Security Considerations

Keep your collaborative sessions secure:

• Use single-use invitation links when collaborating with external participants
• Set expiration times on shared sessions
• Remove collaborators when they no longer need access
• Be mindful of sensitive information in shared terminals

Ending Collaboration Sessions

When you're finished collaborating:

1. Save All Changes

   Press ⌘S to save current file or ⌘⌥S to save all files.

2. End the Session

   As the host, press ⌘ShiftP, type "End Collaboration," and select it to terminate the session for all participants.

3. Leave a Session

   As a participant, press ⌘ShiftP, type "Leave Collaboration," and select it to disconnect from the session.

What's Next?

Now that you've learned how to collaborate in Zed, you're ready to explore the integrated terminal for running commands and managing your development environment without leaving the editor.