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FEATURE GUIDE

Projects & workspace

A .zxproj is the source of truth for one Spectrum product. It keeps editable BASIC and assembly, screen and UDG assets, music, tape order, run settings and build provenance in a portable macOS package.

Core workflow

  1. 01

    Create a project from the welcome screen and choose 48K or 128K before selecting a template.

  2. 02

    Save the package before the first build; source can be saved even while it contains errors.

  3. 03

    Open documents from the Navigator or Quick Open, and use split groups when two sources must stay visible.

  4. 04

    Create a Local History snapshot before a risky multi-file change; review the diff before restoring.

OPERATIONS & REFERENCE

01

Create 48K and 128K projects

Choose New Project, select the machine and then a template. Save the new .zxproj before the first build. Check the target in the project header: selecting a different running machine is not a substitute for changing the saved project target.

02

The .zxproj package

The package contains project metadata, editable sources and project-owned assets. Copy or archive the complete package, not just project.json. Keep a separate backup before moving or converting a working project. API keys and machine-local AI settings are not included.

03

Project Navigator

Open BASIC, ASM, graphics and music from the project navigator to retain their resource identity. A source file and the binary or BASIC generated from it are different artifacts. When output is stale, return to its source tool rather than editing an unrelated copy.

04

Tabs and split editors

Open related sources in separate editor groups, move tabs where useful, and use the explicit group-close action when a split is no longer needed. Watch the dirty indicator before closing. Reopen Closed Tab restores navigation; it is not a replacement for saving unsaved work.

05

Quick Open and Command Palette

Use Navigate → Quick Open to locate a project resource by name, or Command Palette to find an IDE action. Prefer the menu labels when keyboard focus makes a shortcut ambiguous. Project search answers where text occurs; Project Symbols answers where a named definition lives.

06

Build and Run configurations

Select the intended build and Run/Debug configuration before generating evidence. Review target, tape artifacts and warning policy. A strict profile can promote warnings that the default policy treats as advisory; do not assume identical behavior across differently configured runs.

07

Autosave and interrupted-save recovery

Command-S saves editable source even when it has errors. If a save fails, preserve the open document and retry to a writable destination. Use Recover Interrupted Save for a reported interrupted transaction; do not overwrite the only recoverable package with an older export.

08

Local History

Create a checkpoint before a risky refactor or AI edit. Compare the selected history entry with the current source and review the proposed restoration before applying it. Local History helps recover earlier work; it is not an integrated Git workflow or an off-device backup.

New DZX STUDIO Project window showing target selection and BASIC, blank, graphics and beeper templates.
Start with a machine and a template

Choose a 48K or 128K target, a blank project or an editable example.

SpectrumLab 48K project in DZX STUDIO, with BASIC source and its colourful output in the integrated emulator.
BASIC, from source to screen

The 48K workbench: project navigator, syntax-aware source and the running program.

Review checks

The window header names the project and persisted target.

Dirty tabs and the document-modified state agree.

A reopened project restores its sources, assets and supported workspace settings.

Boundaries

A .zxproj is a package, not a single BASIC listing. Copy the whole package.

Credentials and machine-local AI preferences are deliberately excluded.