The connector code editor

The connector code editor is the full-screen popup where you work on a Connect Anything connector's code: write and organise its files, and keep your edits in step with the connector agent. Open it from the connector's Build step. The file versions and the zip round-trip are on Connector versions and zip transfers.

Open the editor

1. Open the connector and go to its Build step.
2. On the connector template card, click Open code editor.
3. The popup opens full screen: the file tree on the left, the open file on the right, and the first file opens by itself.

While the popup loads it reads Loading connector; an open file reads Loading file and the tree reads Loading files.

If the popup cannot load the connector, it reads This connector is not available. Close it and open it again from the Build step. If it reads Save the connection first to browse and edit tap files., the connector has not been created yet: in the create flow, click Create & continue on General first.

Changing a connector's files needs Add/Modify Lake Objects. See Who can do what in the Lake.

Edit and organise the files

Right-click an item in the file tree for its actions:

• The tree header holds New file, New folder, Download as zip and Upload zip. An empty connector reads No files - right-click to create.
• New files land in the folder you last selected, or at the connector root when nothing is selected. When you create a file, pick its extension: the picker offers no ext plus the usual file types and starts on .py.
• Double-click a file or folder to rename it. A protected file cannot be renamed.
• Drag a file or folder onto another folder to move it. Dragging an item that sits inside a folder shows a Move to root area that moves it back to the top level; a folder cannot be dropped into itself.
• Copy, Cut and Paste work inside the editor, not with your computer's clipboard, and Paste appears only after you copy or cut a file. A cut item is dimmed until you paste it or press Escape. Pasting a file again creates file copy.py, then file copy 2.py; folders cannot be copied.
• The tree's keyboard shortcuts need the tree focused, and they work on non-Latin keyboard layouts too.
• Click Save or press Ctrl+S to save the open file. Files with unsaved changes carry a dot in the tree, and a folder shows the dot while something inside has unsaved edits. Save is unavailable while a save is running (Saving...) and when nothing has changed.
• Undo (Ctrl+Z) and Redo (Ctrl+Y) work per file; switching files clears that file's history.
• Ctrl+S saves the file you are working in: the editor that has focus, or the last file editor you clicked. With focus somewhere else, Ctrl+S saves nothing.
• Files open with syntax highlighting for Python, YAML, JSON, Markdown, shell, SQL and TOML; other files open as plain text. For a Markdown file, switch between Source and Formatted preview in the header.
• When an action on the tree fails, the editor says why: Failed to paste, Failed to move {name}., Failed to read {name}. or Failed to create {name}.; if a save fails it shows Failed to save file.
• When the files change after an install, a banner reads Code changed since the last install. Click Reinstall to apply the changes; new dependencies are installed with the code.

Unsaved edits and the connector agent

• Unsaved edits are held in memory only. They are not stored in your browser and do not survive a page reload.
• Minimising the popup keeps your unsaved edits; Close and Refresh drop them, so save before you close.
• When a file changes on the server while you have unsaved edits in it (for example, the connector agent edits it), the editor reconciles the two versions. A clean merge reports Merged AI changes with {file}: the AI's edits were merged into your unsaved changes.
• If the changes cannot be merged safely, a dialog reads Your edits conflict with the AI's changes. Use View diff to compare, then choose Keep mine (your draft stays in the editor, and saving it replaces the agent's version) or Take AI's (your draft for that file is discarded).
• If a file with unsaved edits was deleted while you were away, a dialog reads File deleted while you were away. Restore as new file recreates it from your draft; Discard draft keeps it deleted. This dialog and the conflict dialog stay until you choose.
• If restoring drafts fails, the editor shows Could not restore {file} or Could not restore unsaved edits.
• The connector agent searches the connector's files by name pattern and by content, and shows where each match is. A pattern that is not a valid regular expression is refused; the reason starts with Invalid regex:.
• Changes the connector agent makes appear without a reload: the tree and the open file refresh as the agent works.
• The assistant sidebar sits next to the editor and is open by default; its toggle is remembered.

Protect a file

1. Right-click the file and choose Protect.
2. Confirm with Protect. The dialog says Protecting a file is permanent.

• An open protected file shows a Protected badge with the tooltip Credential values are hidden and the file is read-only. Protection is permanent.
• A protected file is read-only: the credential values it holds are hidden, the editor serves a redacted copy, and saving it does nothing.
• Protected files are withheld from connector downloads and cannot be overwritten by an upload; the server keeps its own copy.
• There is no way to unprotect a file from the product, so protect only files that hold credentials. Stored secrets live in the vault; see Connector secrets.
• If protecting fails, the editor shows Could not protect the file with Please refresh the tree and try again. A stale tree or a missing Add/Modify Lake Objects permission is the usual cause.

Go back to an earlier version

The connector's file versions have their own page: see Connector versions and zip transfers for the History list and how to restore one. The configuration keeps a history of its own:

The configuration

The connector's configuration keeps its own history on the Connection step. History sits on the Configuration (meltano.yml) toolbar (tooltip Saved versions of this YAML); it appears once the connector exists and you can read the Lake, and it is hidden on a duplicate.

• A version is marked Current (Matches the saved configuration), Synced (Captured from the connector after a sync) or AI (Written by an AI agent); a version stored without a user shows as System.
• Compare (tooltip Compare with the editor content) shows the selected version next to the current configuration; Copy copies its YAML.
• Restore this version loads the version into the configuration editor only: nothing is saved until you save the form. The editor confirms with Version loaded into the editor and Save to apply it.
• Restore this version and Compare are unavailable when the version holds no configuration (This version has no configuration) or matches the editor exactly (Identical to the editor content).
• Show earlier versions loads older entries; if that fails, the list shows Couldn't load earlier versions - retry. An empty list reads No saved versions yet (A version is recorded each time this YAML is saved.).

Move the connector as a zip

To pack the connector's files into a zip, or to apply a zip to a connector, see Connector versions and zip transfers.

Questions, answered

How do I open the connector code editor?

Open the connector's Build step and click Open code editor on the connector template card; the popup opens full screen. For the connector end to end, see Connect Anything (custom connector).

Why can't I browse or edit the files yet?

In the create flow the connector must exist before its files can open: click Create & continue on General first, then open the editor from Build again. If the popup reads This connector is not available., close it and open it again.

Is my work saved automatically?

No. Click Save or press Ctrl+S. Files with unsaved changes carry a dot in the tree, and drafts are held in memory only, so a page reload drops them.

I minimised the editor. Are my changes still there?

Yes, while the popup stays open: a minimised popup keeps its drafts and unsaved edits. Close and Refresh drop them, so save before you close.

What happens when the connector agent changes a file I have unsaved edits in?

The editor merges the two versions when it safely can and reports Merged AI changes. If the same lines were changed on both sides, a dialog reads Your edits conflict with the AI's changes: compare with View diff, then choose Keep mine or Take AI's.

What does Protect do, and can I undo it?

It makes the file read-only, hides the credential values it holds, and keeps it out of downloads and uploads. Protection is permanent: there is no way to unprotect a file from the product.

Does renaming or moving a file keep its unsaved edits?

Yes. A renamed or moved file keeps its unsaved edits, and the editor follows the file to its new path.

Can I search inside the connector's files?

The connector agent can: it matches file name patterns and file contents and shows where each match is. A pattern that is not valid as a regular expression is refused, and the reason starts with Invalid regex:.

What do the Current, Synced and AI badges in the configuration history mean?

Current marks the version that matches the saved configuration, Synced a configuration captured from the connector after a sync, and AI a version written by an AI agent. A version stored without a user shows as System.