Resume a World
Continue work in an application that already has .volter/world.json. Ordinary startup keeps
the current branch's records; you do not need to run init again or reset yesterday's work.
For a fresh example, use getting started. For an existing team World,
confirm the workflow in team onboarding first.
Check where you are
From the app directory, inspect the saved selection and branch:
$ npx volter world status
$ npx volter world branchCheck the World name, branch, selected vendors and origin. Run from the application that owns this config; a different folder can select a different World. If you just cloned the app's Git repository, install its locked dependencies with its package manager before starting. The config, seeds and handlers are shared project inputs; ignored running state is local to each machine.
Resume, or start from known data
Choose the outcome you need:
| Outcome | Action | Data afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Continue with saved records | npx volter world up | A previously started branch resumes; a fresh branch loads default data |
| Repeat from your project's default data | npx volter world reset | The current branch's changes are discarded and default data is reloaded |
| Preserve this starting point while experimenting | Branch the World | A child starts from this history and records its own changes |
| Return to another branch | npx volter world checkout <branch> | That branch resumes with its own data |
Reset only a branch whose changes you intend to discard. A parent with dependent branches refuses reset; creating a child is not an independent backup of a removable parent. See branch lifetime.
For an exact replay, inspect npx volter world clock show and set the same clock and advances
as the original workflow. Reset alone does not freeze time. App-owned database and browser
session state may need their own setup; resetting a vendor twin does not reset every part of
your application. Browser testing shows the separate application
and browser assertions.
Run and inspect
Run your application's usual command inside the World:
$ npx volter world run -- npm test
$ npx volter world log
$ npx volter world diffReplace npm test with your app's development or test command. Read stored results through
the real vendor SDK as well as the World log; reads need not create log entries.
Inspect a World opens the dashboard and explains its lifetime.
Stop your app consumers when finished, then run npx volter world down. It stops compute and
retains data. Purging is a separate deliberate deletion, not a routine end-of-day step.
When the project changed
Keep the config, package manifest and lockfile in agreement. Do not overwrite an existing World
with init --force just to get startup past a version mismatch. Trial an update
in a separate candidate, or recover the failing call from its
recorded cause. An existing app's new vendor, changed handler or seed requires a deliberate
configuration decision; a catalog recommendation does not replace your saved pin.