How does Atlas prevent accidental edits in a Zig project during planning?

Atlas's plan agent operates with strict permissions, denying all edit tools for your Zig source code, `build.zig`, and `build.zig.zon`. It only allows writing to the plan markdown file within `.atlas/plans/*.md`, ensuring research and design cannot accidentally modify your Zig project.

Can Atlas understand Zig's `comptime` and `build.zig` for planning complex changes?

Yes, Atlas indexes Zig code by AST declarations using tree-sitter and leverages the `lsp` tool to understand `comptime` blocks, explicit allocators, and the build steps defined in `build.zig`. This deep understanding supports informed multi-file change planning.

What specific Zig commands does Atlas use for testing and formatting during implementation?

Atlas integrates directly with the Zig toolchain. It uses `zig build test` for running your project's tests and `zig fmt` for formatting touched files, always presenting these actions for your permission and review before execution.

How do I get my multi-file Zig change plan reviewed before any code is modified?

After drafting your detailed plan in `.atlas/plans/*.md`, you call the `plan_exit` tool. This tool explicitly asks for confirmation to switch to the build agent, allowing you to share and review the plan document before any implementation work begins on your Zig codebase.

Does Atlas support managing dependencies in Zig projects?

Yes, Atlas can assist with dependency management. It can add new dependencies using `zig fetch --save` and automatically wire them into your `build.zig` file, then present the resulting `.zon` diff for your review and approval.

Is Atlas compatible with local Zig development environments and privacy concerns?

Absolutely. Atlas is designed to be terminal-native and can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings. This capability ensures that your Zig code remains on your local machine, addressing privacy concerns by keeping it off third-party servers.

How does Atlas ensure I approve every change to my Zig files?

Atlas computes a unified diff for every proposed file edit in your Zig project. This diff is explicitly surfaced for your approval before Atlas writes any changes to disk. Additionally, Atlas snapshots file changes as git patches, enabling easy diffing and rollback.

Plan a Multi-File Change Before Editing in Zig with Atlas in 2026

Atlas empowers Zig developers in 2026 to design multi-file changes and secure review before any code modification, integrating directly with `zig build test`, `zig fetch (build.zig.zon)`, and `zig fmt` for a robust planning workflow that respects Zig's unique architecture.

How Atlas Plans Multi-File Changes in Zig Codebases

In 2026, Atlas's dedicated plan agent provides a read-only environment for Zig developers to design multi-file changes, ensuring no accidental modifications occur during the research phase. This agent's permissions are strictly configured to deny all edit tools, except for writing the plan itself.

Atlas's plan agent is specifically designed to facilitate the planning of complex, multi-file changes within a Zig codebase without altering a single line of existing code. When you switch to the plan agent, its permission set is rigorously enforced: it denies edit permissions for all paths (`*`) except for markdown files located under `.atlas/plans/*.md`. This crucial safety mechanism means that while you can extensively research your Zig project using tools like `codebase_search`, `grep`, `read`, and the `lsp` tool, you cannot inadvertently introduce changes to your `build.zig`, source files, or `build.zig.zon`. This read-only mode for implementation ensures that the design phase remains distinct and safe, allowing for thorough exploration of Zig's `comptime` blocks, explicit allocators, and module structure before any actual coding begins. The plan agent's focus is purely on understanding the existing Zig architecture and documenting the proposed changes.

Researching Zig Code with Atlas's Plan Agent

Atlas's plan agent offers powerful research tools for Zig developers, allowing deep inspection of `comptime` blocks and `build.zig` configurations in 2026. It leverages `lsp` for AST declarations and `codebase_search` for semantic understanding, all without modifying code.

When planning a multi-file change in a Zig project, understanding the existing codebase is paramount. Atlas's plan agent provides several tools to facilitate this research. The `lsp` tool is particularly effective for Zig, as Atlas indexes code by AST declarations using tree-sitter. This allows Atlas to comprehend the intricacies of Zig's `comptime` blocks, how explicit allocators are threaded through call sites, and the structure defined in `build.zig`. You can use `codebase_search` for hybrid semantic and keyword retrieval, helping you locate relevant functions, types, or modules across your Zig project. For more targeted searches, the `grep` tool can find specific patterns or keywords within your source files or configuration files like `build.zig` and `build.zig.zon`. All these research tools are fully enabled within the plan agent, providing comprehensive insights into your Zig project's architecture, allowing you to design changes that are well-informed and compatible with the existing system, all while maintaining the read-only guarantee for your actual Zig code.

Drafting and Reviewing Your Zig Change Plan

After thorough research, Zig developers draft their multi-file change plan into a markdown file within `.atlas/plans/` using Atlas's plan agent. Once complete, the `plan_exit` tool facilitates a structured review process before any implementation begins in 2026.

Once you have thoroughly researched your Zig codebase using Atlas's tools, the next step is to articulate your multi-file change plan. The plan agent allows you to write this detailed design into a markdown file, typically located at a path like `.atlas/plans/my_feature_design.md`. This is the only location where the plan agent has write permissions, ensuring that your design document is the sole output of this planning phase. This plan should outline the proposed changes, affected Zig files, modifications to `build.zig` or `build.zig.zon`, and any new `comptime` logic or allocator usage. When your plan is complete and ready for review, you invoke the `plan_exit` tool. This tool prompts you with a clear question: 'Plan at <path> is complete. Would you like to switch to the build agent and start implementing?' Answering 'Yes' signals that your plan is finalized and ready for the next stage, allowing for a formal review of the plan document itself before any actual Zig code is touched. Answering 'No' raises a `Question.RejectedError`, keeping you in the plan agent to refine your design further.

Ensuring Safety and Review for Zig Multi-File Changes

Atlas prioritizes safety for Zig developers in 2026 by implementing permission-gated tool calls and a read-only plan agent, preventing accidental edits. Every proposed file modification generates a unified diff for approval, ensuring rigorous review before writing.

The core philosophy behind Atlas's planning workflow for Zig projects is safety and controlled review. Every Atlas tool call, including those that might interact with your Zig project's files or run commands like `zig build test`, is permission-gated. This means that before any action is taken, it must pass against allow, ask, and deny rules, providing a crucial layer of user control. In the plan agent, this is taken a step further: its permissions explicitly deny any edit operations on your Zig source code, `build.zig`, or `build.zig.zon`. This guarantees that your research and design phase is entirely read-only for the codebase itself. When you eventually transition to the build agent and begin implementation, Atlas computes a unified diff for every proposed file edit. This diff is surfaced for your explicit approval before Atlas writes any changes to your Zig files. Furthermore, Atlas snapshots file changes as git patches, allowing edits to be easily diffed, reviewed, and rolled back if necessary. This comprehensive safety framework ensures that multi-file changes in Zig are designed, reviewed, and implemented with maximum confidence and control.

Step by step

01Run Atlas in your Zig project, ensuring it contains a `build.zig` and `build.zig.zon` for proper context indexing.
02Switch to the Atlas plan agent to initiate the read-only design phase for your multi-file Zig change.
03Utilize Atlas's `codebase_search`, `grep`, and `lsp` tools to research Zig's `comptime` blocks, explicit allocators, and `build.zig` structure.
04Draft your detailed multi-file change plan into a markdown file, for example, `.atlas/plans/new_feature_design.md`, outlining all proposed Zig modifications.
05Call the `plan_exit` tool, confirming that your Zig change plan is complete and ready for review.
06Answer 'Yes' to the `plan_exit` prompt to switch to the build agent, signaling the start of the implementation phase for your Zig project.
07Ask Atlas to add a test block in the same file as the function it covers, adhering to the Zig convention for testing.
08Let Atlas run `zig build test` behind a permission prompt to validate changes, feeding any errors back for iteration.
09Have Atlas add a dependency with `zig fetch --save` and wire it into `build.zig`, then review the `.zon` diff for approval.
10Finish by having Atlas apply `zig fmt` on the touched Zig files, reviewing the unified diff before writing.

Frequently asked questions

How does Atlas prevent accidental edits in a Zig project during planning?: Atlas's plan agent operates with strict permissions, denying all edit tools for your Zig source code, `build.zig`, and `build.zig.zon`. It only allows writing to the plan markdown file within `.atlas/plans/*.md`, ensuring research and design cannot accidentally modify your Zig project.
Can Atlas understand Zig's `comptime` and `build.zig` for planning complex changes?: Yes, Atlas indexes Zig code by AST declarations using tree-sitter and leverages the `lsp` tool to understand `comptime` blocks, explicit allocators, and the build steps defined in `build.zig`. This deep understanding supports informed multi-file change planning.
What specific Zig commands does Atlas use for testing and formatting during implementation?: Atlas integrates directly with the Zig toolchain. It uses `zig build test` for running your project's tests and `zig fmt` for formatting touched files, always presenting these actions for your permission and review before execution.
How do I get my multi-file Zig change plan reviewed before any code is modified?: After drafting your detailed plan in `.atlas/plans/*.md`, you call the `plan_exit` tool. This tool explicitly asks for confirmation to switch to the build agent, allowing you to share and review the plan document before any implementation work begins on your Zig codebase.
Does Atlas support managing dependencies in Zig projects?: Yes, Atlas can assist with dependency management. It can add new dependencies using `zig fetch --save` and automatically wire them into your `build.zig` file, then present the resulting `.zon` diff for your review and approval.
Is Atlas compatible with local Zig development environments and privacy concerns?: Absolutely. Atlas is designed to be terminal-native and can build its code index with local Ollama embeddings. This capability ensures that your Zig code remains on your local machine, addressing privacy concerns by keeping it off third-party servers.
How does Atlas ensure I approve every change to my Zig files?: Atlas computes a unified diff for every proposed file edit in your Zig project. This diff is explicitly surfaced for your approval before Atlas writes any changes to disk. Additionally, Atlas snapshots file changes as git patches, enabling easy diffing and rollback.

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