# Record time machine A React component in [Beamline](https://beamline.io/)'s [Data & tables](https://beamline.io/components/data) category. Live demo: https://beamline.io/components/record-time-machine The record itself, rewound in place: a slim track of every change (a tick per change in its person's colour, hollow for automation, named moments as flags, removed history hatched) and a head you drag or step with [ and ]. As it passes changes the fields morph to their earlier values; fields that differ from now wear the accent's edge and say what they are now and who changed them; long text shows its word differences; a field's own story filters the track to its changes. In the past, tick fields to restore just those, previewed now → then with what the restore sets off, written as a new event. ## Use it for - Any record more than one person (or automation) edits: a deal, a product, a contract, a patient's medication list, a shift, a page. - The host keeps the change events ([before, after] per field) and writes a restore as a new event; the part derives every past state from them. ## Not for - A feed of activity across many records → activity-feed or timeline. - Comparing two documents line by line → [file-diff](https://beamline.io/components/file-diff) or [diff-table](https://beamline.io/components/diff-table). ## Anatomy - header: the record's name, what you are viewing (Now · N changes, or Viewing · N changes since), Back to now - track (when there is history): named moments as flags above it, a hatched start for removed history, a tick per change in its actor's colour (hollow for automation), the head (a slider), the two ends - fields: label and value (short values morph letter by letter; long text shows word differences against now); in the past a field that differs wears the accent's edge, a chip (now · changed by , ) and a checkbox when restoring is allowed; each field's change count opens its story (each value with who and when; a row jumps the head there) - restore bar (in the past, when the host allows): the ticked fields as now → then, what the restore sets off, a change made since you started, and Restore N fields from ## States - now - no history - viewing the past - one field's story (the track filtered) - restore preview - restoring - restored (the head back at now) - conflict (changed since you started) - removed history (cutoff) - read-only past - hidden field ## Keyboard - The head is a slider: ← → (or [ and ]) step one change, Home goes before the first kept change, End to now; its value text is the date and the change ("1 Oct, 14:20, Ana Ruiz changed Amount and Products") - Tab reaches the moments, the fields' checkboxes and change counts, the story's rows and the restore button; focusing a field filters the track to its changes - The header's line is polite live: it says what is shown as you step ## Motion The head rides a lane as wide as the track (one transform) and settles on its change over the standard duration; while dragged it follows the hand exactly. Values morph letter by letter as the head passes their changes; ticks not about the pointed field fade. Reduced motion places everything. ## Props | Prop | Type | Default | Description | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `label` (required) | `string` | — | The record's name: "Northwind renewal". | | `fields` (required) | `RecordField[]` | — | | | `values` (required) | `Record` | — | The values now, by field id. | | `events` (required) | `RecordEvent[]` | — | Every change, oldest first. The part derives any past state by undoing them from now; it never edits them. | | `moments` | `RecordMoment[]` | — | | | `cutoff` | `Date` | — | History before this was removed (a retention policy): the track starts hatched. | | `now` | `Date` | — | "Now" for the track's right end; default the time of drawing. | | `currency` | `string` | — | ISO code for "money" fields. Default USD. | | `format` | `((value: RecordValue, field: RecordField) => string)` | — | A value as words, for a field the default reading doesn't fit. | | `position` | `number` | — | How many events are applied: `events.length` is now, 0 the oldest kept state. Controlled with onPositionChange; after a restore the part asks for now again (onPositionChange with the new events' length). | | `defaultPosition` | `number` | — | | | `onPositionChange` | `((position: number) => void)` | — | | | `onRestore` | `((fieldIds: string[], at: Date) => void \| Promise)` | — | Restore the ticked fields to their values at `at`: the time of the change at the head (the moment viewed). The host writes it as a new event; the part then returns to now. A promise shows Restoring until it settles; a rejected one leaves the past shown with the fields still ticked, to try again (say why in the app). Omit to make the past read-only. | | `consequences` | `((fieldIds: string[]) => string[])` | — | What a restore of these fields sets off (the host's rules): "Probability recalculates from the stage". | | `className` | `string` | — | Classes on the documented visual root; no override by default. | | `classNames` | `Partial` | — | Receives the documented native target or imperative handle; omitted by default. | ## Built from - [Avatar](https://beamline.io/components/avatar.md) - [Badge](https://beamline.io/components/badge.md) - [Button](https://beamline.io/components/button.md) - [Checkbox](https://beamline.io/components/checkbox.md) - [Label](https://beamline.io/components/label.md) - [Spinner](https://beamline.io/components/spinner.md) - [Text morph](https://beamline.io/components/text-morph.md) ## Dependencies `lucide-react` ## Import ```tsx import { RecordTimeMachine } from "@beamline/record-time-machine"; ``` ## Get it Record time machine is part of Beamline UI. Install the parts you need in your React app as compiled packages or editable source. 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