Choosing folders for Oda

DataMind Oda works in folders on your computer: every chat works in one folder, and Oda calls that folder a workspace. This page covers the folder Oda prepares for you on first use, and how to pick, browse or create folders of your own.

The folder Oda prepares for you

On first use, Oda prepares a Default workspace so your first chat has a folder to work in.

• The folder is created inside your Documents folder, at DataMind Oda/Default workspace. The folder name and the workspace title are kept separately, so renaming one does not rename the other.
• It is prepared on first use only: an existing default folder and workspace are reused as they are, not created again.
• The folder name must be one plain folder name. Oda refuses a name that is blank, starts or ends with a space, ends in a dot, or contains a slash, a backslash, a colon or a control character; a refused name reads default Workspace requires a directory name and non-blank title.
• If the folder cannot be prepared, a notice reads Unable to create default workspace. Use Choose workspace to select a folder. Choose Choose workspace and pick a folder yourself; Oda tries again the next time it starts.

Choose a folder

1. Open the chooser: choose Add workspace in the sidebar, or Choose workspace on a chat that has no folder yet.
2. Pick the folder Oda should work in and confirm it. Your operating system's folder dialog opens, or the in-app Select Workspace Directory dialog when a system dialog cannot be reached; Choosing the workspace folder covers which chooser you will see.
3. Oda adds the folder as a workspace, and your chats use it from then on; Add, rename or delete a workspace covers the workspace list.

A cancelled pick changes nothing: nothing is picked and no error appears, and you can open the chooser again at any time.

Browse and create folders while you pick

The in-app Select Workspace Directory dialog lets you walk through the folders on the computer and, with Edit path, type a path instead of clicking through them; Open confirms the folder you are viewing, and Cancel closes the dialog without picking.

• New folder creates one folder inside the folder you are viewing. Type a single plain name and choose Create.
• A blank name is refused, and so are names with slashes and the names . and ...
• A name that is already taken is refused, and the dialog names the folder that uses it; nothing is created.

Folder picker and Documents discovery describes the dialog's controls and how Oda finds your Documents folder.

Questions, answered

Why does a chat need a folder?

A chat needs a folder to work in: Oda saves and changes files there, and each chat belongs to one folder, which Oda calls a workspace. On first use Oda prepares the Default workspace; to work somewhere else, add that folder as a workspace and start a chat in it. Workspaces, files and permissions covers what Oda may do inside the folder.

Does Oda create folders by itself?

Only the folder of the Default workspace, on first use. An existing default is reused as it is, and apart from that Oda creates a folder only when you ask for one while picking, with New folder.

Which names can a folder have?

Oda accepts single plain folder names: a name that is blank, contains a slash, or is . or .. is refused. For the Default workspace folder Oda also refuses a name that starts or ends with a space, ends in a dot, or contains a slash, a backslash, a colon or a control character. A refused name reads default Workspace requires a directory name and non-blank title. Your operating system's own naming rules apply as well.

Can I pick a folder that does not exist yet?

No. The chooser shows folders that are already on the computer, and a folder that is not there cannot be picked. Create the folder first: the in-app Select Workspace Directory dialog makes one folder inside the folder you are viewing, with New folder.

What happens if a folder I am browsing cannot be read?

Oda reports that it could not read that folder, and nothing else changes: no folder is created and no pick happens. Choose another folder, or check that the folder still exists and that your account can open it, then try again.

The folder name I typed is already taken. What happens?

Nothing is created: Oda refuses the name and names the folder that already uses it. Type another name, or close the small dialog and open the existing folder instead.

Why did creating a folder fail?

Oda reports that it could not create the folder, and nothing is created. This happens when the folder you are viewing does not allow new folders, for example when your account may not add one there. Try another name, or create the folder somewhere else and pick it from there.