Pointing Oda at files with @

In DataMind Oda, type @ in the message box to point Oda at a file or a folder of the chat's workspace; the mention names a path and does not send or read the file by itself. Chat with Oda covers the rest of the chat, and The message box covers the reference chips a mention becomes.

Write a file mention

1. Type @ at the start of your message or after a space, and the suggestions open as you keep typing.
2. Pick a suggestion, or write the path yourself, and the mention is inserted into your message.
3. Send the message. The mention travels with it as the path you pointed at.

• The plain form is @path, for example @report.xlsx.
• A path with spaces needs the quoted form, for example @"quarterly report.xlsx".
• A file suggestion finishes the mention; a folder ends with a slash and stays open so you can keep going into it, for example @src/ or @"design assets/.
• An @ inside a word, such as an email address, is not a mention and does not open the suggestions.
• A mention is a pointer: Oda reads the file when the task needs it, and the read appears as its own step (Reading files and images).
• A path with characters a mention cannot carry, such as a double quote or a control character, cannot be written as a mention.

Choose from the suggestions

As you type after @, Oda suggests paths from the chat's folder:

• A plain word matches across the folder tree, for example @budget. The best matches come first: an exact name, then names that start with your text, then names containing it, then paths containing it, then looser matches.
• Type a slash after a folder's name to look inside it directly: @src/ lists what src holds.
• When matches are otherwise equal, a folder comes before a file, a shorter path before a longer one, and the rest in alphabetical order.
• The list shows up to 20 suggestions; type more of the name to narrow it.
• Hidden files stay out unless you begin what you type with a dot, for example @.env.
• The suggestions match names and paths; they do not look inside files.

Folders the suggestions skip

To keep the list short and useful, the suggestions skip common build and cache folders:

.git, node_modules, dist, build, out, coverage, target, .next, .nuxt, .turbo, .venv, __pycache__, .pytest_cache, .mypy_cache and .gradle.

• lib is not skipped, so projects that keep source files in a lib folder stay findable.
• Oda does not read .gitignore files to decide; the list above is its own.
• A folder reached through a symbolic link is not searched.

These are the skips of the @ suggestions. Oda's file searches keep their own list; see Finding files and text.

When a file does not appear

• Oda builds a list of the chat's folder and refreshes it as work goes on. A file you have just created can be missing from the suggestions for a moment while the list is rebuilt; type a little more of its name, or ask again shortly.
• The list behind the suggestions holds up to 50,000 files and folders. In a workspace larger than that, some files can fall outside it; write the path yourself to mention one.
• The suggestions stay inside the chat's folder. For a file outside it, write the path yourself: a relative path resolves from the chat's folder, and an absolute path names a file or folder on this computer.

Questions, answered

Why does a file I just created not appear in the suggestions?

Oda's list of the chat's folder refreshes as work goes on. Right after a file changes on disk, the older list can still answer for a moment; type a little more of the name, or ask again shortly, and the new file appears.

Which folders do the suggestions skip?

Build and cache folders: .git, node_modules, dist, build, out, coverage, target, .next, .nuxt, .turbo, .venv, __pycache__, .pytest_cache, .mypy_cache and .gradle. lib is not skipped, and Oda does not read your .gitignore files to decide.

Does mentioning a file make Oda read it?

No. A mention is a pointer at a path; Oda reads the file only when the task needs it, and the read appears as its own step (Reading files and images).

How do I mention a file whose name contains spaces?

Use the quoted form: @"quarterly report.xlsx". The quotes keep the spaces inside the mention.

Can I point Oda at a whole folder?

Yes. A folder mention ends with a slash, for example @src/ or @"design assets/, and it stays open so you can keep going deeper. When the task needs it, Oda can list what is inside the folder.

Can I point Oda at a file outside the chat's folder?

Yes, by writing the path yourself: a relative path resolves from the chat's folder, and an absolute path names a file or folder on this computer. The @ suggestions themselves stay inside the chat's folder; to browse that folder yourself, open Workspace files in the side panel (Browse workspace files).

Why does a hidden file, such as .env, not appear in the suggestions?

Hidden files stay out of the suggestions unless you begin what you type with a dot: @.env offers it.