Folder picker and Documents discovery

When a chat needs a folder to work in, DataMind Oda opens a folder chooser: the folder dialog of the computer Oda runs on, or the in-app Select Workspace Directory dialog when a system dialog is out of reach. This page covers picking a folder and the folder Oda prepares for you on first use; Workspaces, files and permissions covers what Oda may do inside the folder.

Pick a folder for a workspace

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. In the system dialog, select the folder and confirm. In the in-app dialog, browse to the folder and choose Open.
3. Oda adds the folder as a workspace and opens a chat in it.

Which chooser you see depends on the computer Oda runs on, and Oda settles this when it starts:

• When you work at the computer that runs Oda and it can show a dialog there, your operating system's folder dialog opens. On Linux it also needs a desktop session and a chooser tool such as zenity or kdialog.
• When a system dialog cannot be reached, for example from a remote browser or a forwarded session, the in-app Select Workspace Directory dialog opens instead. It works everywhere.
• One chooser serves every pick: Oda keeps the same chooser until it restarts, and it never substitutes one the computer cannot serve.

Closing the chooser without picking changes nothing: a cancelled pick is not an error, and you can open the chooser again at any time.

Inside the in-app dialog

The in-app dialog browses folders on the computer Oda runs on and opens at its home folder.

• Trail: the header shows the path as crumbs starting at Home. Choose a crumb to jump back to that folder.
• Columns: folders are listed in a column; choosing one opens it and shows what is inside beside it, so you step from folder to folder.
• Edit path: choose Edit path to type a path instead. Typing filters the folder list; press Enter to go to the folder you typed, and Escape or clicking away puts the trail back.
• Show hidden files: folders whose names start with a dot are treated as hidden; this switch reveals them. It starts off each time the dialog opens, and the dot rule is the same on every platform.
• New folder: creates one folder inside the folder you are viewing. A small dialog opens; its New folder in "<name>" line names the folder that will hold the new one. Type the name in Folder name and choose Create. The name must be a single plain name: a blank name is refused, and so are names with slashes and the names . and ... A name that is already taken is refused too. Oda selects the folder it creates.
• Open takes the folder you selected, or the folder you are viewing when nothing is selected; Cancel closes the dialog without picking.
• If a folder takes a moment to list, a Loading… pill appears.

The dialog lists folders only, and it only lists and creates: there is no search, no rename, no delete, and no multi-select. If a folder holds more folders than one listing carries, the dialog keeps the first names in order (1,000 by default) and says Too many folders to list; only the beginning is shown.

The chooser works with folder names and paths only: it returns the path of the folder you pick, and never the contents of your files.

The default workspace

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

• Its folder is created inside your Documents folder, at DataMind Oda/Default workspace. Its title in Oda is kept separately from the folder name, so renaming one does not rename the other.
• Oda looks for your Documents folder the way your system reports it: on Windows it uses the folder Windows itself uses, including a redirected one; on macOS it asks the system; on Linux it reads your user directories setting. Looking for the folder creates nothing.
• The lookup has a time limit (10 seconds by default), and other workspace changes wait while it runs.
• If Oda cannot create the folder, a notice says Unable to create default workspace. Use Choose workspace to select a folder. Choose Choose workspace to pick a folder yourself; Oda tries again the next time it starts.
• In a managed setup, an administrator can point Oda at a specific Documents folder instead of the system one. The value must be a full path; a partial one is refused as Documents directory must be fully qualified: '<directory>'.

Questions, answered

Which chooser will I see?

Oda settles this when it starts and keeps it for every pick: at the computer that runs Oda, your operating system's folder dialog opens; when a system dialog cannot be reached, the in-app Select Workspace Directory dialog opens instead. Oda judges this from how it was started, so a connection that looks local can put the system dialog on the computer that runs Oda, not where you are.

Where does the default workspace folder live?

Inside your Documents folder, at DataMind Oda/Default workspace. Its title in Oda (Default workspace) is kept separately from the folder name, so renaming the folder does not rename the workspace, and renaming the workspace does not rename the folder.

What if Oda cannot find my Documents folder?

Oda looks only where your system reports the folder, and looking creates nothing. If the folder is not reported or is switched off, Oda does not guess: no default workspace is created, and you can pick a folder yourself with Choose workspace.

Will the Default workspace come back if I remove it?

No. Oda prepares it on first use only, and later starts leave it absent, with no error shown. Choose Choose workspace when a chat needs a folder.

How do I create a folder while I am choosing?

In the in-app dialog, choose New folder, type the name in Folder name, and choose Create. It creates one folder inside the folder you are viewing. The name must be one plain name: blank names, names with slashes, the names . and .., and names already taken are refused.

Why are some folders missing from the list?

Folders whose names start with a dot are hidden by default. Turn on Show hidden files in the dialog's footer to see them. The switch starts off each time the dialog opens, and the dot rule decides what is hidden on every platform.

What happens if I close the chooser without picking?

Nothing is picked and nothing changes. Closing the chooser is a cancellation, not a failure, so no error appears, and you can open the chooser again when you are ready.

Why does the folder list stop early?

The list carries a limited number of folder names (1,000 by default), and the dialog says Too many folders to list; only the beginning is shown. The other folders are still on your computer: type a path with Edit path to reach a folder the list did not show.

Why don't I see a folder chooser at all?

Folder picking needs a chooser that Oda can serve on the computer it runs on, and Oda never substitutes one it cannot serve. When a setup has no usable chooser, Oda does not offer the folder step: Add workspace is not shown, and no dialog opens.

What does the chooser share with Oda?

Folder names and the path you pick, nothing more. The chooser browses folder names on your computer and returns the path of the folder you choose; it never reads or sends the contents of your files.