Reading files and images

When Oda reads a file or an image while it works, the chat shows a step for it. A file read shows the excerpt Oda looked at, with the file's line numbers; an image read shows the picture. This page explains what those steps show; the step rows themselves are described in Oda's steps and tool results.

What a file-read step shows

A file read is a step titled Read, named with the file it read. Expand the step to see the excerpt:

• The card repeats the file's path, then shows the lines Oda read, each with its own number from the file.
• The excerpt is a preview, not the whole file. When it covers only part of the file, the card notes it, for example Showing 3 of 180 lines.
• When the excerpt is long, the card folds its middle; a control on the card states how many lines are hidden and shows them when you click it.
• Copy copies the whole excerpt's text without the line numbers. The control briefly reads Copied.

Open the file from the step

Click the file's path on the step, and the file opens in its usual app at the line the read started from, so you land where Oda was looking. Clicking the path does not expand the step; click the row to expand it. For opening files, opening them as text, revealing them in the file manager or choosing an app, see Opening files from chat.

What an image-read step shows

An image read is a step titled Read image, named with the file it read. The picture stays folded: expand the step to show it.

• The card names the file, shows the picture, and keeps a short note about the image, for example image/png image, 1496x260 px. The note stays readable even when the picture cannot be shown.
• Click the picture to open it in the image viewer.

When a read does not finish

• While a read is running, the step shows the file's name on its own; there is nothing to expand until it finishes.
• A read that fails shows the failure as the step's summary, with no excerpt.
• A read that is stopped keeps the file's path and is marked as stopped.
• An image read that cannot return the picture shows the reason as text instead, for example when the file is not in a supported image format or this chat cannot receive images.

Questions, answered

What does Showing 3 of 180 lines mean?

The excerpt covers 3 of the file's 180 lines: a file read shows a preview, not the whole file. How Oda reads files, with its limits, is on Read, write and edit files.

How do I see the lines a long excerpt folds away?

Expand the step, then click the control on the read card that states how many lines are hidden; it shows them. Click it again to fold them away.

How do I open the file Oda read?

Click the file's path on the step. The file opens in its usual app at the line the read started from, so you land where Oda was looking.

Why is the path on the step not clickable?

The path is a link unless the read failed or was stopped. In those cases the step keeps the path as plain text.

Why can't I expand a read step while it is running?

A running read has nothing behind it yet. The excerpt, and the step's expansion, arrive when the read finishes.

How do I see the picture Oda read?

Expand the step: an image read keeps its picture folded until then. The picture shows in the card, with a note about the image under it.

Can I open the picture larger?

Yes. Click the picture on the step to open it in the image viewer.

Why does an image step show text instead of the picture?

Oda can return the picture only when the file reads as a supported image and the chat can receive images. Otherwise the step shows the reason as text, with no picture. The messages and what each means are on Read, write and edit files.

What is the text under the picture?

The note from the read, such as image/png image, 1496x260 px. It stays readable even when the picture itself cannot be shown.

Do the excerpt's line numbers match the file?

Yes. The excerpt keeps the file's own line numbers, so even a part read from the middle of a file shows its original numbers.

Can I copy the excerpt?

Yes. Copy on the read card copies the whole excerpt's text without the line numbers.