Sending while Oda works

While Oda works on a task you can keep sending messages: each one either waits for its turn in the queue or joins the run that is already going, and a setting decides which happens by default. This page covers that setting and the messages waiting under the message box; the box itself is on The message box, and the rest of a chat is covered in Chat with Oda.

Choose what Enter and the send button do while Oda works

Open Settings > General and find Send behavior while busy.
The row reads What Enter and the Send button do while the agent is running; Cmd/Ctrl+Enter uses the other behavior, and offers Queue and Steer.

Steer is the default: Enter, or a click on the send button, joins the run that is going, and Oda takes the message at its next step. Ctrl/Cmd+Enter queues instead.
Choose Queue to swap the two: Enter waits for the current work to finish, and Ctrl/Cmd+Enter steers.
The two keys always do opposite things, and a change takes effect at once.
When Oda is not running, both keys send the message as usual.

What Queue and Steer do

A queued message waits under the message box and runs when the current work is done.
A steered message joins the run that is already going. While it waits to be taken it shows as pending; once Oda takes it, it takes its place in the run as a normal message.
If the running work can no longer take steering, the message waits in the queue instead.
While Oda works, the send button does the same thing as Enter; The message box covers it and its labels.

Steer everything that is waiting

Leave the message box empty and press Ctrl/Cmd+Enter while Oda is running: every waiting message leaves the queue for the run, oldest first. The empty box hints Cmd/Ctrl+Enter steers all queued messages. With a draft in the box, the key delivers that message instead of the queue.

The queue under the message box

One waiting message shows directly; when several wait, they start folded under a heading that counts them, for example 2 queued messages.
The queue shows nothing while it is empty.
A message you have just sent shows Sending… with its actions disabled until the chat accepts it; the accepted message then replaces the temporary row, so it does not appear twice. The status stays visible even when the list is folded.
A waiting message keeps whatever came with it: an image shows a thumbnail, and a file shows its own entry. How files and images are added is on Attach files and images to a message.
Waiting messages run in the order you sent them, oldest first.
Stopping the running work is covered on Stopping Oda and queued messages.

Edit, remove or steer a waiting message

Edit queued message opens the message. Enter or Save queued message keeps the change, and Escape or Cancel editing leaves the message as it was. A save that holds only spaces or line breaks is refused.
Editing keeps to text: a message that carries an image or a file cannot be edited, and its edit action is disabled with the tooltip Contains non-text content; editing is not supported yet.
Remove queued message takes the message out of the queue; it is not sent.
Steer queued message moves the message into the run, and Oda takes it at its next step. It is available only while Oda is running, and its tooltip reads Steering is available only while the agent is running.

When an action on a waiting message fails

A message that has already started sending can no longer be changed: an edit or a removal fails, the message stays in the queue, and a notice reads Edit failed: this message may have already started sending. or Removal failed: this message may have already started sending.
A failed steer leaves the message in the queue and shows the notice Steering failed. Try again.

Questions, answered

How do I choose whether my message waits or steers?

Open Settings > General, find Send behavior while busy, and pick Queue or Steer. Your choice takes effect at once, and Ctrl/Cmd+Enter always does the opposite of it.

Which key steers and which key queues?

It depends on the setting. With Steer (the default), Enter steers and Ctrl/Cmd+Enter queues; with Queue, Enter queues and Ctrl/Cmd+Enter steers. The two keys always do opposite things, and when Oda is not running both simply send.

Where do my waiting messages appear?

Under the message box. One waiting message shows directly; when several wait, they start folded under a heading that counts them, for example 2 queued messages. While the queue is empty, nothing shows there.

What does Sending… mean on a message I have just sent?

The chat has not accepted the message yet. Its row shows Sending… with its actions disabled; once the chat accepts it, the accepted message replaces the temporary row, so it does not appear twice. The status stays visible even when the list is folded.

Can I edit a message that is still waiting?

Yes, while it is still waiting and holds text only. Edit queued message opens it; Enter or Save queued message keeps the change, and Escape or Cancel editing leaves it as it was. A save that holds only spaces or line breaks is refused.

Why can't I edit a message that carries an image or a file?

Editing keeps to text, so such a message cannot be edited; its edit action is disabled, with the tooltip Contains non-text content; editing is not supported yet. Remove it, or steer it into the run, instead.

Why is Steer queued message unavailable?

It only works while Oda is running. When Oda is not running, the action is unavailable and its tooltip reads Steering is available only while the agent is running.

Why did editing or removing a waiting message fail?

The message had already started sending, so it can no longer be changed or removed. The notice reads Edit failed: this message may have already started sending. or Removal failed: this message may have already started sending.

How do I steer everything that is waiting at once?

Can a waiting message carry an image or a file?

Yes. The row shows a thumbnail for an image and its own entry for a file, and the message keeps them when its turn comes. Adding files and images to a message is covered on Attach files and images to a message.

Do waiting messages run in the order I sent them?

Yes, oldest first.