Using skills

A skill is a named set of instructions for a task, with a description that says when to use it. In DataMind Oda, your skills appear in the / menu of the message box: run one yourself with /<name>, or let Oda load the skill that fits your task.

Run a skill yourself

1. Type / in the message box. The menu lists the commands and the skills of the open chat; the commands are described in Chat with Oda.
2. Pick a skill, or type /<name> anywhere in your message, for example /review-checklist.
3. Send the message. Oda loads the skill's instructions and follows them.

Oda reads a / name only when it matches a skill exactly. /review-checklist/notes and a fraction like 5/8 stay ordinary text, while /review-checklist inside a sentence still runs the skill. A skill mentioned twice in one message loads once.

Let Oda choose a skill

Oda works from a list of the skills available in the chat: for each one, the name and the short description that says when to use it. When your task matches a description, Oda loads the full instructions by itself; the chat shows a Load skill <name> card. Oda can load more than one skill when several fit.

The list follows the work: it stays current as skills change, and it is put back after a long chat is compacted.

Who can start a skill

• A skill can be set to wait for you: it stays out of the list Oda picks from, Oda never loads it on its own, and /<name> runs it whenever you choose.
• A skill can be kept for Oda alone: it does not appear in your / menu, and Oda can still load it when a task fits.

Both settings are recorded in the skill's file; see Skill files and folders.

Add and manage skills

• To have Oda create a skill in a chat, or install one from a folder, a .zip file or a link, see Create and install skills.
• To edit, delete, restore or browse versions of the skills on this computer, open Settings > Skills: see The skill library.
• To see what a skill file may contain and where Oda looks for skills, see Skill files and folders.

Questions, answered

Do I have to run skills myself, or does Oda use them on its own?

Both. Oda loads a skill by itself when your task matches its description, and you can run a skill with /<name> at any time. A skill can also be set so that only you can start it, or only Oda can.

What does Oda know about my skills before it loads one?

The name and the short description. Oda chooses from the description; the full instructions are read only when it loads the skill, and Oda follows them from then on.

Can I keep a skill so that Oda never runs it on its own?

Yes. Set the skill to wait for you: it stays out of the list Oda works from, and /<name> still runs it.

Why is a skill missing from the / menu?

Some skills are kept for Oda alone, so they never appear in your menu. A preset can also limit a chat to a chosen set of skills; see Presets.

Why did typing a skill name with / do nothing?

Oda runs a / name only when it matches a skill exactly, so type the name as it appears in the menu, for example /review-checklist. A / word that does not match stays ordinary text: /review-checklist/notes and 5/8 do nothing.

Why did a skill fail to load?

• skill "<name>" is unknown or no longer available: the skill was deleted or renamed. A deleted skill can be restored in Settings > Skills.
• skill "<name>" is not available for model invocation: the skill is set to wait for you, so Oda cannot load it on its own. Run it yourself with /<name>.
• invalid skill name "<name>": the name is not a valid skill name. Skill names are lowercase words joined by hyphens, such as review-checklist.

If I edit or add a skill, does an open chat see it?

Yes, from the next load. Oda reads a skill's instructions when it loads the skill, so it works from the current version. The list of available skills also refreshes when skills are added, renamed or removed.

Do skills keep working in a long chat?

Yes. The list of skills Oda works from is kept current and is put back after a long chat is compacted. When it changes, Oda is told to use only the names in the current list, not names from earlier lists.

Can Oda use more than one skill for a task?

Yes. When several skills fit the task, Oda can load more than one and follow them together.