Past chats in VS Code

Past chats is the DataMind Oda extension's list of the chats you have had in this VS Code window. Open it from the chat header to reopen a chat, rename it or archive it. What the extension adds to the editor is on The Oda extension for VS Code, and the conversation itself is on Chat with Oda.

Open a chat from the list

1. In the chat header, choose Past chats. It sits between Settings and New chat.
2. The list opens with its search field ready.
3. Choose a chat to open it. The list closes and the chat opens in the panel.

• Up and down arrow keys move through the list, Enter opens the highlighted chat and Escape closes the list. While you are renaming, Escape leaves the rename first.
• A click outside the list closes it.

What the list shows

• The chats of the folders that are open in this VS Code window. A chat joins the list when its folder is one of them or sits inside one; with no folder open, the list is not narrowed by folder.
• Rows sit under day headings: Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days and Older. A heading with no chats is left out.
• Each row shows the chat's name and how long ago you last used it, in short form such as 5m, 3h or 2d; the ages refresh every minute.
• A chat that is working right now shows Running, and the chat you are viewing is marked.
• Left out: chats that are still empty, archived chats, chats that belong to a subagent, and side versions of a branched chat.
• When there is nothing to show, the list reads No past chats in this workspace yet.

Search your chats

1. Type in the search field. Its hint reads Search past chats.
2. Chat names match as you type. Once you have typed two characters, Oda also searches inside the chats' messages.
3. Choose a result to open that chat.

• When nothing matches, the list reads No chats match.
• If the search inside messages fails, the name matches are still shown.

Rename a chat

1. Point at the chat, or move the highlight to it, to reveal its actions.
2. Choose Rename {title}, where {title} is the chat's name, and type the new name.
3. Press Enter or click away to save it. An empty name, or the same name as before, changes nothing.

Archive a chat

1. Choose Archive {title} from the chat's actions.
2. If the chat is running, Oda asks first: Still running. Stop it and archive?
   • Stop and archive stops the chat, then archives it.
   • Cancel closes the question and leaves everything as it is.
3. The chat leaves the list.

Open a chat in its own tab

• A chat can open in its own VS Code tab. When the tab asks for its chat, Oda opens that chat.
• If Oda cannot find the chat it was asked for, it starts a new one instead. A blank chat from the same folder that no other tab is showing is reused for it first.
• Until the chat is ready, the chat area stays hidden; the wait ends after about 8 seconds at the latest.
• If the chat cannot be shown, the reason is recorded in VS Code's developer console, as VS Code tab could not show its chat:.

Messages from other parts of Oda are in Troubleshooting.

Questions, answered

Which chats appear in Past chats?

The chats of the folders open in this VS Code window: a chat appears when its folder is one of them or sits inside one, and with no folder open the list is not narrowed. Chats that are still empty, archived chats, chats that belong to a subagent and side versions of a branched chat are left out.

How do I search my chats?

Open Past chats and type in the search field. Names match as you type; after two characters Oda also searches inside the chats' messages. Choose a result to open that chat. When nothing matches, the list reads No chats match.

What do the times next to a chat mean?

How long ago you last used it, in short form: 5m for minutes, 3h for hours, 2d for days, 4mo for months and 1y for years. They refresh every minute.

What does Running next to a chat mean?

That the chat is working right now.

Can I see chats that I archived?

No. Archived chats are left out of the list.

What does Stop and archive do?

It stops the chat that is still running and then archives it. Cancel leaves the chat running and in the list.

Why did a new chat open instead of the one I was working in?

When a tab asks for a chat that Oda cannot find, it starts a new one; a blank chat from the same folder that no other tab is showing can be reused for it. Your other chats stay in Past chats; choose one from the list to open it.

Why does the chat area stay empty for a moment?

While a tab waits for its chat, the chat area stays hidden. The wait ends once the chat is ready and lasts at most about 8 seconds.

What if a rename or an archive does not go through?

No message appears: the failure is recorded in VS Code's developer console, as VS Code: rename failed: or VS Code: archive failed:. Try the action again from the chat's row.

Is there a keyboard way through the list?

Yes. Up and down arrow keys move through the list, Enter opens the highlighted chat and Escape closes the list. While you are renaming, Escape leaves the rename first.