Files
Every file a stage produces and every file you upload is held in the project's document store. Slate reads that store, and the store is also readable outside Slate. See Slate Vault for the store itself.
File types
Each file carries one type. The type drives which stage finder shows it and which folder it appears in.
| Type | Holds |
|---|---|
| Specification | A product specification |
| Market Report | Market research and gap reports |
| VOC Report | Pain point reports and review summaries |
| Dataset | Spreadsheets and normalised report data |
| Copy | Listing copy versions |
| Marketing Image | Generated product images |
| Manual | User manuals |
| Brand Asset | Brand guideline documents and reference images |
| Positioning | Positioning analyses |
| Profit Model | Price point and profit reports |
| Factory Brief | Findings written for the factory |
| Ops Report | Reports produced by scheduled jobs |
| Misc | Anything else |
Uploading
Files are uploaded from the file rail of any stage page, from the project creation form, or by dropping them onto a conversation.
- Drag the files onto the upload area, or select it to choose files.
- Slate detects each file's type and shows it.
- Confirm or correct the type.
| Constraint | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maximum file size | 25 MB |
| Readable formats | PDF, Excel, Word, CSV, Markdown, plain text and images |
| PDF reading | The first 50 pages |
| Spreadsheet reading | The first 200 rows and 40 columns of each sheet |
| Text reading | The first 200,000 characters |
A file larger than the cap, or in a format Slate cannot read, is still stored. Only its contents are unavailable to the model. Truncation is stated on the file.
Finding a file
From a stage
The file rail on every stage page carries a finder pre filtered to that stage's file types. Set TYPE to widen it, or search by name. Selecting a file attaches it as input to the stage.
From the sidebar
Expanding a project reveals Market Reports, Specifications and Assets. Each opens a folder view.
| Control | Effect |
|---|---|
| Type filter | Restricts the list to one file type |
| Generation filter | Restricts the list to one generation |
| Search files | Matches the file name |
| List and Grid | Switches the layout |
Reading a file
Open a file to read its contents beside its details.
| Detail | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Type | The file type |
| Version | The version number of this file |
| Stage | The stage that produced it |
| Generation | The generation it belongs to |
| Git commit | The recorded change it arrived in |
| Created and Updated | Timestamps |
| Path | Its location in the document store |
| Document properties | Any metadata fields written into the file |
Markdown files render as formatted text. Spreadsheets and CSV files render as a table, with Raw and Table switching the view. Long tables show the first rows and say how many are shown. A file type Slate cannot render reads Preview not available for this file type.
Select Download to save the original file.
Comments
Comments hold review notes left by the model and replies left by your team.
- Open the file.
- Enter the comment.
- Select Post.
A comment may be anchored to a point in the document. Model authored notes are bylined with the model that wrote them. Members with the viewer project role can read comments and cannot post them.
Versions
Slate writes a new version rather than overwriting a file. Earlier versions remain readable. The version number appears against the file in every list.
Parsing an Amazon report
The report parser turns an Amazon Search Term or Business report into a structured dataset, with every row traceable back to its source row.
- Open Operations on the project.
- Select Choose report.
- Select Parse.
| Constraint | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formats | .xlsx and .csv |
| Maximum size | 25 MB |
| Row cap | Reached files are marked Truncated |
| Permission | Operator project role or above |
The result names the report type it recognised, the rows kept, the rows skipped and the dataset written. An unrecognised report reads Unrecognised report type. Select Open dataset to read the output.
Confidentiality
Uploaded review and returns exports carry customer data as supplied. Reports Slate produces from them are written from anonymised data: reviewer names and profile addresses are hashed at ingestion and profile images are discarded. Uploaded originals keep whatever they contained.
Related
- Workflow stages covers the stage file rail.
- The Analyse stage covers the reports that stage writes.
- Projects covers the project folders.
- Diagnostics covers file conditions and resolutions.