Workspaces and Files

A Chukke workspace is a folder you select. Chukke works with the files in place and does not import the folder into a cloud workspace. You can also open an individual supported document outside the active workspace without moving or importing it.

Supported documents

The workspace tree shows Markdown and text documents with these extensions:

• .md
• .markdown
• .txt

Supported files remain visible when their names begin with ., and Chukke shows ordinary dot-directories such as .github. Repository and application internals remain hidden, including .git, .chukke, .DS_Store, node_modules, and Chukke’s transient files. Unsupported dotfiles such as .env are not part of the Markdown-first tree.

Chukke watches the selected workspace for files and folders created, renamed, moved, or removed by Git, Finder, editors, and other local tools, then refreshes File Explorer. Repository-scale workspaces and generated dependency or build trees do not require one watcher handle per entry. Monitoring remains limited to the folder you selected, and excluded repository and application internals do not trigger Explorer refreshes.

You can open, create, copy, rename, and move supported files and folders, including moving them to Trash. Workspace boundary checks prevent file operations from escaping the folder you selected. Successful copies, file renames, moves, and Trash moves provide an eight-second Undo action. With focus outside an editor or text field, Cmd+Z or Ctrl+Z runs the latest available file-operation undo; text-editing undo retains priority while you are typing. Move conflicts never overwrite the destination, keep the move dialog open, and identify the existing-name conflict.

To copy a file or folder, open its File Explorer context menu and choose Copy, then choose Paste from a destination folder or the workspace heading. You can also choose Copy to… and select the destination directly. With File Explorer focus, Cmd+C stores the focused file or folder as a Chukke-only session reference. Cmd+V pastes into the focused folder, the parent of a focused file, or the workspace root when its heading has focus. The regular macOS clipboard is not changed, and editor text copy and paste continue to work normally.

Direct file copies support the visible .md, .markdown, and .txt documents. A folder copy preserves its entire real directory tree, including files that Chukke does not display. Chukke never overwrites, merges, or automatically renames a destination: exact and case-only name conflicts fail, and pasting into the source’s current parent is unavailable. A folder cannot be copied into itself or a descendant, and symbolic links anywhere in a copied folder are rejected.

The copied item keeps its original name and is not opened automatically. Copying does not change tabs, Recent Files, Context Pack selections, or local history. For eight seconds, the success message provides Undo and the same action works with Cmd+Z or Ctrl+Z while focus is outside an editor or text field. Undo removes only the most recent copy when the source and complete destination are still unchanged. If either side was edited, replaced, renamed, removed, or has unsaved destination changes, Chukke refuses the undo and preserves the copied content.

The session source remains available for pasting into more folders until you switch or close the workspace, rename or relocate the source, or move it to Trash. If the source file, or any open document inside a source folder, has unsaved changes, Chukke asks whether to copy the last saved version and never saves or copies the editor buffer automatically.

Moving a file or folder to Trash requires confirmation. Cancel receives initial focus, and pressing Escape cancels the action. If a file has unsaved editor changes, the confirmation warns that those changes will be discarded and Trash will contain the last saved version. Folder confirmation covers the complete folder, including files Chukke does not display and unsaved changes in open descendants. Chukke delegates the actual move to macOS and never falls back to permanent deletion. For eight seconds, the success message provides Undo and the same action works with Cmd+Z or Ctrl+Z outside editors and text fields. Undo restores only the exact item macOS moved and refuses to overwrite an occupied original location or restore a changed Trash item. Afterward, use Finder’s Put Back. Existing bounded Chukke History is preserved.

Choose Open File… to open a supported document outside the active workspace, or use Chukke through Finder’s Open With menu. Finder owns the Open With and Change All choices. Chukke registers as an alternate editor but does not change the default application itself.

An individually opened document supports editing, formatting, undo and redo, Edit, Split, Preview, Find, Outline, Review, Insights, Model-ready, Assist, Refine, Save, Save As, export, and Reveal in Finder. It deliberately does not receive workspace history, workspace-tree file actions, templates, workspace dictionary changes, or Context Pack membership.

Saving an individually opened document into the active workspace through Save As… converts its tab to a workspace document after the write succeeds. Saving elsewhere keeps it as an individual document.

Open Editors and the workspace tree

Open Editors is the current-session list of all open workspace and individual documents in tab order. The workspace tree is different: it shows only the contents of the active workspace.

Chukke uses compact path context and a full-path tooltip when individual documents or duplicate names need disambiguation. The path is for local recognition only.

Access after relaunch

The Mac App Store build stores an app-scoped security bookmark for a recent workspace. This lets Chukke request access to the same user-selected folder after relaunch while remaining inside the macOS App Sandbox.

If a folder moved, was deleted, became inaccessible, or needs authorization again, Chukke asks you to resolve or reselect it. Canceling reauthorization preserves the current workspace.

The Mac App Store build uses the same app-scoped bookmark mechanism for Recent Files. Reopening a moved or unauthorized file may ask you to locate it again. Canceling leaves the current session unchanged.

Workspace content and application data

User-owned content includes your workspace documents, intentional workspace templates under .chukke/templates, and editable personal templates. Workspace content remains in the folder you control; personal templates live in Chukke’s macOS application-data container but remain yours and are never part of app cleanup.

Application-owned data includes settings, recent-workspace and recent-file bookmarks, local history, and sanitized diagnostics. These live in Chukke’s macOS application-data container and can be cleared only through their relevant fixed-scope controls.

Templates and Context Pack

The Template Library combines read-only built-in templates, editable personal templates, and workspace templates stored under .chukke/templates. Removing a personal or workspace template moves its Markdown file to macOS Trash and provides the same eight-second Undo action. Finder’s Put Back remains available afterward. Creating a document from a template and adding files to Context Pack require an active workspace. Individually opened documents are not added to Context Pack.

Workspace template folders must stay inside the selected workspace. Chukke rejects symbolic links at .chukke or .chukke/templates and leaves those user-owned entries untouched.

Recents

Recent Workspaces stores authorization information for folders you previously selected. Recent Files stores at most 10 individually opened documents and exposes them on Welcome and under File > Open Recent > Files.

Removing one entry or clearing either list deletes only Chukke’s saved authorization metadata. It never deletes a folder or document. Open Editors is not a recent-history list and lasts only for the current session.

Backup considerations

Continue using Git, Time Machine, or another backup workflow for important work. Chukke’s local history is a bounded recovery feature, not a replacement for a complete backup.