Files Extension¶
Work with files on your computer - read, write, and organize.
Built-in
This extension is always available and requires no setup.
What You Can Do¶
Read Files¶
Text files:
Read any text-based file (TXT, CSV, JSON, etc.).
PDF documents:
Extract text from PDF files.
Batch PDF reading:
Read multiple PDFs at once for efficient processing.
File information:
Check file size, creation date, and type.
Example requests:
- "Read the file report.txt from my Desktop"
- "Extract text from invoice.pdf"
- "Read all the invoices from the temp folder"
- "How big is the backup.zip file?"
Write Files¶
Create new files:
Make new text files with content you specify.
Update files:
Modify existing file contents.
Example requests:
- "Create a file called notes.txt with today's meeting notes"
- "Save this data to output.csv"
Browse Folders¶
List contents:
See what's in a folder.
Filter by type:
Show only certain file types.
Check existence:
Verify if a file or folder exists.
Example requests:
- "What's in my Documents folder?"
- "Show all PDF files in Downloads"
- "Does the backup folder exist?"
Manage Files¶
Copy files:
Duplicate files to new locations.
Delete files:
Remove files you no longer need.
Example requests:
- "Copy report.pdf to the Archive folder"
- "Delete all temp files in the project folder"
Common File Types¶
| Extension | Type | Readable |
|---|---|---|
| .txt | Plain text | Yes |
| .csv | Spreadsheet data | Yes |
| .json | Data format | Yes |
| Document | Yes (text extraction) | |
| .docx | Word document | Limited |
| .xlsx | Excel spreadsheet | No |
Path Examples¶
Use full paths for clarity:
- Windows:
C:\Users\John\Documents\file.txt - Relative:
./subfolder/file.txt(from workspace)
Workflow Examples¶
Processing downloaded invoices:
- "List all PDFs in my Downloads folder"
- "Read the invoice from Supplier Corp"
- "Extract the total amount and due date"
Creating reports:
- "Create a summary.txt file"
- "Add today's sales figures"
- "Copy to the Shared folder"
File Size Limits¶
| Operation | Limit |
|---|---|
| Read text file | 10 MB |
| Write file | No limit |
| PDF extraction | Depends on content |
Tips¶
-
Use full paths: Avoid confusion by using complete file paths.
-
PDF text: PDF extraction works best with text-based PDFs, not scanned images.
-
Encoding: Most text files use UTF-8. Specify encoding for special characters.
-
Backups: DeskAgent doesn't backup files - make sure you have copies of important data.
Common Issues¶
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| "File not found" | Check the path is correct |
| "Permission denied" | File may be open in another program |
| "Can't read PDF" | PDF may be image-based (scanned) |
| "Encoding error" | Try specifying encoding like UTF-8 |