getting started 1 create a project

Step 1: Create a project

Getting started ▸ Step 1 of 5

A project is one .qrate file. The New Project wizard makes it in a few steps. The steps at the top of the wizard show where you are: Name, Files, Link, Columns, and Create. A blank project has no Link step.

To open the wizard, click a Create New card in the launcher. File ▸ New Project… and Ctrl+N open the wizard for a blank project. To start from a spreadsheet while a project is open, press Ctrl+O to show the launcher.

Pick the way to start that matches what you have:

You have	Choose	Read
A spreadsheet and a folder of files	Spreadsheet + folder	From a spreadsheet
A Google Sheet	Google Sheet	From a Google Sheet
Only a folder of files	Blank	From a folder of files
Nothing yet	Blank	From nothing

Name the project

Every way to start begins with this step.

1. In the launcher, click one of the Create New cards.
2. Type a name in Project name.
3. Optional: to save the project in a different folder, click Browse… next to Save project to.
4. Click Next →.

qrate suggests the folder where you last made a project. The first time, it suggests a qrate folder in your Documents folder.

From a spreadsheet

1. On the Files step, click Browse… next to Spreadsheet (CSV, Excel, ODS).
2. Select your spreadsheet.
3. Click Browse… next to Files folder.
4. Select the folder that holds the files.
5. Read the message under the folder. It tells you how many files matched.
6. If the wizard shows Files named by more than one row, choose what to do with those files.
7. Click Next →.
8. On the Link step, keep Match by exact filename. See Step 2.
9. Click Next →.
10. On the Columns step, keep Auto-created from this spreadsheet.
11. Under Required columns, set the Title column and the File column.
12. Click Next →.
13. Examine the summary, then click Create Project.

The Title column gives each row its name. The File column names each row's file. They must be different columns.

From a Google Sheet

The sheet must be shared as "Anyone with the link" with Viewer access. qrate reads the first tab once. After that, the project does not change when the sheet changes.

1. Copy the sheet's link from your browser.
2. On the Files step, paste the link in Sheet link.
3. Click Check.
4. Choose a files folder, or select I'll add a files folder later.
5. Click Next →.
6. If the wizard shows the Link step, keep Match by exact filename and click Next →.
7. On the Columns step, set the Title column and the File column.
8. Click Next →, then click Create Project.

From a folder of files

qrate makes one row for each file. Each folder becomes a parent row, and the files in it become its child rows. The grid keeps the folder tree as an archival hierarchy.

1. In the launcher, click Blank.
2. On the Files step, click Browse… next to Files folder.
3. Select the folder.
4. Read the message under the folder. It tells you how many files become rows.
5. Under Archival description standard, choose RAD, DACS, ISAD(G), Records in Contexts, or Custom.
6. Optional: change Folders are called and Files are called, for example to Series and Item.
7. Click Next →.
8. On the Columns step, keep Use default Title and File columns.
9. Click Next →.
10. Examine the Hierarchy preview, then click Create Project.

Leave Create a row for the selected files folder off when the folder holds only this collection. Turn it on to get one top row for the folder itself.

You can also drag a folder onto the launcher to start this way.

From nothing

1. In the launcher, click Blank.
2. On the Files step, select I'll add a files folder later.
3. Click Next →.
4. On the Columns step, keep Use default Title and File columns.
5. Click Next →, then click Create Project.

The project starts with a Title column and a File column. You add rows and columns in the grid. To add files later, choose File ▸ Import Files or Folders….

Use the columns of an earlier project

On the Columns step, click Load from a file or Sheet link…. Select a column configuration file, such as the column_config.csv from Settings ▸ Columns ▸ Config file ▸ Export…. The new project gets the same column types and descriptions.

The project window

When you click Create Project, the project opens in the project window.

• Title bar. It shows the project name. A dot means that some changes are not saved yet.
• Menu bar. File, Edit, Insert, View, Data, Plugins, and Help. On macOS, these menus are in the system menu bar.
• Center. The grid of rows. The Table and Gallery tabs above it switch between the grid and a view of thumbnails. Ctrl+1 and Ctrl+2 do the same.
• Docks. Panels open at the left, right, and bottom of the center. In the table view, the Details panel starts in the left dock and the Problems panel starts in the bottom dock. The History and Agent panels start in the right dock.
• Status bar. It has one button for each panel. Click a button to show or hide its panel. The Problems button shows the number of errors and warnings.

Ctrl+B, Ctrl+Alt+B, and Ctrl+` show or hide the left, right, and bottom docks.

Learn more

Projects has every way to create, open, and add to a project, and the project settings.

Next: Step 2: Link rows to files · Back to Getting started

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