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Loading and Saving Documents in Termboard ​

Termboard provides flexible options for loading and saving your models, ensuring data persistence, portability, and collaboration. Understanding these options is crucial for managing your work effectively.

Loading Documents ​

Loading a document in Termboard allows you to access previously created or shared Termboard projects. You have several methods, each suited for different scenarios:

Load from Browser ​

File > Load from Browser

This option opens the Document Picker, allowing you to load a document previously saved within your browser's local storage.

  • Folder Organization: Organize your documents into a hierarchical folder structure. You can create, rename, and delete folders to keep your projects tidy.
  • Lineage Trees & Branching: Documents created via Copy to New automatically nest under their parent document as evolutionary children with branch icons (↳). Long copy chains use capped indentation with version badges (v4, v5) to prevent horizontal clipping.
  • Self-Healing Ancestry: If a parent document is deleted, child documents automatically attach to the nearest surviving ancestor or promote to independent root documents.
  • Drag and Drop: Easily move documents between folders by dragging them. The list will automatically scroll if you drag an item to the top or bottom edge.
  • Quick Search & Sorting: Use the search bar to find documents by name instantly. When searching, documents render in a flat list with folder and branch indicators.
  • Visual Feedback: See when each document was last updated, view custom version tags, and sort by name or date.

Important Considerations:

  • Browser-Specific: Documents saved this way are tied to the specific browser and profile you used to save them.
  • Data Persistence: To prevent data loss, do not clear "Cookies and site data" for Termboard.com in your browser settings. Clearing this data will permanently delete all documents saved using this method.
  • Convenience: Ideal for personal use and quick access to ongoing projects on the same device.

Open JSON ​

File > Open > JSON

This is the preferred method for opening Termboard documents that you have saved as a JSON file. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format that captures the complete state of your Termboard document, including:

  • All Terms and their properties
  • All Relations and their types
  • Term positions on the canvas
  • Colors and styling
  • Any other configuration specific to your board

Use Cases:

  • Secure Storage: Save your data to a location you control (e.g., your computer's hard drive, cloud storage).
  • Sharing & Collaboration: Easily share Termboard models with colleagues.
  • Version Control: Create distinct milestones by saving different JSON files.

Collision Protection on Import:

When you open or drag-and-drop a Termboard JSON file whose unique document ID already exists in your browser's local storage, Termboard prevents accidental data loss by prompting you with a clear choice:

  • Overwrite: Replaces your existing local copy with the incoming file content.
  • Create copy (Recommended): Assigns a new unique ID, appends (copy) to the model name, and links it under the local original as an evolutionary child in your document picker hierarchy.

NOTE

For more details on the internal structure of the Termboard JSON file, see the JSON Format Guide.

Open Excel ​

File > Open > Excel

Similar to opening a JSON file, this option allows you to load Termboard data from an Excel spreadsheet. Like a JSON file, it captures the full visual state. The excel file is particularly handy if you want to perform:

  • Bulk Updates: Edit multiple Terms or Relations outside of Termboard (e.g., changing definitions, adding properties) and then re-load.

Open URL ​

see here

Open Examples ​

File > Open > Examples

Opens one of the provided examples so you can explore the features of Termboard

Saving Documents ​

Saving your Termboard document ensures that your work is preserved and can be accessed later or shared with others.

Save to Browser ​

File > Save to Browser

This command saves the current state of your Termboard document directly into your web browser's local storage.

Organized Saving:

  • Folder Assignment: When saving a new document, you can choose to place it in an existing folder or create a new one.
  • Improved UI: The saving process now features a polished, themed dialog, making document management clearer and more intuitive.

Important: As mentioned under the "Load from Browser" section, ensure you do not clear your browser's "Cookies and site data" for Termboard.com to prevent losing this saved data.

Save as JSON ​

File > Save as > JSON

These options allow you to download your Termboard document as a file to your local computer or network drive. JSON is the recommended method for long-term storage, sharing, and version control.

  • JSON: Saves the complete Termboard document, including **Terms**, **Relations**, positions, colors, and all other visual and structural attributes. This is the most comprehensive save option.
  • Excel: Also saves the complete **Termboard** document. This is useful for data management outside of **Termboard**; for example, for bulk editing or for integrating with other tabular data sources. The Excel file will contain columns corresponding to **Term** properties and **Relation** definitions. NOT ALL SETTINGS ARE SAVED in Excel.

Save as Excel ​

File > Save as > Excel

See Save as JSON

Backup Your Documents ​

File > Backup

This feature creates a ZIP file containing all your Termboard documents saved in your browser's local storage. Each document inside the zip file is saved as a JSON file. You can then open any of these individual JSON files later using File > Open > JSON. This is a great way to create a comprehensive backup of all your work.

Copy a Document ​

File > Copy to New

Use this command to create an exact duplicate of your current Termboard document. When copied, the new document:

  • Receives a new unique identifier.
  • Appends (copy) to the title.
  • Automatically stores an evolutionary lineage link to the original model. In the document picker, the copy displays nested beneath its parent with a branch icon (↳).
  • Allows instant one-click comparison against the original model in the Model Comparison sidebar.

Document Properties & Version Management ​

File > Document Properties

Open this dialog to configure document metadata, inspect version lineage, and manage evolutionary branches:

  • Document Name & Author: Edit project title, descriptions, and author attribution.
  • Version Tag (optional): Assign semantic version labels (e.g., 1.0.0, Draft, v2, Q3-Final). When specified, the version tag appears as a compact badge next to the document title in the document picker.
  • Lineage Card:
    • Displays whether the model is a Root Document (independent model) or a Child Document (along with its generation depth level).
    • Shows the name of the ancestor model from local storage.
    • Compare with Parent: One-click action to launch the Model Comparison sidebar and compare your active canvas directly against its parent model.
    • Detach (Make Root): Clears parent lineage IDs, making this document an independent root model in your document picker.
    • Create Copy / New Version: Quickly duplicate the current model and nest the clone as its child.
  • Storage Status: Confirms whether your browser has granted persistent storage permission.