In this section, we will focus on how to use the / and @ command of the notebook entry.
Tip: If you don't want to open the slash command menu and simply type /, press the ESC key on your keyboard!
Typing / (slash) in the entry opens a menu with different options to add a variety of interactive elements. If you type / but don't want to use the slash command menu, press the escape key on your keyboard. All interactive elements can be named and renamed.
Adding Steps → To add a step to your protocol, click on the "Step" option in the slash command menu. You can turn a numbered list into steps by clicking on "convert to Steps".
Interactive Table → For your calculations, you can use the "Interactive Table" option. This feature is spreadsheet-like, with embedded formulas. You can import/export data in .xlsx and .csv formats. You can format it just like a spreadsheet like Excel or Google Sheets.
Inventory → Add inventory fields by selecting the "Inventory" option in the slash command menu. Connect your workflow to your inventory and track what you use in your experiment. Specify the amount with the unit, and you can also add a custom unit.
If you're working with samples, you can track that using the Output feature. You can also toggle on lineage tracking to record the parent-child relationship of your sample. This also enables you to track where your sample originated from (including which workflow) and where it's been used. Remember to specify the category and resource when creating your protocol, it'll be easier when running it afterwards.
Data → Add data fields by selecting the "Data" option in the slash command menu. Track your input and output data. You can select whether the data field is required to be filled before completing your experiments. Select a data type from text, date, date and time, numeric, options, file/image, and sequence. Please note output data fields will be cleared when repeating experiments.
Device → Add devices to your protocol to link device data. When running the protocol, you can fetch data from the device. For more information on how to fetch data from a device, click here.
Timer → Add timers to your protocol and name them. When running protocol, you can start timers in real time. It will tell you when the time runs out. You can also pause and restart them.
Conditions Table → The Conditions Table gives you an overview of all the input variables that may be different for each condition and allows you to easily record the outputs associated with each. It enables you to run protocols and experiments using multiple conditions in parallel. Collect structured data in just a few clicks.
File → Add files from your device, the folder watcher, and cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, dropbox, box). Please note that the upload limit is 100MB. For larger files, we recommend uploading them from your cloud storage.
Image → Similarly to files, add images from your device, the folder watcher, and cloud storage. The upload limit is also 100MB, like for files. Once uploaded, the image will be inline in the notebook entry. You can annotate and edit the image directly from the entry. Please note it is not available for now to resize the image in-app.
Link → Add a link to a text.
Basic Table → Basic tables are great if you don't need to do any calculations and just want a table for presentation purposes. To edit the table, click on one of the cells and click the table icon. From there, you'll be able to insert/remove rows and columns, merge/split cells, or delete the table.
Code Snippet → Labstep allows you to add code snippets to your entries and display formatted code. Supported programming languages include Python, R, C, C++, C#, Matlab, and Sas. With this feature, you can easily add code to your entries and ensure that it's formatted correctly for easy reading.
Chemistry → If you're working with chemical reactions and molecular structures, Labstep makes it easy to insert chemical reaction schemes and molecular structures into your entries. You can also fetch data from PubChem and use the stoichiometry table for your calculations. Additionally, you can add chemicals produced directly to your inventory and link with other available items.
Jupyter Notebooks (Premium Feature) → We have embedded Jupyter Notebooks available in-app. With this feature, you can insert executable code for analysing data, using our open API, which is documented here. To activate this feature for your account, please get in touch with us at info@labstep.com. This feature is ideal for users who need to perform complex data analysis and want a seamless way to integrate their code into their research entries.
The "@ command" enables you to easily reference previously created elements.
The "@ command" can be used to reference various elements in the protocol/experiment or workspace altogether. Here are some of the options available:
Inventory → You can reference inventory fields used in the protocol/experiment or in the workspace.
Data → You can reference data fields used in the protocol/experiment or in the workspace.
Device → You can reference devices used in the protocol/experiment or in the workspace.
Timer → You can reference timers used in the protocol/experiment or in the workspace.
Step → You can reference steps used in the protocol/experiment or in the workspace.
Protocol → You can reference protocols used in the experiment or in the workspace.
Table → You can reference tables used in the protocol/experiment or in the workspace. This will display only interactive tables.
Use the / command to elements to the notebook entry like data fields, steps, and tables. To reference elements in the experiment/protocol or in the same workspace, use the @ command.
The difference between / command and @ command
How to add different interactive elements such as a File/Image or an Inventory fields
How to open the Chemistry tools
What Data type you can add
How to reference a protocol used in a different experiment of the same workspace
This lesson is part of the "Labstep 101: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started" course. View all lessons here.
