Workspace Configuration

Understand how to manage your data storage, backups, and use cloud synchronization.

What is the Workspace Root?

The Workspace Root is the central folder where PDF Mail Engine stores all of your application data.

Instead of hiding data in complex system folders, we keep everything in one transparent location. This includes:

Profiles: Your job configurations and mail settings.
Templates: The YAML layout files for your PDF designs.
Backups: Automatic backups of your settings.
Output: The generated PDFs are stored here by default (unless overridden).
Logs: Operation logs for troubleshooting.

Default Behavior

By default, the application creates a folder in your Documents directory: Documents/PDFMailEngine_Workspace

Changing the Workspace

You can change this location from the System settings page.

Go to the System tab.
Under Workspace Configuration, click Browse.
Select a new folder.

Data is NOT Moved

When you change the Workspace Root, the application simply looks at the new folder. It does not copy or move your existing profiles or templates. You must move them manually if needed.

Strategic Deployment (Use Cases)

Because the Workspace is just a folder, you can place it anywhere to suit your security and operational needs.

1. Local Disk (Default)

Best for: Strict Privacy & Speed Keeping the workspace on your local PC (e.g., C:\Users\You\Documents\...) ensures that no data leaves your physical machine. This provides the highest performance and meets strict data residency requirements.

2. External Drive / NAS

Best for: Redundancy & Local Sharing You can set your workspace to an external hard drive (RAID) or a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device.

Safety: Protects against PC hardware failure.
Sharing: Allows you to access the same profiles from different computers on the same office network (ensure only one user writes at a time).

3. Cloud Storage (Google Drive / OneDrive)

Best for: Automatic Backup & Mobility You can point your workspace to a synchronized cloud folder (e.g., C:\Users\You\OneDrive\PDFMailEngine_Workspace).

Continuous Backup: Every time you save a template or generate a log, the cloud service backs it up instantly.
Storage Management: Offloads storage from your local disk.
Mobility: You can set the workspace to the same cloud path on a second computer (e.g., a laptop) to access your setup from a different location.

Technical Details (Advanced)

For system administrators and engineers.

Configuration Storage

The Workspace path is stored in the user's local configuration file:

Path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\OFFICEKAMIYA\PDFMailEngine\config\user_settings.json
Key: workspace_root

If this value is empty or the file is missing, the application reverts to the default Documents logic.

Path Resolution

The application uses a "Relative Path" architecture.

Internal references (e.g., linking an image in a template) are resolved relative to the Workspace Root.
This ensures portability: You can copy the entire Workspace folder to a different computer (e.g., from C:\Users\Alice\Docs to D:\Backups), and as long as you point the app to the new root, all links will work immediately.

Switch Logic

Changing the workspace is a State Switch, not a Migration.

Action: Updates the user_settings.json pointer immediately.
Side Effect: The UI refreshes to show the profiles contained in the new target.
Cleanup: The old workspace folder is left untouched.