The slash menu
Inserting any block, searching the catalog, the recents list.
The slash menu is the single entry point for inserting any block in Dalea. Type
/ at the start of an empty line — or anywhere on a fresh line — and the menu
opens. Type a few letters to filter, or browse by category.
How to open it
| Where | Trigger |
|---|---|
| Empty line | Just type /. |
| Inside a paragraph | Press Enter to make a new line, then /. |
| Inside a list item | Press Enter to break out, then /. |
| Inside a section block | Same as a paragraph. |
| Inside a data table or local spreadsheet | Slash is treated as text — the menu doesn't open. Insert blocks above or below the table instead. |
Categories
The menu groups blocks the way scientists actually think about them:
- Text
- Heading, paragraph, lists, blockquote, divider, section.
- Data
- Data table, registration table, lookup table, data form.
- Compute
- Local spreadsheet, Python code, code block, equation.
- Lab
- Protocol step, protocol group, 96-well plate, reagent, equipment.
- Visualisation
- Chart (15 chart types), heatmap.
- Media
- File embed, image, callout.
- Recents
- The last six block types you inserted, ordered by recency. Always at the top of the menu.
Keyboard navigation
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
↑ ↓ | Move between block types |
→ | Drill into a category to see its blocks |
← | Back to category list |
Enter | Insert the focused block |
Esc | Close menu without inserting |
| Any letter | Filter results — search matches block name and aliases |
Filtering by keyword
The menu's filter is fuzzy and matches both block names and well-known aliases:
- Type
/elisa→ suggests 96-well plate and chart (dose-response). - Type
/code→ suggests Python code (executable) and code block (display only). - Type
/img→ suggests image and file embed. - Type
/proto→ suggests protocol step and protocol group. - Type
/eq→ suggests equation (LaTeX) and equipment reference.
Aliases are workspace-shared. Workspace owners can add custom aliases for templates published in the workspace.
Inserting from a template
If your workspace has saved templates that are tagged "block-level", they appear under their own category in the slash menu. Inserting one drops the block (or group of blocks) at the cursor and respects any lock configuration the template came with — see Templates and locking.
A common pattern: lab heads create a "Standard Protocol Step" template (with hazard, PPE and timing pre-filled to your institutional defaults) and the team inserts it via the slash menu instead of building each step from scratch.
Tips
The Recents section at the top of the menu remembers what you used last across your whole account, not per document. If you've spent the last hour adding chart blocks, the next document you open will surface chart at the top of the menu too.
The slash menu is hidden inside templated documents whose structure is locked — otherwise users could insert disallowed blocks. Inside a structure-locked template, only the original block IDs are editable.