Workspace & files

The folder your scripts can read and write, and the rules that keep it safe.

Every file function in the Lynx API, from readfile and writefile to listfiles, works inside one folder: the workspace. Scripts can't reach anything outside it.

Where it lives

The workspace is the Workspace folder under Files in the editor's sidebar. Settings → Client → Open Workspace opens it in File Explorer.

Paths

Paths are relative to the workspace root: "configs/settings.json", never "C:\Users\...".
Use forward slashes. Backslashes work too, but forward slashes keep scripts portable.
Paths that lead out of the workspace, such as absolute paths or .. segments, are rejected with an error.
makefolder and writefile both create missing parent folders.

Blocked file types

Scripts can read any file in the workspace, but can't write files Windows would run or unpack:

Extensions	Why
`.exe` `.dll` `.com` `.scr` `.msi` `.cpl`	Programs, libraries and installers
`.bat` `.cmd` `.ps1` `.vbs` `.js` `.wsf` `.hta` `.jar`	Scripts Windows can execute
`.lnk` `.url` `.reg` `.inf`	Shortcuts and system files
`.zip` `.rar` `.7z` `.cab` `.iso` `.img` `.xml`	Archives, disk images and XML

writefile and appendfile raise an error for these extensions, and for a few rarer ones of the same kinds.

Saving script data

A common pattern: keep a script's settings as JSON in its own folder, with defaults when nothing is saved yet.

settings.luau

1local HttpService = game:GetService("HttpService")

3local FOLDER = "my-tool"

4local PATH = FOLDER .. "/settings.json"

6local defaults = { volume = 0.5, keybind = "RightShift", theme = "dark" }

8local function load()

9 if not isfile(PATH) then

10 return table.clone(defaults)

11 end

12 local ok, data = pcall(HttpService.JSONDecode, HttpService, readfile(PATH))

13 return if ok then data else table.clone(defaults)

14end

16local function save(settings)

17 if not isfolder(FOLDER) then

18 makefolder(FOLDER)

19 end

20 writefile(PATH, HttpService:JSONEncode(settings))

21end

23local settings = load()

24settings.volume = 0.8

25save(settings)

The Files sidebar

The sidebar's Files view lists Scripts, Workspace and AutoExec and follows the folders live. Click a script to open it in a tab. Right-click for Execute, Rename, Duplicate, View in Explorer and Delete. CtrlP finds an open tab or a recent script by name.

Written for Lynx 0.0.0

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