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Codex User Guide · Chapter 01 · 1.6 — A complete map of the desktop interface

《Codex 使用手册》· 第 1 章 · 1.6|桌面端完整界面地图

Understand the interface by functional goal rather than pixel coordinates.

CHAPTER 01 · 1.6

A complete map of the desktop interface

Five-layer functional map of the current desktop interface
Figure 1-6 · DIA-01-V2-03. Five-layer functional map of the current desktop interface (teaching diagram, not a live-product screenshot).

This section answers: After the interface changes, how can I still find the function I need?

Learn the interface by functional goal, not pixel position

Do not memorize the new interface as “the nth icon on the left”. Reorient around the five goals below; they are the real order for every later operation in this chapter:

Level / functional areaProblem it solvesWhat you should ask first
Product selectorDo I need the general work experience or the developer view?Is ChatGPT or Codex currently selected?
ChatGPT switcherDo I need a discussion, or a reviewable deliverable?Is it currently Chat or Work?
Task and project sidebarHow do I create, search, view projects, plugins, automation, pinned threads, and old tasks?Is this a new task, a project, a pinned thread, or history?
Main workspace / composerWhat am I submitting, what is happening now, and where is the result?Is the task running, waiting, awaiting approval, or ready for acceptance?
Local / Cloud and permission controlsWhere is this task running, and how many actions can it take on its own?Does it need local files/apps? Must it remain at Ask for approval?

Current official information: in the desktop app, Chat within ChatGPT suits questions and back-and-forth discussion; Work is for reviewable deliverables; Codex provides technical details, diffs, and a review view. Actual entry points and eligibility depend on version, workspace, and rollout. Use ChatGPT

Current OpenAI desktop app: sidebar and local-work control
Figure 1-6A · CUR-01-06-01. The current official desktop demonstration shows New chat, Search, Plugins, Pull requests, Automations, the thread list, Settings, and Work locally. It helps you find entries by function; the specific model, permission tier, order, and project data in the image are not recommended settings for this chapter.

Follow along: one-minute navigation drill

Without entering any material, complete these in order:

  1. Find current identity or workspace information.
  2. Find the mode/experience switch.
  3. Find the entry points for a new task and for history/search/projects.
  4. Return to the main workspace and find the composer and task-status area.
  5. Close the current page. Do not create, upload, or send anything.

Expected result: you can describe the action as “I am looking for a new task” or “I am looking for history”, rather than “the third icon on the left”.

How to troubleshoot a missing entry point

First ask “what am I trying to complete?”, then check in order: current product → current mode → current account/workspace → app version → official guidance. Do not first assume a button is hidden, and never authorize an entire folder or connect a browser merely to locate one entry point.

Minimum exercise and acceptance

Explain aloud what problem each of the five functional areas solves, and repeat the order “product first, then Chat / Work, then project / permissions”.

Pass condition: you can reorient after an interface change, rather than being able to operate only from an old image. Common pitfall: treating sidebar history as a local-file list, or chat history as a project folder. Next: choose a way of working by outcome first.


On this page
  1. A complete map of the desktop interface
  2. Learn the interface by functional goal, not pixel position
  3. Follow along: one-minute navigation drill
  4. How to troubleshoot a missing entry point
  5. Minimum exercise and acceptance

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