# ThreadShelf Local Alternative 1.4.5

Alternative is an independent desktop workspace for browsing and reading a live ThreadShelf server. It combines a conversation shelf, full-thread reading, prompt outline, server search, pins and saved searches. The warm paper/teal visual design offers System, Light and Dark appearance modes.

It reads the server through supported read APIs. It does not import provider exports, ingest into the server, reindex conversations, edit archived messages or create Reader’s Local database. Use [Local Reader](../Reader/index.md) for a persistent offline archive and [Local Analytics](../Analytics/index.md) for captured statistical analysis.

## Follow the manual

1. [Connect a server and understand the workspace](01-Connection-and-Workspace.md).
2. [Browse, search, filter and page results](02-Search-and-Filters.md).
3. [Read, find, navigate and export a conversation](03-Reading-and-Rendering.md).
4. [Use pins, saved searches and recent history](04-Saved-Work.md).
5. [Configure appearance and maintain local state](05-Settings-and-Data.md).
6. [Explore the built-in demo](06-Demo.md).
7. [Troubleshoot and use keyboard controls](07-Troubleshooting.md).
8. [Set up voices, speech playback and audio caching](08-Text-to-Speech.md).

## A first successful session

Start your server, connect Alternative, choose a nonempty collection and open a conversation. Check the title and message content. Run a short **Text** query, then return to the whole thread from a matching passage. Pin the thread, close it and reopen it from **Pins**. Finally set your preferred reading size and color mode in **Reading & appearance**.

A pin or recent-history entry is a saved reference. The server must still supply the conversation when you reopen it. Use explicit Markdown export when you need an independent copy of one conversation.

The screenshots in the [Alternative gallery](../Screenshots/alternative-gallery.md) show the actual public renderer with invented demo records.