Notebooks lose their original format when saved in Verso

[skucher]

I'd like Verso to preserve the original format of notebooks when saving. Currently, when I load .ipynb or .dib notebooks into Verso and make edits, they get converted to Verso format automatically.

What I'd like

When I save a notebook in Verso that was originally in .ipynb or .dib format, keep it in that format instead of converting it to Verso.

Why it matters

• Smooth transition: I'm gradually moving to Verso but need time to transition existing workflows without breaking them
• Results storage: My .ipynb files store execution results that users depend on — losing them breaks that value
• GitHub visibility: .ipynb notebooks render nicely on GitHub and are presentable to stakeholders; Verso format files don't have that benefit yet

Allowing me to keep notebooks in their original formats while using Verso for editing would let me make this transition smoothly without sacrificing the features users rely on.

[TorreyBetts]

Thanks for the feature request. Even though these are fair points, I'm a bit hesitant on being bidirectional with .ipynb files because there's a lot of functionality that doesn't map back to that format. It also adds additional steps in the UI and code complexities.

I do have some questions for you regarding what you mentioned:

1. Are the people who depend on the .ipynb outputs viewing them on GitHub, or actually re-running the notebooks?
2. Could the file you edit and the file you share be different (a generated artifact), or do they need to be the same file?

[skucher]

Hi Torrey,

Thanks for getting back to me. I totally understand the complexity of maintaining bidirectional support for different formats.

To answer your questions:

Visibility: Yes, the main benefit is that stakeholders can quickly view the results and procedures directly on GitHub. It’s a very convenient way for them to see the work without needing to clone the repo.

Workflow: Ideally, they would be the same file. Keeping a single source of truth prevents the versioning issues that usually pop up when you have to manage a separate "generated" artifact.

I'm really enjoying the tool so far and am just looking for a way to bridge the gap as I move more of my work over to it. Thanks again for considering this!