Historically, Syntasa supported two separate notebook experiences:

• Syntasa Notebook Cards (legacy) – notebooks managed and launched from the Syntasa UI
• JupyterLab Notebooks – notebooks created and executed inside a user‑specific JupyterLab session

While both approaches were powerful, they operated in partially independent environments with different lifecycle models, storage assumptions, and collaboration limitations.

With the introduction of Notebook Workspaces, Syntasa has unified these two experiences into a single, consistent architecture. Today, all notebooks—whether created as Syntasa Notebook Cards or directly in JupyterLab—are accessed and executed through the same workspace model.

This article explains what changed, how legacy notebooks are handled, and how users now work with notebooks through Notebook Workspaces and JupyterLab.

Before: Two Separate Notebook Experiences

Syntasa Notebook Cards (Legacy)

• Created from the Syntasa Notebooks module
• Stored under the platform’s workspace folder structure
• Displayed as cards in the UI
• Launched using Syntasa’s embedded notebook editor
• Designed for quick execution, metadata management, and workflow integration

JupyterLab Notebooks (User‑Specific)

• Accessed through the JupyterLab integration
• A new JupyterLab session was created per user
• Notebooks created in this session were visible only to that user
• No native sharing model
• Limited collaboration

As a result, users often faced:

• Fragmented notebook locations
• Different execution environments
• Separate collaboration models
• Confusion over where notebooks “lived”

Now: Notebook Workspaces as the Unified Model

Notebook Workspaces replace the legacy user‑specific JupyterLab model and serve as the foundation for all notebook access and execution.

Key principles of the new model:

• Each workspace corresponds to a JupyterLab environment.
• Users can create multiple workspaces
• Each workspace can be private or shared
• All notebooks are stored inside a workspace
• Both Syntasa Notebook Cards and JupyterLab access the same underlying files

This eliminates the distinction between “Syntasa notebooks” and “Jupyter notebooks” at the storage and execution level.

What Replaced JupyterLab Integration

The previous JupyterLab entry under Integrations has been replaced with Notebook Workspaces.

Instead of launching a personal JupyterLab session, users now:

1. Create or select a workspace
2. Launch JupyterLab from that workspace
3. Work inside the workspace’s shared or private folders

This ensures every JupyterLab session is tied to a well‑defined workspace with controlled storage and permissions.

How Existing Syntasa Notebook Cards Are Handled

To preserve backward compatibility:

• A Default Workspace is automatically created
• All existing Syntasa Notebook Cards are migrated into this workspace
• No user action is required

These notebooks:

• Continue to appear as Notebook Cards in the Syntasa UI
• Are now physically stored inside the Default Workspace
• Can be opened and executed directly in JupyterLab by launching the workspace

From the user’s perspective, nothing is lost—only the execution environment has been standardized.

Creating New Notebook Cards in the Workspace Era

Notebook Cards continue to exist and function as before, with one important enhancement:

When creating a new Notebook Card, the user is now prompted to select which workspace it belongs to.

Based on the workspace and sharing model:

• The notebook file is placed into:
  • The user’s private folder (/users/<username>) for private work, or
  • The shared folder (/shared) for collaborative access

This determines who can see and edit the notebook inside JupyterLab.

Workspace Folder Model

Each workspace follows the same structure:

/shared
/users/<username>

• /users/<username> – private notebooks and files for that user
• /shared – collaborative notebooks and assets visible to all workspace members

Moving a notebook between these folders immediately changes its visibility and access level.

How Syntasa Notebook Cards and JupyterLab Work Together Now

Under the unified model:

• A Notebook Card is simply the platform representation of a notebook file stored in a workspace
• JupyterLab is the development and execution interface for that same file

This means:

• Opening a notebook in JupyterLab edits the same file shown as a Notebook Card
• Changes are immediately reflected in the Syntasa UI
• Execution behavior is identical regardless of entry point

Users can:

• Discover notebooks via the Notebook Cards UI
• Launch and edit them in JupyterLab
• Run them in workflows
• Collaborate via shared workspaces

—all without duplication or synchronization issues.

Collaboration Improvements

Compared to the old model, Notebook Workspaces introduce:

• True multi‑user collaboration
• Shared runtimes and environments
• Workspace‑level access control
• Shared datasets and code
• Consistent file paths and execution behavior

Previously, JupyterLab notebooks were isolated per user. Now, collaboration is a core feature of the platform.

Summary of the Transition

Key Takeaways

• Notebook Workspaces unify Syntasa Notebook Cards and JupyterLab notebooks into a single system
• All notebooks now live inside workspaces
• JupyterLab is launched from a workspace, not as a personal session
• Existing notebooks are preserved in the Default Workspace
• New notebooks are created directly into a selected workspace
• Collaboration is enabled through shared folders and shared workspaces