# Journal Types `jrnl` can store your journal in a few different ways: - a single text file (encrypted or otherwise) - a folder structure organized by date containing unencrypted text files - the DayOne Classic format There is no need to specify what type of journal you'd like to use. Instead, `jrnl` will automatically detect the journal type based on whether you're referencing a file or a folder in your [config file](advanced.md), and if it's a folder, whether or not DayOne Classic content exists in it. ## Single File The single file format is the most flexible, as it can be [encrypted](encryption.md). To use it, enter any path that is a file or does not already exist. You can use any extension. `jrnl` will automatically create the file when you save your first entry. ## Folder The folder journal format organizes your entries into subfolders for the year and month and `.txt` files for each day. If there are multiple entries in a day, they all appear in the same `.txt` file. The directory tree structure is in this format: `YYYY/MM/DD.txt`. For instance, if you have an entry on May 5th, 2021 in a folder journal at `~/folderjournal`, it will be located in: `~/folderjournal/2021/05/05.txt` !!! note When creating a new folder journal, you will need to create the folder before running `jrnl`. Otherwise, when you run `jrnl` for the first time, it will assume that you are creating a single file journal instead, and it will create a file at that path. !!! note Folder journals can't be encrypted. ## Day One Classic `jrnl` supports the original data format used by DayOne. It's similar to the folder journal format, except it's identified by either of these characteristics: * the folder has a `.dayone` extension * the folder has a subfolder named `entries` This is not to be confused with the DayOne 2.0 format, [which is very different](https://help.dayoneapp.com/en/articles/1187337-day-one-classic-is-retired). !!! note DayOne Classic journals can't be encrypted. ## Changing your journal type You can't simply modify a journal's configuration to change its type. Instead, define a new journal as the type you'd like, and use [piping](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redirection_(computing)#Piping) to export your old journal as `txt` to an import command on your new journal. For instance, if you have a `projects` journal you would like to import into a `new` journal, you would run the following after setting up the configuration for your `new` journal: ``` jrnl projects --format txt | jrnl new --import ```