Please, a warning message!

eleuteruiz · Post by **eleuteruiz** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:44 am

I have discussed this problem with Jon once, but I couldn't make him see my point, so I ask the forum, perhaps others feel the same.

The issue is: Abstract Extended window.
I use the Abstract field to write down a personal summary of the article/book-- which is, AFAIK, its main purpose. So, it works in practice as a mini word-processor. Of course, when I write something there it is NORMALLY to store it in the database and have it there to remind me of the content of the article, etc.
Now, it happened to me several times when writing in the Abstract Extended window (and no matter how much I try to be cautious) that I incidentally press a wrong key (or key combination) and that window simply disappears, and all my work with it. This morning it was a question of 30 mins' work, but other times it was even more!
My point is: in any word processor, when you type anything you will have a warning message if you are about to close the window without saving. It may be sometimes annoying, but it is still useful. You just loose a second to make a click, not the whole work of several hours!
Abstract Extended window in BE will save your modifications only if you press OK. If you press Escape, or any other equivalent key-combinations (I swear I didn't press Esc this morning, not even Ctl-[ , but other mysterious combination produced the same result) you will have the window closed without saving and without giving you any chance to save your work.

I still don't see the convenience of writing my Abstract elsewhere (say, in TextEdit) and then copy-paste it to BE.

There could also be an option in Preferences for people who don't like having this warning message before closing an unsaved Abstract Extended window...

Excuse the extent of my message. It does seem to me a very important (and simple) feature to be considered.

Post by **Jon** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:27 am

This is a modal dialog. The Save and Cancel button serve as the warning message. In the Mac OS there is no warning for pressing Cancel.

Jon
Sonny Software

tom · Post by **tom** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:23 am

I wonder again and again why there is no "save" command in BE (and the shortcut Command-s)...

Post by **Jon** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:27 am

Because data are saved automatically as they are entered. This is pretty typical with databases. And how Bookends works.

Jon
Sonny Software

tom · Post by **tom** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:52 am

actually "backup" is nothing than "save as...." what I'm usually use to do (maybe this is typical with databases but I'm not very familiar to this)

Post by **Jon** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:55 am

That's right. File -> Backup is just Save As in another word (hopefully a word that prompt people to create backups...).

Jon
Sonny Software

eleuteruiz · Post by **eleuteruiz** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:26 pm

Jon wrote:Because data are saved automatically as they are entered.

It works like this almost everywhere in BE... excepting for the Extended display!!
And that is what I am arguing forâ€¦