AutoSave or something like it.

[dave_probertGA6e24]

Hi All Devs,

For the second time now I am getting annoyed with the Livecode environment. I have closed Livecode and lost all that I have been working on by not taking notice of the Save prompt. This is because I look at many, many .rev/.livecode files and each time I close them it asks if I want to save them even though I only opened them without changing anything!! I have got so bored of the save prompt that it gets natural to ignore it - psychology 101 (pavlov's dog and all that!)

The problem comes in that I also forget the actual save at the end of a session.

There should be an automatic save of the current stack to a temp location (or possibly the last 10 stacks!), so that a recovery option is available. This should not be a difficult thing to implement for you guys - please.

Also, if I load a different live code file into the IDE, does the content of it get merged with what I might already have loaded? It 'looks' like it does, and therefore is confusing as to what is being saved if I press Ctrl/Cmd-S. Each file should be distinctly different in the App browser and should provide a * next to the name for unsaved stacks (possibly with a save icon next to the name as well!)

Most important from the above is the autosave of a temp recovery stack.

Cheers,
Dave

[Dixie]

Look at 'Save' in the dictionary... you are the developer, work out for yourself what needs saving and what doesn't.

[dunbarx]

What Dixie means is to implement an automatic save in your stacks. This can be done with a closeStack or suspendStack message. The stack will be saved "automatically". This might be placed in a library stack so that you don't have to worry about placing handlers in all open stacks.

Craig Newman

[jacque]

LiveCode also ships with an auto-save plugin called "RevSmartSave". It will save the top stack at an interval you set.

But I'm not sure any of this will solve the initial problem. No matter how you save a stack, if the IDE thinks it is still dirty it will put up its dialog. Still, you can ignore the dialog if you know the stack is already saved.

[mwieder]

Yeah, I forgot about RevSmartSave. GLX2 has an archive feature that will create a backup copy of your work at user-set intervals. I have mine set to every six saves. Being able to go back to previous versions has saved my bacon many times. But I've also gotten into the habit over the years of saving after every compile. Just in case.

[dave_probertGA6e24]

Wow. I didn't know about that RevSmartSave plugin - Thanks a huge amount!!!

It's now activated and I'll make sure it is always running.

I wish I had a manual which gave some info on these types of things (hint hint RR ), but you guys are excellent at giving good advice.

Thanks again.

PS. I'm still too new to LiveCode to go mucking about making my own extensions, but I'll get there one day

[jacque]

If you open Plugin Settings at the bottom of the Developer menu and set RevSmartSave to always open at startup, it will just happen and you won't have to remember.

My own preference is to save manually, but we're all different. I rely too much on being able to revert the stack. Sometimes I make big mistakes and it's just easier to go back than to undo them. Like Mark, I'm a compulsive saver after every major change that I know is working. As a failsafe, Time Machine is always running too, in case I really screw up.

[seaniepie]

Hi,

Just to add my 5¢ worth. Apple OSX Lion now implements this new 'Versions' feature. It would be great if Livecode could start using all of these great features that Apple have made for our benefit. Either that or some kind of subversion (SVC) implementation which would be equally useful.

Pi