Auto-Saving implemented in r16227 (to become 2.1.5) - Feedback wanted

Beth Leonard beth at oasis.slimy.com
Tue Jul 3 02:40:38 EDT 2007


On Sun, Jul 01, 2007 at 02:35:13PM +0200, Christian Stimming wrote:
> 
> Once you install r16627 or higher (which will become 2.1.5), auto-save will be 
> activated every 3 minutes by default (counting from the first change of your 
> data, i.e. when the "*" appears in the title bar). The very first time this 
> feature is run you will be shown an explanatory dialog that tells you where 
> you can change the time interval or switch off this feature. That dialog 
> won't be shown again.

Does it save over your current working datafile? Or does it save a
backup snapshot of the datafile that the next time you open gnucash
after a crash gnucash will ask you if you want to open the backup or
the real thing?

The reason I ask is that gnucash does not include an "undo" feature,
which I see as essential to having an autosave that overwrites your
most recent working datafile.  I fairly often try to import an OFX
or QIF file, make a mistake or change my mind, quit without saving
on purpose, then re-open the file to try again.  Sometimes I do this
with respect to reconciliation as well, because it's much easier to
go back to the last known-good state than it is to try to figure out
which things are half-done.

If gnucash had "undo" I could see having an autosave that is on by
default as a good feature, but without undo, I'd much rather see it
save a copy (like all those tmp files gnucash makes that don't
include business features) instead of overwriting the current working
file.  Right now the only chance a user has to undo things is to
go back to the previously saved copy.

--Beth
Beth Leonard
http://www.LeonardFamilyVideos.com


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