Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 14360
Auto save allows automatic loss of data
Last modified: 2004-03-18 15:29:24 UTC
I've tried this in Calc, but I imagine the file saving mechanism is part of the framework, not specific to that component. 1) Turn on auto save. 2) Turn off "Prompt before save" (for maximum usability) 3) Turn off "Make backup copy". 4) Make a terrible mistake that destroys data (e.g. delete everything). 5) Let auto save overwrite your last good copy with the bad data. 6) Exhaust the undo stack (or just feel muddled) and don't undo the change and save before exiting. 7) File data is lost. Suggested fix: Auto save should *never* save to the working copy for the reason above. So either build in knowledge of another automatically created filename based on that of the file being edited (complex), *or* remove the unsafe option of not creating a backup version of the filename.
This is not a bug. When turning off the prompting message box, office just acts the same way as it does when the save-button is pushed ! To prevent such "problems", let the "prompt before saving" - option enabled or disable auto-save !
I don't think I made myself clear. Having an option which functions simply to trap unsuspecting users into risking complete loss of data is not a feature, it's a design error. I'll reopen the issue in the hope that you will reconsider. If you close it again as "not a bug", I won't argue further. Does it help to point out that Word used to behave this way; people who lost data as a result never used the auto save feature again. It's a classic design error. Especially since the idea of a "prompt before saving" means that "auto save" is no longer "auto". In fact it's less usable than just using the keyboard shortcut to save. It's a nagging irritation. Most users would turn the prompt off after being interrupted once too often. And if they do, they then risk destruction of data. If you insist it's fine, you really should at the least auto-save to a different file. But it's your decision. I'm sure the program includes a disclaimer that no responsibility is taken for loss of data, so I guess you'll be covered that way. luke
Sorry, but I don´t really know, what you want. On one side, you want to use the autosave-function without prompting, on the other side autosave shouldn´t do what it does ? Automatic saving ??? So what ? If someone enables this function to save changes every ... minutes automatically, he should know, what that means. Otherwise he should consult the help. Sorry, but deleting a documents data and saving that document (via autosave or "normal" save) is no kind of data loss. Maybe a messagebox might be implemented, informing the user about some danger if the prompt-function is disabled when using autosave, but that would be an enhancement and not a bug.
I'll leave this in the "Not a bug" state, though since you say I still haven't been clear, I'll try one last time to explain. If prompting for auto-save is turned off (I predict: 90% of users who use auto save will turn off prompting), users can lose data. > Sorry, but deleting a documents data and saving that > document (via autosave or "normal" save) is no kind of data loss. It's not data loss when saved by direct user action. It is data loss when it's saved by auto-save. The data loss may be caused by more subtle user actions than simply deleting the data directly. Some other complex operation may have been a user mistake, and then an auto-save writes the file, and some hours later (undo stack exhausted), the user realises their mistake and thinks "Good thing I didn't save those changes", then discovers auto-save *did* save them. We agree that auto-save should always save the document data to a file. Absolutely. That is, after all, its function! All I'm saying is that either it should save it to a different filename: e.g. %s.bak -- or else the "Don't prompt" option should be, removed since it's too dangerous. The former fix is the best, but requires more work. The latter change requires least work, but seriously reduces usability. Or do nothing, and wait for a user in months or years from now to get very angry at OpenOffice.org for his or her loss of data. It is, of course, your choice. Signing off, luke
Same as issue 12259.
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