Re: [Audacity-devel] Really show dependency dialog on every save?

[Richard A. <ri...@au...>]

Lynn Allan wrote:
> While you are working with this code, please consider an option that
> allows not saving project .aup files (actually ignoring).
>
> Here is the scenario ... an end-user is doing edits on a .wav file,
> and wants to save as an .mp3 file. They save the .mp3 file (actually
> export as .mp3 format) and then close Audacity. At that point, they
> will be asked about whether they want to save project files.
>
> In this scenario, the project file isn't necessarily relevant ... they
> are done with processing the .wav file into an .mp3 file. It is an
> extra step and a bit confusing to be asked about saving when they just
> exported the .mp3 file ... there may be a question, "Didn't I just
> save my work? Why am I being asked again?"
I think that's dangerous because it encourages users to start exporting to
lossy formats at the end of a session and loading them back in at the
start of the next session. They think of MP3 / WAV as saving when in fact
they are doing a lossy format conversion, then get upset when the
cumulative quality loss get's really noticeabe, and have to be told that
unless they have the originals there is nothing they can do.

The only lossless storage is the audacity project (certainly at the
moment, if we had some sort of consolidated single file then it would also
go on the Save As not the Export), so that is the only format that truly
saves you work. The exports just render a snapshot of your current state
out to a file , and so shouldn't clear the "unsaved work" flag any more
than printing in word processor supresses the "do you want to save"
message when you exit.

Richard