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#176 Configuration is saved only at program exit

v1.0 (example)
open
None
5
2016-02-22
2013-08-30
No

Hi,

if I create a new connection, it is saved ( written to pac.yml file) only when I exit instead of immediately, so if the pc crashes I lose all the new connections.
Is this intentional ?
Thank you

Discussion

  • mce128

    mce128 - 2013-09-13

    Actually that used to trip me up too when I first started using PAC a few years back. After you save the new connection in the dialog box, across the bottom of the main application window, you'll notice that the "Save" button down there is no longer grayed out. If you save using that right after you close the dialog by saving it, you'll be all set in case of a crash of some sort happens, you won't lose your recently added connections, clusters, etc...

    Also right after saving (a second time, yeah, it feels redundant to have to do it) with the button on the bottom of the main application window,you will notice that it goes back to a grayed out status.

     
  • David Torrejón Vaquerizas

    Hi!

    First of all, sorry for my delayed answer! :( I have benn just too busy.

    Now, that is intentioned (since there is no "undo", I thought it would be better to have the user to pro-actively "save" the configuration).

    Anyway, there is an option to "Auto save config changes at PAC exit", available on global preferences. The only "problem" is that if at PAC exit it detects configuration cahnges, it will ASK the user to confirm to save this new configuration.

    I was playing some time ago with another method to directly autosave every PAC config change on realtime.

    Please, let me know if current solution is just fine, or if I really should implement that on-the-go configuration changes.

    Thanks!!

    • David.
     
    • mce128

      mce128 - 2013-09-26

      Hi David,

      There is one other issue with the "Auto save config changes at PAC exit" option... If for some reason PAC or your computer crashes or you have to forcibly reboot without being able to close any programs due to a hard freeze or something, it won't save those changes. Perhaps a Auto Save config changes at X interval would be better? Just do a checksum on the pending config vs the saved config (or even better just use a sentinel variable to flag that changes are pending,) if there were no changes, then nothing needs to be done, if there were save it. Alternatively, the changes could just be saved when the configuration dialog is closed with the "Save Changes" button as opposed to going into a changed config pending state for the actual on-disk configuration. Honestly, that would be ideal as it is a bit confusing when one first starts using the application, and even for experienced uses it can bite one in the rear from time to time.

      Just a thought...

      -Joe

       
  • David Torrejón Vaquerizas

    Hi!

    Since PAC 4.5.3, there is an option to "auto save every PAC change in realtime" ;)

    • David.
     
  • mce128

    mce128 - 2013-09-27

    Aha! Yes, I see it there. Awesome! Thanks for adding that, I am sure that I am not the only one who is thankful for that update. Most of the time I do remember to hit the global save button, but I have been burned by it occasionally when I forgot to do so.

     
  • jrussell88

    jrussell88 - 2015-05-06

    Hi David

    Having recently reinstalled PAC Manager on Ubuntu, I've just been hit again by this gotcha which I'd forgotten :(.

    Last night, after updating and correcting a set of connections, I closed PAC from the window menu. Later I rebooted the machine, and when I reopened PAC I'd lost all my work, despite saving many individual connection settings.

    There is an inconsistency in the Quit/Save behaviour under different scenarios which I would regard as a bug of sorts. With connections edited and individually saved, but the changes to the PAC list not saved, if you:
    - 'Quit' PAC, it asks whether you'd like to save changes. (Good)
    - Close the PAC window from the window menu, PAC minimises and continues running in the background (which isn't obvious until you check) and doesn't ask you to save changes.
    - Shutdown the system (at least on Ubuntu), PAC shuts down without asking whether you'd like to save changes, losing any unsaved changes.

    I would suggest improving usability by handling all three scenarios the same: PAC should ask whether the user would like to save changes.

    The difference between saving edits to a single connection and saving the PAC list can be misleading (it's got me every time I reinstall). Until you've been reminded by losing your data, 'Save' changes to a single connection (which is prompted) doesn't save the PAC connections, so saved connections are easily lost unexpectedly.

    I also like to suggest combining the saving a single connection with updating PAC by saving PAC's connection list when any connection is saved.

    If the two levels of save need to be separated for reasons I've missed then the dialog box to save a single edited connection should warn of the need to save the PAC connections from the main window or lose the changes and if possible offer a choice of:
    'Save this connection only'
    'Save this connection and update PAC (with all saved connections)'
    'Discard changes'
    and an 'Autosave all connections' checkbox so that new users are alerted to the autosave function.

    By the way I've turned on autosave as I have to force reboots intermittently - that's a very useful improvement - but I would suggest that the default autosave setting should be on rather than off.

    PAC is such a good app, so I hope you'll consider these suggestions to improve consistency as positively as I intend them. :)

    Best

    John

     

    Last edit: jrussell88 2015-05-06
  • Henrik Lindgren

    Henrik Lindgren - 2015-06-10

    I've lost my connection settings 3 times now... sigh. :(

    Default behaviour ought to be to save as much as possible at any point. It's much less of a hassle to remove a few connections than to lose many.

    Thanks!

     
  • Pepperbytes.net

    Pepperbytes.net - 2016-02-22

    Wow.
    Ok.
    So first: great piece of software. I was using it for a whole week, before rebooting the laptop.
    During that week - awesomeness.

    But after the reboot - all my carefully grouped connections...gone.
    It was a bitter pill.

    So I'm just going to say it: this 2nd save button is BS. It is a HORRIBLE piece of UI design.
    Sorry to say it, but it is.

     

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