Issue with Save Project menu of Windows version 3.0.2

One issue I noticed from 3.0.2 is menu entry “File → Save Project → Save Project” does not work right. With previous version 2.4.2, this menu entry is greyed out after project is saved. With 3.0.2, this menu entry is always active (not greyed out) no mater project is saved or not. This causes problems when I edit tracks.

When edit tracks, I save the project when I’m sure the edits need to be saved. From this point going forward, I can use Ctrl-z to cancel unwanted new edits. When I see “Save Project” menu entry is greyed out, I know I’m back to the last saved state. With the issue in 3.0.2, “Save Project” menu entry won’t tell me if I’m back to the last saved state any more. I may hit too many Ctrl-z so pass the last saved state, or hit fewer Ctrl-z so not reach the last saved state yet. If I saved the project in either of these two cases, I would lose the last saved state and save some unwanted edits.

Do we have a workaround for this issue with 3.0.2, or do we have to wait for next release to fix it?

In 2.4.2 you were relying on the somewhat hidden visual cue of the grayness or otherwise of the “Save Project” (you have to click on the File menu and the hover over the initial “Save Project” to see the status of the second “Save project”).

So what I would be doing instead is to use File > Save peoject > Backup Project" when I had my project at a known stage that I may want or need to revert to. Then if things go wrong with later editing you can always revert to the backup, rather taht relying on a string of Undos.

We introduced the Backup Project command in 3.0.0 for precisely this purpose.

See: File Menu: Save Project - Audacity Manual


This will not change in the next release.

We deliberately changed this as there was a design inconsistency as although the Save Project command got grayed-out when the project was “clean” (i.e. in a saved state with no changes) it was always possible to use its Ctrl + S shortcut regardless of the “clean”/“dirty” state of the project.


Maybe what you really need is a permanently shown visual cue that shows the “clean”/“dirty” state of the project - but that would
a) be an enhancement request - and
b) many folk would likely regard it as unnecessary clutter in the GUI.

Peter.

For me it is only greyed out for that one “state”. If I press “Ctrl + Z” to go to a previous state, it is not greyed out. If I make any changes to the project it is not greyed out.

Provided that you open the file menu to look at the “Save Project” menu entry after each press of “Ctrl + Z”.
If you’ve made a bunch of changes and then press “Ctrl + Z” a bunch of times, and then see that the menu item is not greyed out, how would you know if you have gone too far or not far enough back?

This gets a bit technical, but yes, that’s a “feature” rather than a “bug”.
If you make a bunch of changes and then undo them, the project will look the same as if you had made no changes at all, but the project’s .AUP file is not the same - it still contains all of the changes, which you can “Redo”. Thus the project is much bigger.

Each time you save the project, it gives Audacity an opportunity to reclaim unused space in the AUP3 file, so saving regularly is a good way to prevent the project file from becoming bloated with empty spaces.

“Backup Project” is the best way to save a state that you don’t want to lose.

We deliberately changed this as there was a design inconsistency as although the > Save Project > command got grayed-out when the project was “clean” (i.e. in a saved state with no changes) it was > always > possible to use its > Ctrl + S > shortcut regardless of the “clean”/“dirty” state of the project.

It doesn’t seem reasonable to remove this nice “hidden” feature (i.e. “Save Project” menu entry is grayed-out when project is clean) because it’s possible to use Ctrl-S shortcut to save a clean project “again”. If Ctrl-S shortcut currently re-saves an already-saved project, this is an issue of Ctrl-S shortcut, not issue of the Save Project menu entry. We can properly fix Ctrl-S shortcut instead of removing another feature. We can let Ctrl-S do nothing if the project is already saved (i.e. is already in clean state).

Maybe what you really need is a permanently shown visual cue that shows the “clean”/“dirty” state of the project - but that would
a) be an enhancement request - and
b) many folk would likely regard it as unnecessary clutter in the GUI.

This is another good idea. We can easily tell the project state (clean vs. dirty) with a visual cue such as a little dot (e.g. green for clean state, red for dirty state).

For me it is only greyed out for that one “state”. If I press “Ctrl + Z” to go to a previous state, it is not greyed out. If I make any changes to the project it is not greyed out.

Provided that you open the file menu to look at the “Save Project” menu entry after each press of “Ctrl + Z”.
If you’ve made a bunch of changes and then press “Ctrl + Z” a bunch of times, and then see that the menu item is not greyed out, how would you know if you have gone too far or not far enough back?

Ctrl-z will undo the changes. When the number of Ctrl-z clicked is the same as the number of changes, project is back to the last saved (clean) state, and “Save Project” menu entry is grayed-out in Windows version 2.4.2.

This gets a bit technical, but yes, that’s a “feature” rather than a “bug”.
If you make a bunch of changes and then undo them, the project will > look > the same as if you had made no changes at all, but the project’s .AUP file is > not > the same - it still contains all of the changes, which you can “Redo”. Thus the project is much bigger.

Each time you save the project, it gives Audacity an opportunity to reclaim unused space in the AUP3 file, so saving regularly is a good way to prevent the project file from becoming bloated with empty spaces.

“Backup Project” is the best way to save a state that you don’t want to lose.

I do frequently save project. The grayed-out state of “Save Project” menu entry is only used when trying edit/changes. Usually I try a few changes at a time. If the changes are satisfied, then I save the project. Otherwise, use Ctrl-z to go back to the last saved (clean) state. This grayed-out “Save Project” menu entry provides a quick, easy and safe way to go back to last clean state.

I will try to find some time to make a GitHub “Idea” posting for this.

Peter.

Done - see: Visual cue for project status clean versus dirty · audacity/audacity · Discussion #981 · GitHub

Peter.

There is also View > History. It opens a non-modal window, which takes up some screen space. But it can give more detail about what is not saved.

This window indicates what the present state of the document is, with an arrow in the left column, and shows the later states that were undone but can be redone, with gray text.

It might be enhanced so the left column indicates the last saved state, which might be one of the bold or gray states. Usually it would be an earlier bold state, but if you save and then undo, it could be a redo state.

Thank you very much for your consideration and help. Much appreciate! What you suggested and plan to add is even better than the original undocumented “hidden” feature we discussed (i.e. grayed-out “Save Project” menu entry for project in clean state). Can’t wait to try this new feaure.

I checked “Visual cue for project status clean versus dirty #981”, and found there is a Beta indicator (please see screenshot below). Does it mean this feature has been implemented and there is a Beta version I can try?


Thanks & regards,
Lee

I don’t think so, sorry to disappoint you,

Peter.

That’s okay. If you don’t mind, could you please let me know if this feature will be possibly included in next or future release? I would highly appreciate it if it will.

Thanks & regards,
Lee