Prevent prompt "Save changes before closing"?

[pstein]

After having dragged a MP3 onto Audacity I want to close the whole prgm.

Much to my surprise I got a prompt "Save changes before closing?"

How can I disable this prompt before close?

How can I show it only when I really edit something before?

Peter

[kozikowski]

MP3 files have to be transcoded into Audacity 32-floating internal format, so yes, you have changed the MP3 by importing it. We warn people never do production in MP3. Koz

[pstein]

MP3 files have to be transcoded into Audacity 32-floating internal format, so yes, you have changed the MP3 by importing it. We warn people never do production in MP3. Koz

Ok, but this was not the question.

I asked if I can disable this prompt resp. automatically answer it with "NO" when I exit Audacity.

[steve]

I asked if I can disable this prompt

No, that prompt cannot be disabled.

[Gale Andrews]

MP3 files have to be transcoded into Audacity 32-floating internal format, so yes, you have changed the MP3 by importing it. We warn people never do production in MP3. Koz

You have not changed the MP3 - you have changed the project by copying the MP3 into it, leaving the MP3 unchanged. But users can and do delete the MP3 after importing it, so could then quit by accident when they meant to export an audio file. Or you could have added a lot of envelope points to the imported audio, which will be rendered when you export, but cannot be stored in any type of audio file.

It is true though if you re-export as an MP3 you have lost audio quality, whether you export over the same file or not.

I'll add your vote to be able to ignore the Save Changes prompt, but it will probably never happen, at least without restrictions - see http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 50#p215550 .


Gale

[charlesh3]

I sure wish we could disable the message. I listen to dozens of new mp3's at a time, and it's a pain to have to click on the message every exit. I would also prefer that there be a way to start playing automatically when I click on an mp3 file.

Chuck

[Gale Andrews]

I sure wish we could disable the message. I listen to dozens of new mp3's at a time, and it's a pain to have to click on the message every exit. I would also prefer that there be a way to start playing automatically when I click on an mp3 file.

OK, your votes will be counted. But Audacity is an editor, not a player. That is why the safety precautions are there.


Gale

[steve]

I would also prefer that there be a way to start playing automatically when I click on an mp3 file.

Most audio players allow you to do that. Try associating MP3 files with your favourite audio player (note as Gale wrote, Audacity is an "editor" rather than a "player").

[BrianP007]

Quotes from The Experts:
A) "you have changed the MP3 by importing it"
B) "that prompt cannot be disabled."
C) "users can and do delete the MP3 after importing it"
D) "your votes will be counted" ... "but it will probably never happen"

The Rest of the Story:
A) WRONG! WE did not change ANYTHING. There is NOTHING TO SAVE until WE make a change of some sort.
B) To paraphrase: "WE, the Audacious Gurus at Audacity, have made THE Decision. Until YOU, laypersons who could not begin to fathom the technical complexities, know more than WE do, the decision is FINAL!"
C) Protecting lunkhead users from themselves is far beyond the scope of a waveform editor.
D) SAME AS B, but more diplomatic.

The vote is clear. 123,456,789 to NUKE THE ANNOYING PROMPT *_WHEN_UNNECESSARY_*; 3 votes to "let the intelligentsia decide what is best for wrong-thinking rabble". The dismissive edict petrifying the prompt seems a bit too confrontational. "We are still devising a technical solution" sounds much better than "NEVER HAPPEN!!"

And your think-tank needs to be topped off. You are overlooking the industry standard technical fix for YOUR Design Flaw; a DIRTY FLAG!
1) After you transcode to float, set the USER_DIRTY_FLAG=0 and return control to the user
2) On any data-altering editing done by the user, increment the USER_DIRTY_FLAG
3) At close time, if(USER_DIRTY_FLAG==0) { exit() } else { accost_user_with_pedantic_save_yer_junk_prompt() };

This fixes the design deficiency of pestering users with the inane question of whether they would like to SAVE ALL _ZERO_ CHANGES they made. This almost entirely obviates the need for a user preference to Nuke_The_Prompt.

How horrible would it be to install the requested preference (with a default of "ALWAYS_ASK")? It's their foot. If they want to shoot, let 'em! I will opt for "PROMPT_IF_WAVE_WAS_ALTERED".

Are you building this tool for us or for you?

[Gale Andrews]

Your post is verging on a troll. Your vote will be counted.

1) After you transcode to float, set the USER_DIRTY_FLAG=0 and return control to the user
2) On any data-altering editing done by the user, increment the USER_DIRTY_FLAG
3) At close time, if(USER_DIRTY_FLAG==0) { exit() } else { accost_user_with_pedantic_save_yer_junk_prompt() };

You've read the reasons against.

Audacity is open source. You can modify it to do anything you like if you can program and recompile it, and give or sell your version to anyone else as long you keep it open source and don't call it Audacity.


Gale