From: Alan Horkan (horkana@tcd.ie)
Date: Tue Mar 12 2002 - 16:55:29 GMT
> Dom wrote:
>
> >In my opinion, the folder to save bacup files to should not be
> >configurable.
Dom does not always have time to explain and justify his opinions in
detail.
> >However, AbiWord should delete backup files after the main
> >document has been saved.
> This behavior seems a little strange to me, too. I've used .bak files to
> restore an old version of a document where, for whatever reason, I decided I
That is not what the system was really designed for.
Backups are against accidental crashing. When you have saved you dont need them anymore
The backup system is not about providing you with a full document revision
history and allowing you change your mind.
There are better ways to handle document revisions than in the Word
Processor. For code one would use CVS, for documents other systems are
avialable. You could even get a special filesystem that always keeps the
old version when save (revision system built into the filesytem).
> didn't like the changes I made during the current editing session. If my
> backup is deleted once the main document is saved, then I lost my
> old-version security blanket. I'm not sure this is "standard" behavior
save mulitple copies
file-first-draft.abw
file-second.abw
etc
It is a neat trick to use the backups for this, but there are better
solutions.
> Francisco's recent requests (auto-cap sentences; no path in title bar;
> autosave preferences) really drives home to me how differently we all work
> and how important it is that a program be flexible in allowing a wide
Read this:
http://www.abisource.com/support/expectations.phtml
(can we get this added to a mailinglist FAQ with instructions on how to
unsubscribe)
Features and flexibility are important but at the end of the day there are
limitations. With Proprietary software you are stuck and have to wait and
see and if you are lucky Microsoft et al. might allow you the priviledge
of paying for a new version with bugfixes patches and new features.
The whole point of Open Source and Free Software is Freedom.
You alway have the extra choice of taking the code and making the changes
yourself or if that is not practical you can at least get/convince/pay
someone else to do them.
You just dont have that freedom with Proprietary software.
When Dom says no, he almost always means simply that he has other
priorities. He is not refusing he is merely declining to implement the
feature.
Give the man a break.
> same criticism because its developers were unwilling to allow a modification
unwilling? i think ive clarified this. Submit patches, ask and say
please.
> of easily changeable preferences.
Only easy when you know how. if the patch you want is really that
important and that easy offer $5/E5 or whatever to the first developer to
implement it, do it yourself or just be patient.
This is in no way intended as an arguement, im just trying to tell it like
it is. I had similar feelings but I've come to accept the system such as
it is.
Sincerely
Alan Horkan
Making unreasonable requests for abiword features since 2000 :)
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