[udig-devel] Re: Udig: Problem of file saving

[Matthias Basler]

Jesse wrote:

> The semantics of saving is slightly different then what many expect.   
> Projects and maps are saved automatically on shutdown or when a map  
> is closed.  Saving is actually for editing, when a in-memory layer is  
> part of the map saving will allow you to save the layer to a shapefile 
> ( or other datastores in the future).

Hi uDiggers,

may I suggest to think this decision over once more. From my experience with user interfaces I can tell that what Coco expected is what most new users will expect, including me. And in the light of being "user-friendly", this is exactly how it should work.

1. When you add layers to a map you do so by "importing". So it would be consequent to let the user "Export" in-memory layers to shapefiles, not to "save" them.

2. Loading and saving in the file menu should imho be reserved to projects and should work as in 95% of all software, in other words:
- "Load project" loads project and asks to save previous one, if changed.
- "Save project" save the project.
- "Save as" saves with file dialog
- "Close project" closes the project, asking the user to save it if it changed.

I believe that explicit saving of projects is important. Not always do I want to save what I have on the map when leaving UDig. Sometimes I'd rather discard any test maps I built.

Just my 2 cents.
-- 
Matthias Basler
matthiasbasler at earthflight.org