When composing a reply, I sometimes leave in the middle to address something else or further collect my thoughts and then return to it. Unfortunately, I automatically hit the reply button on my thread again, thereby deleting all that I'd written.

Can we either have a prompt installed to remind us that we have a reply in progress or change the software so hitting reply again reopens the existing window rather than replaces it with a new one? Thanks.

Revised request:

This bug doesn't just occur when you are on the same thread or even a different thread in the same forum as originally thought.

I just lost a very lengthy, very informational Private message that took me a long while to compose when I left it for a moment to search the main forum for something I wished to link to and accidently clicked 'new discussion' instead.

The new discussion window replaced my unfinished PM and I irretrievably lost precious time and info.

Because of the nature of our site, we frequently multitask responding to posts that we can answer quickly and easily while holding open a window and working on something else that requires more detail.

I don't know why this occurs as the two in todays instance are completely unrelated events in two different areas of the site but it would be helpful if it at least gave a warning prompt that it was about to close or replace your window and ask if you really wish to do that.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CrabbyAbby,

If the coding required to issue a 'Are you sure you want to leave...?' warning message can't be undertaken, I'd settle for the ability to 'Go Back' and recapture the original reply-in-progress OR just refuse to open a new REPLY/POST window when one's already open.

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Make that a "real" 'Go Back'... not the current 'Go Back' (such as when one posts a note sans subject line) that only takes one back to a screen devoid of all previously entered text... ~~sigh~~.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Aantares,

Hello all,

I see this as two seperate feature requests:

1) The way I would see the draft change being implemented would be a true draft system. Where you can store a post draft in the application until you are ready to post it. The application, ideally, would automatically save the draft to the application periodically while you are writing, and if you accidentally lose the window or over write it you can simply go to your drafts page and continue from the last save point. You would of course be able to choose to save a draft pro-actively.

I would say that the application would automatically remove all drafts that have not been actively worked on within say 3 days... Since the point of this feature would be to add flexibility into the posting process, but not to allow a permanent work space.

2) A proper error handling system which instead of loading a interstitial information page telling you that there is a error would instead load the posting page again with the values as you had posted them, and the invalid field highlighted or even a simple error message at the top...

How do these two changes sound? Do they about fit what you were thinking?

quote:

Originally posted by Jonmark Weber:
Hello all,

I see this as two seperate feature requests:

1) The way I would see the draft change being implemented would be a true draft system. Where you can store a post draft in the application until you are ready to post it. The application, ideally, would automatically save the draft to the application periodically while you are writing, and if you accidentally lose the window or over write it you can simply go to your drafts page and continue from the last save point. You would of course be able to choose to save a draft pro-actively.

I would say that the application would automatically remove all drafts that have not been actively worked on within say 3 days... Since the point of this feature would be to add flexibility into the posting process, but not to allow a permanent work space.

That sounds really terrific... stupendously terrific, even.

However, I would go for a 4-12 HOUR limit... again, as you said, we're not looking to provide permanent workspace, just a place to start a posting and, if interrupted for a SHORT time --the author wants to Google something, or MUST take the phone-call-from-Hell or has to answer the door, etc.-- they know what they've composed to date will be there but only for a very short period of time.

What would happen if, while someone is composing a posting, they're reading the forum, come across another note they absolutely, positively, no-scat MUST reply to and they open a new REPLY window... will the author's FIRST to-be-posting be preserved under the scheme you're describing?

quote:

2) A proper error handling system which instead of loading a interstitial information page telling you that there is a error would instead load the posting page again with the values as you had posted them, and the invalid field highlighted or even a simple error message at the top...

Yes, yes, YEEEEEEEEEEEES!



Perfect. Way to go. Nicely done.

Hello Aantares,

To answer your question, the drafting system would allow you to keep many drafts, and to review those drafts later.. So in your example say you started a long reply to someone about widgets and how you think they will take over the market, you pause to do some research.

While you are researching you get a notification about a new post from a user saying that gummy bears are sexist... Well you just have to reply to that, I mean come on... So you load a new reply window over your last draft, which is still stored in the system in its last saved state (which should have automatically happened periodically)...

You write: "My dear friend, Gummy bears are many things, most notably delicious, but sexist they are not..."

And then remember that you were working on your magnum opus on the benefits of the widget before you were so rudely interrupted by senior gummy bear hater... So you go to your personal zone -> Drafts and see your draft topic in the list. So you click the subject which brings up the posting window with your draft in it. You finish composing your work of art and submit. The draft is removed and the post is made... As the English would say:

"And Steve is your mothers brother"

Please note: I think both of these features sound awesome, but that does not guarantee a development slot in the next release... I am definitely going to add them to the queue though.

Just a thought, wouldn't it be simpler if Eve opened a new window for each post? The user could have many open at the same time without having to mess about saving stuff to the server

Hey Clanger,

That could solve a couple of problems but is not as solid of a solution as the server side persistence solution.

The reason I like the drafting model is because it allows a user to start a post in one location, get completely side tracked and come back to it from somewhere else and finish it. So you could sit down at home, start writing, then your wife yells that dinner is ready so you go eat, watch TV, put the kids to bed and come back and load up your draft, then post.

Though I would agree that your solution would be much simpler to implement *grin*