Recovering auto-save files

This section is up to date for TED Notepad version 6.3.1.0.
Control page Control:feature:Recovering auto-save files

This section is up to date for TED Notepad version 6.3.1.0.
Control page Control:feature:Recovery file

This section is up to date for TED Notepad version 6.3.1.0.
Control page Control:feature:Auto-save

If the Save recovery file every 5 mins setting is turned on, TED Notepad creates recovery auto-save files periodically whenever the current document is unsaved. The recovery file name is created by appending .$ to the original file name and can be hidden from standard Windows Explorer view. Whenever the document is saved or closed, such recovery file is automatically removed. However, if the computer crashes, the recovery file is kept intact and might contain a newer version of the document.

Upon loading a document, TED Notepad checks, whether an auto-save file exists. If it founds one, a dialog is displayed, asking whether to recover the document from the auto-save file. There are three options to choose in that dialog:

• Yes — loads the document from the auto-save file instead of the original file, and marks the document as modified as a reminder that a manual Save is required to actually save the recovered version into the original file. The user may continue working with the document as if the crash never happened.
  • Note: It is important to mention, that if the user closes the document without saving it (e.g. by opening another document or by closing the application), the recovered version is discarded and lost (as if the crash never happened). The user must save the document after recovery.
  • Note: The auto-save file is not deleted after recovery, but upon saving or closing the document. Thus if the computer crashes again before saving, the auto-save file is still kept.
• No — loads the document from the original file. The auto-save file is ignored, but not deleted. It is therefore possible to review the original file without loosing the auto-save file for later recovery.
  • Note: If the user starts to edit the document now, the old auto-save file will eventually get overwritten by a new one, thus loosing the pre-crash version. There is only one recovery version available at any given time and it is not expected to be able to recover an old version once some new editting takes place.
• Cancel — cancels the loading altogether. The user might choose to use external comparison services or viewers to examine the files.

Note: In order to get rid of the autosave file (and discard the autosaved version), the user should choose Yes to recover the document and then close the document without saving it. The recovery file is removed upon closing the document.

Alternatively, the user can choose No and then edit the original document version. After a while, the old autosave will be replaced by a new one. However, until such overwrite, the old autosave will linger on, even after manual saving or closing the document. This is because choosing No means ignoring the old autosave, as if it never existed.

This section is incomplete and wants to be finished later.

TODO: +added: The user is warned that it is necessary to save the recovered document. -fixed: Auto-save file was not being removed after recovery and save.