[Bug 58572] editor doesn't check for file updates outside IDE

[Robert Shideleff]

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http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=58572      




------- Additional Comments From bigbob shideleff com  2004-03-31 21:42 -------
My standard for comparing this (and a lot of smart editor features) is EMACS. Emacs has one more feature that doesn't seem to be captured above. Emacs' notifications all include a hint about whether the file had been changed without being saved since it had been loaded into memory. The implication is that if a reload occurs when no changes have been made, then it is far less likely that information will be lost. Therefore the auto-reload process is relatively safe and is much easier to do. (In fact it is more or less automatic as I recall.) However, if changes have been made, then emacs is VERY picky about allowing you to make any moves which will either wipe out the data you edited in the buffer, or wipe out any changes the third party made to the disk.

Kdevelop shows only one notification with no feedback about whether changes occurred in just one place or in both places. It does change its behavior to make it more difficult to damage either set of changes, but it does not take that extra step of noticing that you hadn't really made any changes in the buffer since it was last loaded/saved and make it easier/less scary to load in the third party changes.

As for notification, Emacs will basically stay quiet about the issue UNTIL you make any attempt to change the file in memory, or to save it over somebody else's changes, or close it without saving (if you had made changes in the buffer). As soon as you type a character or make some other change in a buffer that was saved by another app after it had last been read by emacs, THEN a message pops up asking you what you want to do. (New File, Revert, Save, Cancel) The save is followed by an 'are you sure' message.

I have found this to be the smoothest and easiest way to deal with these issues of any program I ever dealt with. Mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery...Take the best features from all sources.