Alert warning for read-only files
Observed with MuseScore 3.6.2 under Windows 7
If MuseScore opens a score file that is marked read-only for the O/S, we see no notice of this situation.
We can make any changes we wish in the score.
If we do Save, it is ineffectual. The only indication we get of this is that the "dirty" asterisk does not disappear.
If we have made changes and attempt to close the "dirty" file, we get the usual warning message. If we choose Save, we get a file box labeled Save As, essentially inviting us to save this file under a new name. This seems, and may be, helpful, but it may baffle the scorist who has no idea why this is happening.
It would be desirable, when a read-only file had been loaded, for there to be some visible notice. The scorist may have no idea of the status of the file, and might wish to react to that discovery before doing any more work.
It would perhaps also be desirable that, when we call Save on a read-only score, we get some notice that the save is not effectual. Perhaps here as well we should be offered a Save As box, but I'm not so sure about that. That might just baffle the unwitting scorist.
Doug
Comments
That you get a save as box when you can't save instead of a message is not very good user experience but that's the way most applications behave on Windows so I wouldn't blame MuseScore for that.
On the other hand, the fact ctrl-S is silently doing nothing is pretty bad!
Yes you get the question when you close the file, but if you do NOT want to save the things you have done since the last ctrl-S, the logical answer is no. And then big problem you lose ALL changes, as the ctrl-S actually did nothing !
In reply to That you get a save as box… by frfancha
>>That you get a save as box when you can't save instead of a message . . .
But we don't get either when we do Save.
>>. . . is not very good user experience but that's the way most applications behave on Windows so I wouldn't blame MuseScore for that.
Quite so. I wasn't blaming anything - just observing.
Thanks.
Doug
In reply to >>That you get a save as box… by Doug Kerr
It would be very desirable, when a read-only score is loaded and active:
• To have "[Read only]" or some such in the title bar after the file name.
• To have all editing blocked.
• To have Save dimmed out (and inoperative) in the File menu.
• To have a warning message if the keyboard shortcut for Save is done. (Although this is less urgent if all editing is blocked, as the scorist should probably have gotten the clue by now.)
If all editing is blocked, then if we try to close the score, it is not "dirty", and there is no need for a query box. So we need not be concerned with "improvements" in its wording pr behavior for this case.
Save As should of course be available, working in the usual manner.
Doug
In reply to It would be very desirable,… by Doug Kerr
Why would you want blocking trials and errors in a file because it is readonly on disk ?? That would be very annoyning
In reply to Why would you want blocking… by frfancha
I would expect that if I wanted to move the state of development forward (even just "playin' around"), I would make a copy to do that on. If I decided to discard that doodling, I could just not save that copy.
I think that being able to seemingly edit an un-editable file could lead to some bad adventures.
However, I have applications that work both ways, and I can live with that.
Doug
In reply to I would expect that if I… by Doug Kerr
It is quite common for me to change the tempo or to add a swing text or to change some settings in the mixer before playback in readonly files. I wouldn't want that to be made more complicated than today
In reply to It is quite common for me to… by frfancha
I understand.
I would have no problem if MuseScore continues to let us edit the score in memory even if loaded from a read-only file, so long that there was some clear indication of this situation, and good behavior in what might happen next (meaning informative error or warning messages, etc.).
Doug
Of course this all assumes that MuseScore can be made aware of a file being read-only from the start, rather than having to guess that because saving the file failed.
In reply to Of course this all assumes… by jeetee
Which should not be a big problem, coding wise.