Saving file

• Aug 3, 2015 - 17:29

Mis-spelled copyright footer and couldn't amend it. Copied work to date and pasted it into a new score to get by the problem. Original score not in background (?) but I carried on. End of day did final 'save' and was prompted again to save (?) when I closed the window, so I did. Was asked if I wanted to replace the existing file, which I did, because the file on-screen was the correct one, so I clicked 'yes' but the file saved turned out to be the old file. Lost a day's work. The Revert To option does not appear in file menu as advised by Apple. The second request to save must have related to the original file in some way. I've been on Macs since 1988 and have never experienced this before.


Comments

Sorry to hear of your problems, hoepfully we can figure out what went wrong.

First, what do you mean you "couldn't amend" the copyright footer? Do you just mean, you don't know how to? File / Info lets you edit that text. Style / General / Header, Footer, Numbers also controls display of footers. So there shouldn't have been a need to start a new score.

Second, what do you mean "Original score not in background"? I assume if you did a copy and paste, you had both scores (old and new) open, in two separate tabs.

When you did the "final save", do you mean the new score? If so, then upon closing MuseScore, it would be normal and correct that it should also prompt you to save the old, if you hadn't already. Either that or you actually saved the old version on your "final save", and then were prompted to save the new on exit. Hard to say without going back in time and watching over your shoulder.

Anyhow, it's hard to say what might have happened, but I suspect somehow you accidentally saved the old version of the file on top of the new, in which case, perhaps "Time Machine" can bail you out (?). Or, perhaps you actually saved the new in a different folder than the old.

Anyhow, MuseScore doesn't do anything particularly unusual in how it saves files, I suspect you simply made a mistake and saved either the the old or new version to a different name or folder than you intended. Hoepfully the other version is still there waiting for you to find it.

As for "Revert to", keep in mind MuseScore is a cross-platform application, running as identically as possible on Windows, Mac, and Linux. So it tends not to use OS-specific features.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thanks for getting back.

<...Do you just mean, you don't know how to?>

The online tutorial actually STATES that the footer can't be edited under the heading 'Known issues with MuseScore 2.0, at least, as I understand the text. My failed attempt to add the copyright symbol to the footer confirmed this in my mind.

<...I assume if you did a copy and paste, you had both scores (old and new) open, in two separate tabs.>

This is the weird part. The file I temporarily left (in the background) to paste into the new one had disappeared. I didn't close it and never would until the process in hand was complete.

<...When you did the "final save", do you mean the new score?>

Yes. I simply saved the file I was working on, the only file open at the time, the one I was looking at but when I clicked in the top left to close the file I was prompted again to save, with the option to replace the old file. I believe I did save the old file, as it turns out, which is the point of this discussion. If I save an active file and end up saving something else then MuseScore appears to work differently in this respect.

<...I suspect you simply made a mistake and saved either the the old or new version to a different name or folder than you intended>

Definitely not.

<...As for "Revert to", keep in mind MuseScore is a cross-platform application, running as identically as possible on Windows, Mac, and Linux. So it tends not to use OS-specific features.>

The facility to revert (call it what you wish), in one way or another, is not Mac-specific.

Thanks again, JM.

In reply to by John Morton

The Handbook says you cannot edit the footer *in a WYSIWYG manner*, meaning you can't edit it in okace on the page - you need to use the dialogs.

As far as I know, the Revert feature on Mac you refer to involves direct OS support that is unique to that plaform. No doubt it would be possible to implement one's own such facility in a platform-independent manner, but that is a big task for a very small software project.

Anyhow, I realize you don't believe you made any mistakes, but without a precise step by step series of instructions to reproduce a problem, right now there is nothing anyone can do. It seems apparent you saved the old file on top of the new. Why or how is still anyone's guess at this point, but in general, MuseScore does *not* work differently from any other program, as you will find if you try to reproduce this problem.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

WYSIWIG refers to the facility of entering text in the same form that it will be reproduced, one way or another. It doesn't mean 'can't be edited on the page'. If I appear to be quarrelling please bear in mind that, because my early search terms in the tutorial drew a blank, I had already spent almost an hour trying to change a lower case 'm' into a capital. Now I know how I could kick myself, of course.

I have no need to reproduce the problem of the lost file. Historically, this happened and the point of this exchange is to ask the developers to find out why. Needless to say I won't be caught out again.

Thanks again, Marc.

In reply to by John Morton

Understood, but I hope you also understand, we can't begin to investigate a problem without steps to reproduce it. So unless someone is able to provide such steps, this will just remain an unexplained one-in-a-million fluke.

As for WYSIWYG, the dialog is not the same form it will be reproduced - it doesn't show the chosen font or the position relative to other elements. So it is by definition not WYSIWYG. But indeed, the page could be more clear that this doens't mean there is *no* way to edit it - there should probably be a brief mention of the info / footer mechanism and perhaps a link an appropriate Handbook page. Feel to edit the page to clarify if you like - this is, after all, community-sourced documentation.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thanks again, Marc. Computers don't do flukes.

Re: WYSIWYG this is true but, of course, at that point in time I had not reached the File/Info dialogue box, so I wasn't to know. It's an odd place for text editing but, if that's the way it works, then so be it. (I HAD tried to insert a copyright symbol there without success.)

On the plus side, MuseScore notation input leaves the competition for dead. I have Finale but never use it, except for utilising the Garritan instruments and their muted trumpet sound is inferior, anyway.

Regards, JM.

An update on an old problem: downloaded upgrade of MuseScore 2.0, April 2016, and can't 'Save' a file. I get a dialogue box asking me to 'Save As'. I seem to remember this was the beginning of a process that cost me a day's work in August last year. (I've had heart surgery since so apologies for disjointed flow). The only other time I've had this kind of problem was when using a Mac tied to a Unix server.

27" iMac, 3.2 GHz Intel Core i5, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3,

John Morton.

In reply to by John Morton

If you haven't yet given the file a name, it's normal that the dialog prompts you for a name - all programs do that. Or, if the file was originally imported from some other program (including pre-2.0 version of MuseScore) it is normal that MuseScore would probably you to give the file a new name when saving, to avoid overwriting the original. It shouldn't be a problem at all - if it prompts you for a name, just give it one. If youare comfortable replacing the original file (for scores imported from pre-2..0), then simply make that choice. MuseScore is just trying to protect you from doing so *accidentally*.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Yes, Marc. I've been doing it since 1988 so I understand these basics. I simply want the file to disappear when I select 'Save' but it doesn't and I have to save another copy with a different name whether I like it or not, which is unique to MuseScore, in my experience (QuarkXpress, Encore, Finale, Illustrator, PhotoShop, Logic Pro, etc. etc.). The current file was indeed created in 1.3 but, as a test, I made a small amendment to a file created in 2.0 and clicked 'Close' and the file closed without prompting me to save it. I repeated this procedure, this time selecting 'Save' and the file closed right away but, when I re-opened it, the change was not saved. I have to admit I'm baffled, thank you again, JM.

In reply to by John Morton

If you import the file from another program (like MuseScore 1.3), then indeed, the *first* time you save it, you need to chosoe a name for it. You are welcome to just save directly over the original if you are sure you won't need to open it in 1.3 ever again. Or, if you think you might want to open it in 1.3, simply save it with a different name. It's your choice. But once you make that choice, the file is saved and you never have to worry about it agin,. From then on, every time you save that file, it should save normally. I guess somehow when you are saving the file, you are losing track of which version is which. Maybe you are getting confused by the fact that MuseScore might be defaulting to placing the modified file in a different folder than the original?

Anyhow, try the following:

1) open a file created in 1.3 - say, "myfile.mscz"
2) make a change
3) press Save button (or File / Save, or Ctrl+S)
4) a dialog appears asking you for a location to save it to. call it "myfile2.mscz"
5) make another change to the file
6) hit Save again

You should not get a dialog - it will simnply save to "myfile2.mscz".

Now, close MuseScore, then open it. Open "myfile2.mscz" (*not* "myfile.mscz"). You will see your two changes pefectly intact. Make another change, hit Save again, and again, it will simply save with no dialog needed.

I can't say for sure what you might be doing wrong, but doing the abve *will* work.

It will also work if at step 4), you deliberately choose to replace the original file (be sure to save into the same folder as the original as well). You'll get a dialog asking to confirm you want to overwrite the file. Say "yes", and from now on, you will be able to save that file normally, because it's in 2.0 format.

Bottom line: files in 1.3 will prompt you to save as in order to convert to 2.0 format. Once it is saved in 2.0 format, it will always be in 2.0 format; you will never need to "save as" again.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thank you for your detailed reply. The errant file might have been originally produced in 1.3 - it was stored in the scores folder in 2.0 - but the main problem here, which was disastrous, is that the file closes without a prompt to 'Save' and doesn't save changes either. I believe a warning to users is applicable here. By the way, I'm on OSX Yosemite 10.10.5. I mention this because Apple aren't too fussy about preserving backwards compatibility with their upgrades, in fact, wise users don't upgrade until they have to. Thanks again and no need to reply, John Morton.

In reply to by John Morton

If the file closed without a prompt, then it *was* saved, just perhaps to a different location than you were expecting for some reason. But try to reproduce it and you'll see - you are *never* allowed to close a file in you have modified in MsueScore without being prompted to save it. That's a basic feature expected of all programs, and MuseScore does it. So while it might not be clear what happened exactly, rest assured, MuseScore *is* doing the right thing here, and there is no need for any additional warnings.

If you are able to reproduce a case where this doens't happen, feel free to post a specific score and precise steps to reproduce the problem. But so far with millions of scores saved, no one else has reported anything like this, so I hoep you can understand why the natural conclusion to draw here is that somehow you simply got confused about what was happening.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Thanks again. Since we last spoke I tried again, twice, and the file definitely (definitely) didn't prompt me to 'Save' when I made a test amendment. Following receipt of your latest reply I tried again and everything is working OK now. Strange. I also checked for saved files in other locations as you suggest. There aren't any. Late last year I lost a day's work because a file closed without prompting me but I junked what remained of that file and I've had other priorities since. The mystery remains, as I see it at this end, John Morton.

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