Iterative save... Please?

Here's an idea (extra useful for those unstable builds) - Iterative save. Automatically adds a 001, 002, 003... etc at the end of your file and saves it. Sure, there's an auto backup function now, but iterative saving gives more control and just "feels better" when you do it and know it's done (since you can see it right there in the file name - speaking of which - how about displaying the file name after the project name at the top?).

I have made a couple of macros for graphical programs which do this and it's quite a simple task, above all for the pro coders here.

Well, a suggestion anyways.

File > Preferences > Auto backup saves

Sure, there's an auto backup function now, but iterative saving gives more control and just "feels better" when you do it.

Well, when I feel I've reached a milestone, I just do a Save as... and name it differently. Myself, I am not really concerned with version control, at least not this early. Then again I've yet to complete a serious project.

It's just a pretty good creative tool - like you decide to try something new and then you kinda forget or are a little lazy to do a Save As and type the new filename and BAM! you have already lost the previous iteration which was probably better or had something different (well, depends on workflow, of course, but has happened to me).

When it's just a button you have a lot more freedom - Click, go ahead, try a new thing, Click, another branch of ideas, Click, safety of your previous work.

There really should be some kind of limit, though, just like autobackup does. If your .cap is 50mb and it spawns a new file every time you hit save, pretty quickly you're going to be using more disk space than is useful.

Sure, but that's why it would be an extra button - save normally when just working, save iteratively when needed. So no extra checks, except for what's the previous file number - the rest up to the user.

Having worked with desktop publishing where a single file can be several hundred Megs big I can still say it's quite handy.

I like this idea, and it has proved useful with other programs.

Having both a Save and a Save Iteration would be good.

As for the sizes and amount of files, 2 obvious solutions spring to mind.

1 :: Self control: It's up to the user to keep an eye on the amount of files and filesize, and a good coder with poor organisational skills is a poor coder.

2 :: An option in the preferences to set the amount of iterations to keep. Set it to 10 and when it reaches the limit it gets rid of the first of the backups and adds the new one.

It could either delete the first of the current 10, or simply move it to a pre-defined directory.

Krush.

"Save Iteration" sounds identical to "Save As", no...?

"Save Iteration" sounds identical to "Save As", no...?

It actually is almost the same. It's just a pure workflow enchancement not really a necessary feature.

It's just much faster to press cntr-S or whatever, to make an iterative save, which automatically gives the save file a consecutive number instead of doing Save As and typing a number or a name manually, every time you need to save a new state or change.

I'm disappointed Ashley.

Clicking Save or Save Iteration requires no further action on the users part.

Save As requires you to decide what you want to call the file before clicking on another button.

I thought that would have been obvious. lol

Krush.

The time it took you to write this post is the time you could have used "save as" hundreds of times. It's only 2 seconds more work. In programs which have an iterative save, I still use save as.

Hundreds? I'm not THAT slow at typing

But the idea is about it being quick enough not to pause the "creative process" - right now I have to go to the menu, pick Save As, check if the folder is the same (seems to change sometimes), scroll down to see what the current filename was (since it's not shown anywhere when working) and then type up a new name.

When I could just click one button. And so could you But different strokes for different folks, I understand.

Hundreds? I'm not THAT slow at typing

But the idea is about it being quick enough not to pause the "creative process" - right now I have to go to the menu, pick Save As, check if the folder is the same (seems to change sometimes), scroll down to see what the current filename was (since it's now shown anywhere when working) and then type up a new name.

When I could just click one button. And so could you But different strokes for different folks, I understand.

Well if the few seconds it takes to type a name to save it as, pauses your "creative process", you've got a problem.

Well if the few seconds it takes to type a name to save it as, pauses your "creative process", you've got a problem.

Please don't. It's just a feature request, nothing to get worked up over.

And anyway, he does have a valid point, it would be a handy feature. Maybe not totally necessary, but then again neither are shortcut keys when you think about it. But they do help with work flow.