How To Tell if Book edits are Saved

[pypo]

Is there some visual indicator to tell you that you have unsaved edits? Something as simple as a dot in the middle of the red icon (MAC) would be good enough.

[kovidgoyal]

The save icon is grayed out when there are no changes to be saved

[eschwartz]

I do kind of think the current Save icon is not easily distinguished at a glance -- is it possible you can change the icon to have more contrast?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I do kind of think the current Save icon is not easily distinguished at a glance -- is it possible you can change the icon to have more contrast?

You can do it yourself, put a save.png in %calibre_config_directory%\resources\images. I found an fluoro orange diskette that works well for me.

BR

[eschwartz]

I know, but I thought it might be useful to bounce around the idea of doing that from the source, since I might not be the only one who would like it.

[BetterRed]

But that would change it for all current users who have not overidden the 'default, which I imagine is most users.

In my experience most users don't like (resent) user interface changes, because they have to do something (e.g install 3rd party products Start Button 8, Classic Menu...) to get back what they had. In this case they'd have to find the current icon and override any replacement.

I appreciate most users probably wouldn't, but there's a principal at stake here; making an unnecessary change at the install level... unnecessary, because the wherewithal exists to make the change at the user level... would set a precedent, and 'usurp' the simple but very effective resources override scheme that the calibre developers have provided... if only other software had similar facilities Ψ²

You should have raised this when the editor was in beta. That's when I changed the save.png and document_open (to my eyes the default looks like a printer) icons, which are in fact the only icons I've overridden

Feel free to use this orange save.png



BR

[eschwartz]

It need not be a totally different icon, merely make the current needs-to-be-saved icon the exact same icon but darker.

Sorry for the confusion. I did not mean to imply an interface change. I don't consider darkening the icon to be an interface change.

[pypo]

"In my experience most users don't like (resent) user interface changes"

Sorry to disagree, but UI changes are just part of the nature of software. Goes on all the time. What people don't like are software changes that are retrograde, and it doesn't matter if they are UI or feature changes, if they are retrograde, they are disliked.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It need not be a totally different icon, merely make the current needs-to-be-saved icon the exact same icon but darker.

Sorry for the confusion. I did not mean to imply an interface change. I don't consider darkening the icon to be an interface change.

I think the issue is greying a Black icon is way subtle for some folks eyesight (pick me. pick me.)
If the disk color was the WD Green model, instead of the WD server version , you would find grey would be more obvious

(This cheapskate bus WD Blue )

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by pypo

"In my experience most users don't like (resent) user interface changes"

Sorry to disagree, but UI changes are just part of the nature of software. Goes on all the time. What people don't like are software changes that are retrograde, and it doesn't matter if they are UI or feature changes, if they are retrograde, they are disliked.

What's retrograde and what's not, is a subjective quality.

I got my first keyboard with a Windows Key when I was writing software on NT 4, I promptly got rid of the now redundant Start taskbar button.

With subsequent versions of Windows (NT5, 2000, XP, Vista, 7) I had to get rid of it again, and again... and again

When I read that Win8 didn't have one, I thought 'bout time too, it's been a waste space since the last century. Then by gosh, with Win10 I'm back to getting rid of the stupid thing again

AFAIK even in Win 10 MS haven't provided an easy way to get rid of it (e.g. a check box in Taskbar properties), one must resort to a registry hack or a 3rd party gadget Ψ²

Why was it resurrected. Because hoards of self-proclaimed 'experts' loudly complained from their media soap boxes; and then the sheep blithely followed their beloved judas goats and retweeted, and retweeted. Thus it was that a feature that's been redundant for a decade and half gets reinstated; just because some 'poor diddums' hacks threw their toys out if their prams

Now that's retrograde, why its almost a throw back to the Stalinist-brutal or Art-deco era

For the record I love a properly done ribbon. Sadly most are warmed over ad-hoc menu's and button bars that were thrown together to address the vagaries of ad-hoc menu's

BR

[eschwartz]

Interesting perspective!

But it isn't just the taskbar button, it is also the difference between the fullscreen tiled menu and the popout flyaway labeled menu. That I think is where most of the ire was aimed.

[MartyTX]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

You can do it yourself, put a save.png in %calibre_config_directory%\resources\images. I found an fluoro orange diskette that works well for me.

BR

BR, thanks for the info. I modified the original "save.png" and gave it an orange tone (dignified orange, not fluoro ).

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

But it isn't just the taskbar button, it is also the difference between the fullscreen tiled menu and the popout flyaway labeled menu. That I think is where most of the ire was aimed.

Probably, but know of two people who paid for a gadget to put the button back, and then used the half-assed menu behind it

The 20-30 people who call on me (via my local community centre) for help with their PCs fall into two camps. Those who embrace most change with a shrug, and those who complain about any and every thing. Biggest complainers are middle aged men. We don't get many under thirties.

Originally Posted by MartyTX

BR, thanks for the info. I modified the original "save.png" and gave it an orange tone (dignified orange, not fluoro ).

FYI, the one I posted isn't the one I use, the one I use is uber-uber-fluoro, didn't post it because its copyrighted and watermarked.

Lots of icons here ==>> Find Icons

BR

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Probably, but know of two people who paid for a gadget to put the button back, and then used the half-assed menu behind it

That's... a new one for me.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

...When I read that Win8 didn't have one, I thought 'bout time too, it's been a waste space since the last century. Then by gosh, with Win10 I'm back to getting rid of the stupid thing again

AFAIK even in Win 10 MS haven't provided an easy way to get rid of it (e.g. a check box in Taskbar properties), one must resort to a registry hack or a 3rd party gadget Ψ²

Why was it resurrected. Because hoards of self-proclaimed 'experts' loudly complained from their media soap boxes; and then the sheep blithely followed their beloved judas goats and retweeted, and retweeted. Thus it was that a feature that's been redundant for a decade and half gets reinstated; just because some 'poor diddums' hacks threw their toys out if their prams ...

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Probably, but know of two people who paid for a gadget to put the button back, and then used the half-assed menu behind it

The 20-30 people who call on me (via my local community centre) for help with their PCs fall into two camps. Those who embrace most change with a shrug, and those who complain about any and every thing. Biggest complainers are middle aged men. We don't get many under thirties.

Agree completely!!!!!!!!!!

Regarding the middle aged men (them most frequently, but often highly over-opinionated and could be said to be "bossy" women in mid 20s through 30s) I think it is similar to the experience in other business change management.

With respect to the men in business change they are often the ones who want to be seen as the "knowledge leaders" among their peers even when, in fact, they actually know very little at all about the subject; maybe a bit of a misplaced macho thing with men (won't comment on the observations during business change regarding cause in women else we will have a riot, very sensitive grounds that for an aging male to comment on here ).