User behavior + Synchronize = lost data

Amaya 8.8.3, Windows 98 SE

Scenario:

Open a page in both the Formatted and Source views.  Arrange the windows
such that the menu commands for both windows are visible.

In the Source view, make a change to the page.

In the Formatted window, click on File, then Synchronize.  (Do not first
click within the body of the window.)  Your change has now been lost.  In
the same window, click on Edit, Undo.  The change is still missing.

It appears that Synchronize means "PUSH changes from here (the window where
the command was invoked) to the other side of the fence", where Source is on
one side of the fence and all remaining Views are on the other.

If the user accidentally goes to the wrong side of the fence, then does a
Synchronize, the current state of that window (without the recent changes)
will be pushed to where the changes were, thus destroying them.

In spite of the caution on about_synchronized_views.html that "The Source
view is not automatically synchronized. After making a series of edits in
the Source view, you must choose File > Synchronize to update the other
views of the document. Conversely, when you make changes in any other view,
choose File > Synchronize to update the Source view." it appears that
changes ARE automatically propagated across the fence as soon as you click
within the BODY (not the menu)  of the target view.

Suggested change: Extend the current behavior to include any user action
that moves the focus to a window, e.g. if I change the Source, then click on
ANY PART of the Formatted view window, my changes are replicated in that
view (as they are now if I'm careful enough to click within the body of that
window).

If this change is made, I believe the File, Synchronize function can be
eliminated from the UI.

Chris Beall

Received on Friday, 10 February 2006 20:25:28 UTC