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List:       kde-bugs-dist
Subject:    [Bug 79698] Disabling backups (file~) explicite,
From:       Philippe Rigault <prigault () oricom ! ca>
Date:       2005-01-12 3:43:12
Message-ID: 20050112034312.20829.qmail () ktown ! kde ! org
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------- Additional Comments From prigault oricom ca  2005-01-12 04:43 -------
> Nevertheless, we all probably agree that from 3 option given variant c)
> (ability to specify special backup directory instead of backuping in place)
> is the best one. 

I certainly don't, option c is _very_bad_ for several reasons:
 1. Applications that make backup files (which includes all editors) _always_ make \
them in place. It is a _standard_ that all users would expect. Consistency of \
interface being one of the strengths of KDE, it would be a pity to ruin it by \
inconsistency of such a basic behaviour.  2. It is not feasible easily in a robust \
way, and quickly brings many more problems than benefits. Consider the following \
scenarios:  a) Backup directory problematic (not enough space, read-only NFS-mount), \
which is detected at _write_ time, so you do all your editing and the editor bombs \
just as you hit Save.  b) ~/backups/<full path> is very inefficent. Edit a single \
file in kdepim for example, and end up creating \
$HOME/.backups/opt/build/kde/3.3.2/konstruct/kde/kdepim/work/kdepim-3.3.2/kmail/file. \
  c) Modify a file path (PATH1/foo -> PATH2/foo) after its backup is created \
guarantees that files do not correspind any more to their backups.  d) \
~/backups/<full path> fails to work across many machines. Often, home directories are \
shared betwen machines (e.g NFS mount). Go edit a file in machine1:path/file and \
machine2:path/file -> name collision.

The only reasonable option IMO would be to add the option in 'preferences' for \
cleaning up the backup file (after each save, when closing a file or exiting the \
application) and the option to ask for confirmation to do so each time.

One can ask an application to clean up after itself, but certainly not to mess with \
directory structures.


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