Re: no automatic backup?
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Re: no automatic backup?
So far I haven't been able to reproduce the backup problem. Whenever I turn automatic backup on it seems that all information, including new media locations, is stored in the ".001" file. If I change annotations and media associations without saving, the original eaf and the 001 backup are different after the next automatic save action.
This makes it a bit difficult to fix.
About the more general comments: almost each new release of ELAN contains both bug fixes and new features, sometimes only bug fixes. I think fixing bugs, especially those that can cause data loss, and improving stability have high priority. But we need to have some clue of where things go wrong: right now I wouldn't know what to change in the backup system (except for using more than one file for backup, e.g 001 to 005, as planned).
About keyboard shortcuts: you might want to read this (http://www.lat-mpi.eu/tools/elan/elanforum/post201003232997747108) discussion about some Mac specific problems. In the case of the shortcuts a new feature, customizable shortcuts, is maybe the best way to "solve" problems people might have on different platforms. And I don't think a crash when there is more than one file open is a common problem; again, so far I haven't been able to reproduce.
For each new version we create packages for 3 platforms, for 2 platforms both an installer and a Webstart version. Branching off yet another version with limited functionality is not really an option. Moreover, right now I couldn't think of any function that does any harm to the user that doesn't use it.
-Han
Re: Re: no automatic backup?
Hi Han,<br>It seems that the backup is working ok with annotation changes but not with media locations; that is, if I make an annotation the file is backed up and the annotation appears, but if I just open it and give it a new location for the sound file that is not saved in the automatic backup. I didn't see anything much in the log files but can send them to you if it'd be useful.<br><br>I see your point about bug fixes, but I don't agree with it as a general model. After all, someone who publishes an article *they know* has errors or inconsistencies in it and then relies on collective crowd-sourcing to fix the analysis is not seen as a particularly good researcher...<br><br>Sure, the extra features don't hurt if someone doesn't use them, but unstable software with irritating bugs is still suboptimal in my view than software that does what it's supposed to. Also, crashes that result in lost data take up time, as do work-arounds to navigation buttons that don't work. For example, the navigation buttons -- a pretty fundamental part of Elan, I'd say -- have not worked properly since at least version 2.8 on a mac. Currently, "play selection" only works once -- once it's played once, even if there is still a selection the player continues in the file. I have to reselect the section each time (which slows down transcription considerably). Specifically, what happens is the first time I press Shift + space, it places the selection. The next two times I press Shift+space, it jumps forward in the sound file (about 3/4 of a second it seems). Then the third time, it'll play the selection again. Furthermore, once a selection has been played, any navigation key seems to produce the same behavior (e.g. Crl+space "play forward from cursor" does the same - jumps forward twice, then works normally). My students have reported the same problem. It's a definite improvement on the earlier bug in the same context where the cursor would jump to the end of the file, though.<br><br>Claire<br><br><br>
Re: Re: Re: no automatic backup?
the navigation bug appears to be fixed in 3.9 - Thanks! Elan also loads faster and the video playback is much more stable. (I take back my previous posts /....)
Claire
Release of ELAN 4.3.0
