YOU ARE DRAFTED!

[Jeff]

Well, your posting can be. I just discovered that this version of the forum software includes the ability to enable message drafts. I thought about just letting ya'll find it, but those of you that post in brail, might not notice that the extra button says draft and not post.  

There is a setting I can enable, but concerned how it might effect the posting experience, and that is an auto save on the drafts, by setting a number of seconds for a post to auto save what you have so far to the draft. 

I'd like to draft you guys to test this, then, give me an idea on the time we need to choose for auto save and to see if when it saves, it does not actually interrupt your posting, but then, if it does, it it worth it to know your work so far is saved.

So... ya'll are drafted.

[Texas Ranger]

Well, I'm here, so let basic training begin.  Nope, no draft button, free at last, etc.

[Old Greenhorn]

I enabled the autosave in my 'look and layout' screen. But no where can I find a "draft' button or option on the posting page. I have run out of things to click on. Where is this little bugger hiding?

[Magicman]

I suppose that I was expecting to see that a "DRAFT" button had been added to the PREVIEW & POST buttons.  ??  Are you asking first or did I just not find it?

I occasionally will copy and paste a longer post/reply to my "word processor" to avoid it being somehow lost before I finish.  I will verify that it actually posted before I delete it in the word processor.

[Old Greenhorn]

I did something I never do, I went to the SMF help screen. Seems this is a permission that has to be enabled, but I am not sure if it is by user, board, or topic. At any rate. I can't find the little bugger so I'll wait for more info. Obviously I am missing something.

[Jeff]

Okay...  I'm still not as smart as I thought I was a few moments please.

[Ron Wenrich]

Its a "SAVE DRAFT" button btwn the "ADD FILES" and "PREVIEW" buttons.  That's in the QUICK REPLY.

The shortcut is SHIFT+ALT+D to save draft.

I have the Admin's version, but that should be what it looks like if its working.

If you reply to a post without the QUICK REPLY, the "ADD FILES" button is dropped.  The shortcut is still the same.

[WV Sawmiller]

Jeff,

  I thought I have clearly told you and others in the past that my mental hard drive is full and for me to learn something new I will first have to dump some memory from somewhere else and it could be something like my wife's birthday that will get me in big trouble.

    Thanks but I don't know that I would use the draft button that much.

    Right now I type and post and when I re-read if I see I mis-spelled something or if I decide to add something I just click on the modify button at the bottom of the post and correct or add. Does that cause any problems? I suspect if I used a draft mode I'd still end up doing the same thing only maybe a little less often.

    On rare occasions if I am doing a long post I will type it up in Word or such then copy and paste it into the text on the post. Other than sometimes having to tweak it slightly such as indents or such that seems to work. Does that cause any problems to the system.

  Thanks again for the offer but unless the current way I am posting is causing problems or gets changed I will continue as now.

[Jeff]

Okay, how about now?

Howard, you make some lengthy posts, and I gotta think at your age you could use a rest in the middle,at times.

[Jeff]

The button says "save draft"

[Old Greenhorn]

OK, it's there now, and I tried it on this post.
Regarding the autosave question Jeff, if the autosave does the same thing as 'save draft' (i.e. going through a save cycle then popping up the message) then I would set that autosave out a bit say 5 minutes or so. Most posts that get 'lost' are the ones that take a long time to write (or so I have heard  ). Sometimes I will go have dinner before I finish a post. Those are the ones that would benefit most, I think. For quick posts, with a long delay, it won't even be used or become and issue. Just my thoughts on it.

[Jeff]

Lets try that then. 300 seconds. Let me know if we get any unintended consequences.  Drafts will be saved a maximum 7 days.

I hope to start reincorporating some of our old lost functions this winter. 

[SawyerTed]

I see the Save Draft button.  

I clicked it.

It saved my draft.

It works...

I like it!

Now an auto paragraph button might help some Forumites.   

[Jeff]

Let me drop it to 30, and see if it gives issues. I usually loose the shortstuff.

[Old Greenhorn]

Very funny Ted.  But to be fair if you got look at my recent posts you will see that I have worked very hard and fairly consistently to put in the "Howard Spaces" and sometimes even section breaks. Geez, some guys don't even recognize when somebody is making an effort.

 I don't know how you can tell if the autosave is working. I am taking my time typing this (so Howard can read it) and I don't see anything indicating I have a draft saved. Maybe you have to manually save the draft first before autosave kicks in?  Lemme try that.
 OK, I clicked the save draft and got the alert and saved messages. Typing a little more here to kill time. Nope, not seeing any evidence of it being saved again.

[SawyerTed]

Tom, couldn't resist.  Just in fun, friend. 

[Jeff]

I guess I dont understand how the auto save works now either.

[Texas Ranger]

I will try again.  Nope.

[Jeff]

What do we have now? It looks like it needed to be enabled by theme. If it works I will enable for the premium subscription theme as well.

[Jeff]

Okay, im going to test this.

[Jeff]

What do we have now? It looks like it needed to be enabled by theme. If it works I will enable for the premium subscription theme as well.

It works! Found it in my drafts in my profile.

[Magicman]

Worked on this end.  I saved a draft and found the new button in my profile.

[Jeff]

You now should not have to save to have it save, if you dont hit post. Every 30 seconds it will save. Try making a post, wait 30 seconds and dont save. Maybe even go to a couple different pages, then suddenly remember you didnt post. Now go check drafts.

[Magicman]

This feature could have prevented me from having "heartburn" a couple of times when I have done something wrong or maybe did not do something right and lost a reply causing me to have to go back and and try to reconstruct it.  It never comes out right the second time because that initial burst of memory is gone.

[Jeff]

This is our 25th year. Im looking to implement old guy mods and benefits.

[Magicman]

[Old Greenhorn]

OK Jeff, testing what you said t see if I understand it. Testing again.
 OK, Now I am more confused. Before when I saved a draft it did that and then there was a way to view the drafts. Now I don't see a way to view the drafts even after it says it saved the draft. Also I am seeing nothing indicating the draft was auto saved. EVen if it saves it, we need a way to come back and finish the post and that is really where I am confused, but it's no big deal, I am always confused.

 BTW, if you are thinking of adding other features over time, I am hoping that bookmarks is on the list somewhere, I really miss them.

[Jeff]

Go to your profile, look for my drafts.

[thecfarm]

Let's see how this works.

[Old Greenhorn]

Ah HA! Got it now, I can be so dense with this stuff sometimes.

[SwampDonkey]

Hmm, let's see here.

See no draft button by the post window, but see 'My Drafts' in my profile, nothing saved there though.

[aigheadish]

I'm assuming every 30 seconds it overwrites the previous save and isn't hitting the site with multiple lengths/versions of the save? 

Ooh! It just saved and told me it was doing so down below! Neat!

[Jeff]

Hmm, let's see here.

See no draft button by the post window, but see 'My Drafts' in my profile, nothing saved there though.

How about now. I forgot Forester group on permissions.

[Al_Smith]

I get so confused I won't even try it .It's one thing to try and understand how an operating system works let alone an attempt to understand how forum idiosyncracies adds to the confusment .It doesn't help to cuss at it,tried that didn't work .

[Jeff]

What I suggest you use it for, is when you are posting, and then all of the sudden you realize you somehow lost the post, that you simply go to your profile and look under my drafts. If it is there, Yea! If not, start over I guess. 

So this is what I am going to do on this post. I'm just going to take a break to get a cup of coffee and then come back and forget I typed this and hit the home button. I am then, going to say CRAP!  I lost my post. Oh! let ma
E look in my profile and see if it saved it for me.

Ok coffee....


And there it was! SelecSelected edit dtraft, added this line and hit post!  SAVED BY DA DRAFT!!

[SwampDonkey]

Let me test it here, been off to get check-up scans at the hospital this morning.

Works. 

[Texas Ranger]

It is a trying day, so trying again.

By George, I think we got it!

[Jeff]

It is a trying day, so trying again.

By George, I think we got it!

GOOD DON DEAL!

[Magicman]

OK, my question is does it only auto save in Quick Reply?  I just made a reply in the Whatcha Sawin' topic and used the "Reply" option and it did not "save".  I am typing this in the Quick Reply option and it has already saved a couple of  several times. 

[Jeff]

It only saves if you dont post it. I would think it works where you can also see the button. I think it may work in pms. Have not tested.

[thecfarm]

Jeff I was going to send you a PM, but did not see the save draft button.
I see it in reply, but not PM.

[Jeff]

Okay, good to know. Im thinking that really isnt all that useful there.

[Magicman]

My point was that with the Quick Reply, it automatically saves and adds the notification that it saved every 30 seconds (?) or whatever time that you have installed.  If you open the Reply button, it does not "auto save the draft".  The Save Draft button is there but you do not get the notification that it auto saved the draft and the time that it happened.

I am just saying that there is a difference between Quick Reply and Reply.  "Quick Reply" auto saves the Draft and "Reply" does not.

[Magicman]

The above Reply never automatically saved and this one in Quick Reply did.

[Magicman]

I suppose that there is a reason for the blue Reply button and then the Quick Reply down below it. 

[Jeff]

I tried both, and it works the same way for me.

[Magicman]

I just tried both multiple times.  Quick Reply auto saves after about 45 seconds.  The blue Reply does not auto save.

[Ljohnsaw]

So I was just composing a reply in the box that is always below the last reply. I opened another window to get into my gallery. I spent some time there looking. When I jumped over the reply window, it was just blue. Waited but nothing came back. 

So off to my profile/drafts and found it. Was able to complete my post.

Thanks, Jeff!

[Jeff]

All I have is my phone , so I guess I really dont know, but it does seem worthwhile, especially since its a core feature I never knew was there.

[Jeff]

Where you get in trouble is modifications that eventually interfere with core software updates. Been there, done that, still trying to recover from that just this past winter. Some of our latest problems can be attributed to lingering issues related to adjusting to this new platform.

[Magicman]

My draft in the timber frame board did not "auto save" this morning.  This one did.

EDIT:  Dunno, went back and tried another reply and it saved.  A glitch I suppose?

[Magicman]

One thing that I noticed this morning is that the Drafts stay in the Draft Folder until you delete them.

[SwampDonkey]

I think Jeff said they expire or disappear in 7 days. One I know I had in there is gone now, on it's own. Jeff may have increased the timing. I had a post that was open awhile a short while ago posted it and no automatic draft was saved in the time I was typing, thinking and adding photos.

[Jeff]

They stay in there until you post it, delete it, or 7 days.

I have found though, if ypu post, then use your back button to go back somewhere, as many people do, if you stop back on the before you posted it page for a period, it will make another draft of what you already posted. 

[Magicman]

I DRAFTED this morning. 

How many times have I said or read that "the forum ate my post"?  I made a reply this morning that contained a quote so I looked back at it to insure that all was OK.  Well I looked but it was not there.  ??  

I posted it, surely I posted it, I know that I did, I thought I did, reckon there is a possibility that I didn't ??  Well, if I had it would be there.....but it wasn't, but it was in the draft file.

[Jeff]

Is that a thumbs up?

[Magicman]

Absolutely !!!