I'm afraid to close OOo

[Robitron]

I've had this problem in the past and just assumed it was my fault so I learned and went on however, sometimes when I close down my spreadsheet, after saving my work, it does not keep the saved data.

It happens mostly when working with macros and dialogs. At first, as I said, I assumed I had forgotten to save it. Now, I save often and make sure that all aspects, the spreadsheet itself, the macros and the dialogs are saved.

A couple of days ago, one complete dialog and half of the macros I had spent a day and a half working on were lost.

Yesterday, I began rebuilding the dialog and re-writing the macros, saved my work several times. In fact, when my dialog closes, it's set to automatically save the work with the Doc.Store() command. I re-opened my spreadsheet last night and everything I had done yesterday was once again gone!

The spreadsheet data seems to all still be in tact but the macros and dialogs are missing. Before I spend the day re-re-doing everything, I'd like to know if this is a known issue and how to fix it.

I've also got OOo set to auto-backup (which according to my backup folder the last backup was made back in February) and I've changed my temp and backup folders to a more convenient location for me to access but there is nothing in either of them concerning the macros and dialogs so I don't know if they are saved in another location and/or how to access and change that location.

I am currently using OOo 4.1.1 on Windows 7

Sorry for the long post but I want to give as much detail as I can.

[RoryOF]

On the BASIC IDE toolbar at righthand side there are three icons: left Insert BASIC source, middle icon Save BASIC and right Import Dialog. These would at least allow you Save your code outside of OO and bring it back in. Can you confirm that you are leisurely in closing OpenOffice and shutting down your computer? Something I have heard causes problems is to save an Openoffice file, and immediately reopen it to make a last minute or overlooked change. Doing that reportedly loses the last edits, understandable because the hardware/software write buffers have not yet written the latest file to disk, and the File Open routine picks up the one that is there - the older file.

Other than that I can't help you -

Edit: One other thing - I have a memory that there is a 64K limit in macro modules. Perhaps someone can confirm this.

[Robitron]

Basically, after saving the file, I should wait for a minute or two before closing OOo? Because sometimes, I close it fairly quickly after saving.

[RoryOF]

You should wait about 30/60 seconds after closing a document before you power off computer. I say 30/60 seconds, but who is timing... gather your papers and put them away, then power off computer - go through proper shut down rather than just snapping off the switch.

[Robitron]

Something I have heard causes problems is to save an Openoffice file, and immediately reopen it to make a last minute or overlooked change. Doing that reportedly loses the last edits, understandable because the hardware/software write buffers have not yet written the latest file to disk, and the File Open routine picks up the one that is there - the older file.

I always follow the proper shutdown procedures unless for some very strange reason my PC locks up which is rare for Windows 7.

I think the problem is more of that which I quoted; saving, exiting and re-opening before my hardware/software buffers are finished with their behind-the-scenes work. I'll be sure to wait at least 60 seconds before closing the file after saving and another 60 before re-opening.

But why does it only seem to lose the basic codes and dialogs while keeping the data that has been changed to the actual spreadsheet by basic?

By the way, I waited this time and everything seems to still be there so that seems to be the fix.

[RoryOF]

Who can tell? Computers are still a mystery - the longer you use them, the more you realise they have minds of their own!
60 seconds may be excessively long to wait - it is really a small change needed in one's routine.

[Robitron]

Okay, I thought it was solved but apparently not. Yesterday, while I was working, my 4 yo grandson came in so, knowing that I would not get any more done until he left to play, I went ahead and saved my work.

He wanted to watch Thomas the Tank Engine so, leaving OOo opened, we went online so we could watch it. After an hour or so, I closed out OOo and spent some time just talking to him. When he got bored and went to play, I restarted my PC to do the updates. Well, things got hectic after that and I was unable to return to OOo until this morning and once again, all of the coding that I had done was gone. <sigh>

So, I guess I'll have to do the "save basic" , "insert basic code" and "import dialog" options you'd mentioned in your first reply.

I did a test of that and, correct me if I'm wrong but it only seems to save the module that I am currently working in and imports it back into the module that is active at the time of import. If so, that would mean that I need to save each module individually and each dialog as well?

Thanks for you help.

[RoryOF]

You could consider moving away from Windows to one of the linux distros. I believe (but haven't checked how) one can run one of these from a USB key or USB HDD, which would b e useful for trying it out.

[Robitron]

Yeah, I've tried Ubuntu and did not like it at all then a friend told me about SUSE and helped me get it set up on a separate partition...and there it sits. I've got too much invested in Windows to just abandon it and haven't really seen anything overly impressive about SUSE either. I do use SUSE for doing my 3d cg animations but that's really about all I've found it useful for personally.

On a side note, the reason I didn't care for Ubuntu is probably because I had no idea where to turn to for help and the people in the chat rooms that actually did respond to questions spoke of codes and such that I completely did not have any knowledge of. So I'm not trying to put down Ubuntu or SUSE, I'm simply saying that neither work for my needs and limited understanding of PC lingo and terminology.

So thanks for the suggestion but I'll stick with Windows for now. I just need to know if I have to save each module separately when using the "save basic code" button or not and wish someone could explain why my basic code does not save when it says it has done so.

[jrkrideau]

You could consider moving away from Windows to one of the linux distros. I believe (but haven't checked how) one can run one of these from a USB key or USB HDD, which would b e useful for trying it out.

@ Rory,
Yes you can run some ,if not all distros, will boot from a usb, or from a DVD even.
Both
Ubuntu from USB and uberstudent will in my experience.

Well actually I booted uberstudent from a DVD as I mistakenly set up my USB stick as a 64k bit installation and tried to load it on an older 32 bit computer. Strange look to it if you are used to the standard Ubuntu interface but it seems to work well and comes with LO and quite a bit of other things likely to be useful to a university or college student --- game, etc---and even things like Zotero and LyX.

[RoryOF]

uberstudent looks interesting - downloading it now. My reaction from the screenshots is that it may have much more than I need, but I'll have a detailed look at the download.

[Robitron]

Okay, so how does ubuntustudent relate to this thread and my dilemma?

[RoryOF]

It doesn't, it's just an aside. Your dilemma is caused by something on your operating system or your method of working.

[Robitron]

Okay, thanks. I figured as much.

Now, about your suggestion about using the "save basic code" button, that only saves the module that I have open, right? So if I have several modules, I need to save them each individually?

[RPG]

Hello

I have sometimes the same problems as Robitron. When I have lose some it does me remember to hit real often Ctrl-S. For databasebase document I do it for Basic, the forms and then for the databasedocument. I'm not sure but I think to save the different parts wil help you.

I did help one student with writing on his computer. It was difficult to learn him to save his document even if he had work only one minute to his new document. Later you can only use ctrl-s. This student did type with two fingers

Romke

[jrkrideau]

Okay, so how does ubuntustudent relate to this thread and my dilemma?

Apparently it does not and that's uberstudent, btw. I replied to Rory before I saw your response where you said you already had SUSE installed.

However, perhaps you should boot into SUSE for a little while and see if you don't get the same problems. If so, then Rory's suggestion about an O/S problem becomes more likely.