Possible to prompt users if navigating away from thread before comment is submitted?

[UUNetBill]

I know this is a minor issue but I'm hoping there's a fix available - first, I love the new layout, it makes it much easier to browse new posts and reply to comments...BUT...there have been times when I'm so used to clicking the 'Next Unread Topic' link to get to the next thread that I'll click that after I reply to a post but before I click 'Submit' - and I lose my post.

 

I know it's user error, but is there any way you could run a check that if a user has entered text in the Reply to Thread box and they try to navigate away it will throw an error along the lines of "You have an unsaved comment/reply.  Are you sure you want to leave this page?"  That way if I got ahead of myself again I wouldn't lose a long reply by clicking ahead before I submit...

 

Just a thought.  Thanks!

Edited February 28, 2019 by UUNetBill
Clarified a sentence

[UUNetBill]

So, Jackie, is it safe to assume that I'm not the only one who's done this?       

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, UUNetBill said:

That way if I got ahead of myself again I wouldn't lose a long reply by clicking ahead before I submit...

 

Have you tried simply using the back button, or otherwise navigating back to that thread, and seeing whether there's an auto-saved version that you can restore? That is one of the features of the new software.

[UUNetBill]

6 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

Have you tried simply using the back button, or otherwise navigating back to that thread, and seeing whether there's an auto-saved version that you can restore? That is one of the features of the new software.

Globaliser, yeah, I thought I had but I'll double check.  Might depend on my browser settings...if it works, I'll post.  Thanks for the reply!

[UUNetBill]

2 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

Have you tried simply using the back button, or otherwise navigating back to that thread, and seeing whether there's an auto-saved version that you can restore? That is one of the features of the new software.

Testing, test, test, test...

 

Well guess what?  It worked (using Chrome at least) by hitting the browser 'Back' button - but with the caveat that when the page reloads you don't see the text you typed, but if you hit the 'Quote' button again it will restore it.

 

Thanks for the tip!

[gnome12]

27 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

Testing, test, test, test...

 

Well guess what?  It worked (using Chrome at least) by hitting the browser 'Back' button - but with the caveat that when the page reloads you don't see the text you typed, but if you hit the 'Quote' button again it will restore it.

 

Thanks for the tip!

Someone else complained that the system remembered things she didn't want remembered. I make a practice of actually deleting any text I have typed if I change my mind about posting a response.

[broberts]

8 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

Testing, test, test, test...

 

Well guess what?  It worked (using Chrome at least) by hitting the browser 'Back' button - but with the caveat that when the page reloads you don't see the text you typed, but if you hit the 'Quote' button again it will restore it.

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

As far as I know edit retention is a feature of the website, not the browser being used. The website retains the last text entered, evan after it has been submitted. When navigating back to the thread clicking in the "reply to this topic" edit will expand the editor with any previous text. below the text should be a black bar with white text that includes a link to clear the contents. Doing anything other than clicking Clear editor usually removes the black bar.

 

[UUNetBill]

Nice, thanks for the clarification!

[pacruise804]

I also found that sometimes it works, and sometimes it brings up a post that was in the editor from several days ago rather than what I just typed.

[John Bull]

The site remembering an un-posted comment is about the only significant advantage that I've found with this troublesome re-vamp.

 

If for whatever reason I switch away before posting - hit a wrong key, lose connectivity or power outage, forget I was in the middle of a post when interrupted, even if the post simply fails to load & just sticks on "saving" - when I return to the thread even a day or two later and click on "reply", the stuff I'd typed is sat there waiting for me.

As often as not I'll hit the "quote" button and find that now the quote is in there twice, but easy to delete one and crack on. 

So much better than losing my first attempt to the ether

 

JB 

Edited March 3, 2019 by John Bull