"Exiting" CSL editor shuts down Zotero

max1836

Have Zotero standalone

* From menu Select "Tools / Options..."

* Window popsup (Weird that window name is "Zotero Preferences" instead of "Zotero Options")

* Select Advanced tab

* Click button "Open CSL Editor"

* CSL Editor window opens

* On editor menu select "File/Exit"

At this point not only the editor window is closed, but Zotero as well. So Zotero has to be restarted...

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On CSL editor select "File/Close" does shut down just CSL editor.

max1836

RE:
* From menu Select "Tools / Options..."

* Weird that window name is "Zotero Preferences" instead of "Zotero Options"

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I noticed that the "gear" icon in the toolbar for Zotero standalone has the option "Preferences..." which brings up the "Zotero Preferences" dialogue.

Simon

Choosing File->Exit in most applications closes them. If you want to close the editor window, click the close box.

max1836

Simon,

Sorry that I didn't explain the problem more clearly. I select "File Exit" on the CSL editor, not the main Zotero window. It would see to me that I could edit a CSL file, click File/Close to close that edit file. Edit another CSL file, save and close that one. After the third file, I'm done editing CSL files, So on the editor I do File/Exit to shut down the editor. WHY SHOULD THE MAIN ZOTERO WINDOW BE CLOSED TOO??

adamsmith

Simon did understand you. This is the same thing that e.g. Firefox or Libre Office would do if you have two Windows open and do File --> Quit on those.
(note that you may also misunderstand the edit CSL window - you can't actually save CSL styles from that. There's a ticket for that, but since there is now a visual editor (which also has a code editor) online I don't think it's much of a priority).

Gracile

I understand max1836's point though: e.g., in Thunderbird, the Send message window does not have a File->Exit/Quit button. You can only close the window (File->Close).

adamsmith

At least for me, the edit CSL window has both options - Close and Quit - both doing what they're doing in other software ("Close" closes a window, "quit" the program") and both using standard shortcuts (in my case ctrl+w to close and ctrl+q to quit). This seems very standard to me. I'm not sure why we should take those options away - I like the ability to quickly close all open windows from any window.

max1836

Well, how about a compromise. In CSL editor have "File / Exit Zotero" instead of "File /Exit".

That way at least you know you're shutting down everything.

It is the sort of mistake that you make once and learn.

max1836

I'll also point out that opening/closing windows is weird from Windows GUI design standard.

Zotero

1. open Zotero
2. On menu do "tools/Options..." to get "Zotero Preferences" window
3. Go to main Zotero window and click in the "X" in the upper right of the window.
4. The main Zotero window closes, but the Zotero Preferences window stays open.

Do the same thing in Firefox.
1.Open Firefox
2. Choose "Tools/Options"
3. "Options" window appears.
At this point the "Options" window has focus and you can't click anywhere within the main Firefox window until you close the "Options" window.

It seems really weird that I can have the "Zotero Preferences" window open, even though Zotero itself is shut down.

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"Advances Search" has the same feeeature. If you use "File Exit" on main Zotero window, both the main window and the "Advanced Search" window close. But if you use the X close control in the upper right of the main Zotero window, then Zotero shuts down, but the Advanced Search window stays open.

With "Advanced Search" I can understand going back and forth. But why leave the "Advanced Search" window open after Zotero itself closes down?

adamsmith

Do the same thing in Firefox.
1.Open Firefox
2. Choose "Tools/Options"
3. "Options" window appears.
At this point the "Options" window has focus and you can't click anywhere within the main Firefox window until you close the "Options" window.

that looks like a rather specific FF for Windows setting for the Options window: It's not the case on Linux _and_ it's not the case for other windows in FF for Windows such as downloads or history.
More generally, I'm not sure why this is so important. Not having checked this in the code, I'd assume the current behavior is xulrunner's default for windows management. That means any change would likely require a fair amount of dev time.
What actual problems are caused by the current behavior that make an effort worthwhile?

fbennett

I'm not a Windows user so I'm just guessing, but Zotero doesn't actually shut down in that case, does it?

max1836

adamsmith

More generally, I'm not sure why this is so important. Not having checked this in the code, I'd assume the current behavior is xulrunner's default for windows management. That means any change would likely require a fair amount of dev time.
What actual problems are caused by the current behavior that make an effort worthwhile?

You're right I am fixation on what I perceive to be weird behavior. Had to think about that point. I was worried that leaving the extra windows hanging around would allow the user to do something "bad" to the Zotero database.

Obviously that probably isn't the case of there would have been many corrupted databases by now. Since there haven't been, it isn't worth any major development to change.

Thanks for keeping me on my toes...