2.4 Loading and Saving Documents

  

Figure 2.4: TCM File selection dialog.

The File pull-down menu contains the following entries: 

• New (<Ctrl+N>). Creates a new document   called untitled.xxx. Where xxx is the suffix for the specific editor (figure 2.3). You can change the name of the new document in the document name text field. Before the new document is created, the current document that was being edited is deleted from the editor. Unless you have saved this document, the old document cannot be restored.
• Load (<Ctrl+L>).   Pops up a file selection dialog to select the external file name for loading a document from file (figure 2.4). Before the document is loaded, the current document that was being edited is deleted from the editor.
• Append.    Pops up a file selection dialog to select the external file name for merging the current document with another one from a file.

  Diagrams that are appended, can be positioned at an arbitrary place in the drawing area by means of a paste box, that works like the Paste command from the Edit menu (see section 3.9). Because appending is implemented as a Paste command, appending a document can be undone with Undo or be repeated by issuing the Paste command again.

  Tables can be appended either below or to the right of the current table. This is determined by an option menu in the append table file selection dialog. In both cases, the original table stays the same but new rows are added to the bottom and/or new columns are added to the right of the table. Append table has an Undo too.

• Save. Saves the document  to an external file. If the document name is still untitled, a file selection dialog pops up, like Save As. Otherwise the document is immediately saved in the file document-name.suffix in the project directory. When you attempt to overwrite an existing file, TCM gives a warning and you can cancel your action.
• Save As (<Ctrl+S>). Pops up a file selection dialog   to select or type in the file name to save the document to. After clicking OK, it acts the same as Save.
• Save Selection As. Pops up a file selection dialog   to select or type in the file name to save the selected part of the document to. In diagram editors the selected shapes and the corresponding part of the graph is saved to file. In table editors the rows and columns that contain one or more selected cells are saved.
• Quit (<Ctrl+Q>). Quits TCM. If your current  document is modified, TCM asks you if you want to save the document. Before you quit, TCM always asks for an extra confirmation .

The file selection dialog (figure 2.4) allows you  to select a file in the right side listing or to navigate through the file system by selecting a directory, including .., the parent directory, in the left side listing. You can select a file or directory by either: 1. quickly double clicking on an entry, 2. single clicking on an entry and clicking OK or 3. filling in the field labeled Selection and clicking OK. The Filter field on top determines which file names are displayed. You can edit the filter setting, which takes effect after clicking the Filter button.

When you change directory in the load or save to file dialog then the directory field in the main window is updated to that directory after that you dismissed the dialog. So with the load or save to file dialog you can browse through the file system and the latest visited directory is always remembered in the directory text field. The export dialog from the Print menu also remembers its last visited directory but independently from the directory from the load or save to file dialog.