Saving "fact" data input for an individual

I remember Bruce Busbee saying that RM 8 does not require the user to “save” data; it is done automatically by the program when closing the window. However, I have discovered there are some cases where that is not true. Having put extensive data under a fact “Griffiths”, then returning to that person and finding nothing under “Griffiths”. I put it in again, closed the panel, then returned to look at the individual. Again, the input was missing. The third time i realized there was a checkmark at the top of the panel. Clicking on it brought up the “save” command. When and where do we have to look for that “checkmark” at the top of the page? This is very confusing.

My present RM8 project is to investigate this very issue. I don’t yet have a definitive answer. I think Bruce’s statement is substantially correct, but I also believe there are a few complications which makes things less simple than you might wish. I’m especially curious at exactly what point newly entered data is saved and at exactly what point or points you can actually cancel out without saving. Nothing in Bruce’s demos nor in any of the RM8 documentation addresses this issue. Every time I start running tests to determine what the exact rules are for saving vs. cancelling out, I seem to get contradictions where results are not completely repeatable.

For one example, neither the Save icon nor the Cancel icon in the Edit Note window seem to do anything. You can actually cancel out of a change to a change to a note, but the way you do it has nothing to do with the Cancel icon in the Edit Note window. That seems very strange.

I would be curious if you could describe the exact steps you go through when newly entered data is not saved - exactly which panels, exactly which data, exactly how did you exit out of the panels, etc. I would love to see if I can replicate your results. I do realize you are more worried about lost Saves than you are about when and how you can Cancel out. But I suspect the two issues are closely related.