Auto save any data from any (running) program at regular intervals.

[Zombo]

Hi All

I have not posted for a while. My last posting on right click menu sparked a lot of replies!
IDEA:
You have  a program running, say Notepad. Your typing away and then the computer or program crashes. All that typing gone forever.
How about a nice little program which could tap into (any) program and save at regular intervals.
To complicate matters how about adding a few refinements:
1. Allow the Auto Save Program (ASP), to save at different intervals for each different program.

2. Save a certain number of consecutive backups and then to delete the first one saved.....

3. Make a sound or visual that it is saving so you can pause for a moment.

4. Make ASP auto-start and simple to use. 

5. Make it multi-tasking if you are running more than one program and auto save when you bring one or the others in focus.



They may be a program out there, but a Donation Coder one would be better!!
Happy coding. 

[rjbull]

You're using programs that don't have a built-in system for saving work automatically?  Well, you have quite a lot of requirements.  As a starter, three thoughts:

1) Use programs that do have auto-save and auto-backup.  E.g., NoteTab Pro has both.

2) Use a program that sends Control-S = "Save file" to your application at regular intervals.  There used to be one called Helmet at http://www.jimmythefork.com/ but I can't see it at present.  I e-mailed to ask.  You could roll your own with AutoHotKey or one of the other macro programs.

[Edit], 2010-05-11: Fidel, author of Helmet, says he took it off his site because it didn't get many hits, but it's still available on request.[/Edit]

3) Use a keylogger that tracks everything you type (this is assuming you're using an editor/word processor type application).  I tried this using the keylogging feature of PowerPro, though I have to say that reconstructing meaningful information from the log files was more effort than expected.

[MilesAhead]

It would be difficult to create a general purpose macro to manipulate a wide variety of programs.  A better approach may be to find a program that detects folder change, using the OS folder change notification mechanism, and fires some other program.  Then you could simply hook it to a command line tool such as the Glindra cop command to copy the directory contents to a backup folder with version numbers.  Glindra is command line tools to simulate some of the VMS file handling tools.  If you saved a file once, say myfile.txt that would be the name of it.  Save again you have that file and myfile.txt;1   then myfile.txt;2 and so on.  There was a purge command to keep only x most recent versions.

In VMS the verson numbering was automatic by the file system.  But here you would set up your trigger program to copy your save folder to backup using the versioning tools.  You'd have to push the save button in your editor but it's way better than just having "myfile.txt" and "myfile.txt.bak" or whatever that most free editors do.

[JavaJones]

I could see something like a mini-virtual machine system where every app runs in its own "light" vm and you just backup the vm's regularly. In other words the vm encapsulates the app's memory, so it's aware of the memory extent and provides a mechanism for state saving of that data. Another way to think of it is a per-app hibernate function, but without the hibernation (just the state saving).

- Oshyan

[skwire]

I could see something like a mini-virtual machine system where every app runs in its own "light" vm

-JavaJones (May 11, 2010, 02:10 AM)

If you haven't looked at it before, Altiris' Software Virtualization Solution (SVS) software is eerily close to what you're describing above.

[MilesAhead]

afa the macro angle goes, no matter which program you use it's going to take a bunch of configuration to tell it what keys or mouse clicks to use on what window titles etc..  Might as well just use a general purpose macro freebie.

I'd check Softpedia
Download.com
Snapfiles
etc.

Don't see a reason to reinvent the wheel.  This one's been done a bunch.

[JavaJones]

Altiris appears to be part of Symantec now, and I'm not sure the same product name exists anymore. Do you know what it would be called now?

- Oshyan

[Zombo]

Wow! I started something here! I am now way a coder, I wish I was. I understand most of what has been said so far, but still no closer to the holy grail. I guess most programs use the "ctrl + s" as a quick save. Could a small program do this automatically. It will save over the last save which is OK, but progressive saves would be better. I bow to the superior intelligence in DN land. 

[rjbull]

Like I said in my earlier post, Helmet, now reinstated at JimmyTheFork.com:

Helmet          
   Clicks the save button on any program.

Written during a time my computer was unstable, this program has helped my dozens of times from losing work.    

Otherwise, you'd need something like an AHK script to send Ctrl-S at regular intervals to a list of specified programs.

[MilesAhead]

See if this one fits your needs:

http://www.softpedia...ce-Tools/Saver.shtml

[gtoal]

is what you're looking for the new(ish) "hybrid sleep" mode of Windows Vista/Windows 7 perhaps?

  http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/10/29/what-is-hybrid-sleep-and-differences-with-basic-sleep-mode-in-vista/

Graham

[Zombo]

Hi people!

Not been to DC for a while so not read the replies to my "save everything!" request. Hi gtoal, sorry my friend not quite but interesting. Amazing the things Microsoft don't tell you about. MilesAhead - this is a good little program.  Although you have to manually press save on the dialogue box which pops up (no problem), it does at least save whatever is in the focused window. Not tried it on all my programs, but I m sure it will work.
Tried Helmet again - still not keen. 

Many thanks everybody....................keep coding!!!!!!!!!!!!!