XML editor: warn on editbox changes

[Buliabyak-users]

1 draw a freehand path
2 ctrl-shift-x
3 click on the path's d= attribute in xml editor; it
is now displayed both in the list and in the editing
frame below
4 f1, drag the shape around

Result: the d= attribute in the list is updated, but
the editing frame is not.

Expected result: editing frame must update too,
overwriting any not-yet-committed changes made by the
user there (probably with a warning).

[Mental-users (mental-users)]

Hmm, what kind of warning would be appropriate? I think a pop-
up or similar would be kind of obnoxious.

[Buliabyak-users (buliabyak-users)]

Maybe a message in a statusbar? By the way, it would be nice
to add a statusbar of its own to the XML editor, it could be
used for all sorts of help and error messages when working
on XML.

[Jon A. Cruz (jon-joncruz)]

Here's what I think should probably be done

* Two boolean states need to be tracked. Locally modified
("dirty") and remotely modified ("need-sync").

* Next to the "Set attribute" button (just to the left I
imagine) add an "undo"/"cancel" button. Hitting it will
discard whatever is in the edit field and replace it with
the attribute's current value is. Additionally it will clear
the edit's "dirty" and "need-sync" states.

* Once the user starts to change the value in the edit box,
it goes to a dirty state.

* The cancel button is only enabled when the edit is dirty.

* Whenever the value of an attribute is changed need-sync
becomes true

* Whenever need-sync becomes true and the edit's dirty is
false, it's contents are changed to the new value.

* Whenever need-sync becomes true and the edit's dirty is
true, changes to the attribute are not reflected to the
edit, but the cancel button goes to "re-sync" state.

* If the edit window is to be switched to a new attribute
(or to none) but the edit is "dirty", a warning dialog
should be shown asking to confirm losing user changes. This
dialog should also have a "Don't show me again" preference
checkbox. Canceling the loss would either stick the
selection back to the owner of the attribute.

* The dirty:true need-sync:false image for the cancel button
can be copied from the "Edit|Undo" icon, and the dirty:true
need-sync:true image ("re-sync" state) for the cancel button
can be copied from the "File|Revert" icon.

[Mental-users (mental-users)]

I think a better solution would be to switch to the Gtk 2.4
treeview widget for attributes; it supports in-place editing.

[Kees Cook (kees)]

The disconnect between row/edit box is now solved. The rest
of the stuff is really more an RFE, so I'm refiling this item.