OS X Modal Save Dialogs and Inability to "Delete All" Leads to User Irritation

Originator:jon
Number:rdar://12472608 Date Originated:10-Oct-2012 02:16 PM
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:Mac OS X Product Version:10.8.2 (12C60)
Classification:UI/Usability Reproducible:Always
 
Summary:
When multiple unsaved documents are opened in an application such as Preview, the application asks the user if they want to save changes, delete, or cancel. However, there is no way to "Delete All" which leads to very irritating behavior to the user if many documents are open because the modal dialog box will pop up for every single document.

Steps to Reproduce:
First, open Preview and scan several documents with image capture. Next, try closing the Preview window that has collected these scanned documents.

Expected Results:
If multiple documents are open, then I expect to be able to say "Delete All" or "Save All" and get on with my life.

Actual Results:
Preview will repeatedly ask if you want to Delete, Cancel, or Save for every single document that you scanned. 

Regression:
Unkown.

Notes:
Attached is a one minute video demonstrating the irritating behavior after scanning just a few documents.

I use Preview as an example of this behavior, but any application which uses OS X's modal save dialog that integrates with versioning is affected, but the behavior is slightly different. For example, in iWork Pages, the modal window will appear for each individual document window, whereas in Preview the modal dialog box repeatedly appears on the same window for every document that's open in that view [demonstrated in video].

Comments

I believe this behaves as intended.

Have you tried using the ‘Quit and Close All Windows’ (⌥⌘Q) command? This should present a Review Changes alert with a ‘Delete and Quit’ button that should do what you want.

By chris0 at Dec. 10, 2012, 8:08 p.m. (reply...)

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