Auto-Save

Notidian automatically saves your work so you never lose changes.

Overview

Auto-save provides:

• Instant Saving - Changes save as you work
• No Manual Save Needed - Focus on your content
• Workspace Restoration - Resume where you left off
• Cloud Sync Integration - Automatically backs up saved notes

How It Works

For Notes (.note files)

1. Trigger - Any change to title, content, or canvas
2. Debounce - Waits 500ms after last change
3. Save - Writes to disk immediately
4. Sync - Queues for cloud backup (if enabled)

For Markdown (.md files)

1. Trigger - Any text change in edit mode
2. Debounce - Waits 2 seconds after last change
3. Save - Updates the markdown file
4. Indicator - Yellow dot clears when saved

Save Indicators

Look for these visual cues:

Indicator	Meaning
No indicator	Document is saved
Yellow dot (•)	Unsaved changes
Spinning	Save in progress
Cloud icon	Syncing to cloud

Manual Save

You can still save manually:

• Keyboard - Cmd+S (Mac) / Ctrl+S (Windows)
• Button - Click Save in the toolbar

Manual save is useful when:

• You want immediate confirmation
• You’re about to close the app
• Auto-save seems delayed

Workspace Restoration

Notidian remembers your session:

What’s Restored

• Open tabs and their positions
• File Explorer navigation state
• Last viewed note per tab
• Scroll positions

When It Restores

• On app launch
• After browser refresh
• When reopening a workspace

Storage

Restoration data is stored in:

• IndexedDB (primary)
• localStorage (fallback)

Cloud Sync Integration

When cloud sync is enabled:

1. Local Save - Note saves to disk
2. Queue - Added to upload queue
3. Debounce - Waits 5 seconds for more changes
4. Upload - Syncs to cloud provider

This means:

• Local saves are instant
• Cloud syncs are batched for efficiency
• You can work offline without issues

Performance

Auto-save is optimized for performance:

Debouncing

• Multiple rapid changes = single save
• Prevents excessive disk writes
• Reduces cloud sync traffic

Incremental Updates

• Only changed data is written
• Canvas strokes save incrementally
• Metadata updates are lightweight

Background Processing

• Saves happen in background
• No UI blocking
• Canvas remains responsive

Configuration

Currently, auto-save settings are not configurable. Future options may include:

• Disable auto-save
• Adjust debounce timing
• Configure sync triggers

Troubleshooting

Changes Not Saving

1. Check indicator - Look for yellow dot
2. Try manual save - Press Cmd+S
3. Check permissions - Ensure workspace is writable
4. Check disk space - Ensure storage available

Slow Saves

• Large notes with many strokes take longer
• Heavy media content increases save time
• Cloud sync adds additional time

Data Not Restored

• Check if IndexedDB is enabled
• Clear browser cache may reset restoration
• Try refreshing the page

Sync Not Triggering

• Verify cloud sync is enabled
• Check you’re signed in
• Look at sync status indicator

Best Practices

1. Trust the system - Auto-save is reliable, don’t over-save
2. Watch indicators - Glance at save status before closing
3. Enable cloud sync - For automatic backup
4. Check sync status - Before switching devices

Technical Details

Storage Locations

Data	Location
Note content	Workspace folder (file system)
Session state	IndexedDB
Preferences	localStorage
Cloud backup	Google Drive / configured provider

File Events

Auto-save triggers on:

• input events (text changes)
• Canvas stroke completion
• Metadata updates (title, tags)
• Media additions

Error Handling

If a save fails:

1. Error is logged to console
2. Retry is attempted
3. User is notified (for repeated failures)
4. Data remains in memory until successful save