JabRef reformats complete file on load

[koppor]

I collaboratively work on a paper and jabref reformats the whole bib file on load (and shows a star). How can this happen? Although I like this feature, I cannot find how to active/deactivte it

[lenhard]

Just a wild guess, but I've had similar problems when entering field content that lead to an immediate reformatting of the field (which is fixed now).

The problem was that an EntryChangeEvent triggers the BackupManager and the BackupManager triggers the save actions that are configured. I guess it's the same for you here. So the solution should be:

• Don't trigger save actions with the BackupManager does a backup (not sure if easily possible)
• Find out why there's a change event fired when you just open the entry editor

[koppor]

I think, there is no entry editor opened. At least, I don't see it initially.

[lenhard]

You are right. The database is immediately marked as dirty. But the change only happens when you click on an entry. This opens the entry preview and not the entry editor (my bad). One of these things (entry selection or opening entry preview) seems to trigger the event.

[koppor]

Yes, it are the listeners. git bisect lead me to 59b9794 - introduced in JabRef#3001.

Damn it. This is only the change listener thing. Is just SHOWING that something was changed, but the real issue was introduced earlier.

[lenhard]

We should find out why already opening a database triggers a BibDatabaseContextChangedEvent (which is what the listeners react to). This is after all what the BasePanel reacts to.

[koppor]

So, my next git bisect guess is edd3f7c coming from JabRef#2971. Checked it twice here.

Damn it. This works, because Ctrl+S works starting at this version.

OK, next round with git bisect. This time using the menu shortcuts.

[tobiasdiez]

@koppor try to set a breakpoint in the file writing class and then just look at the stack trace to see what event triggered the save.

[koppor]

It is somehow an interplay between save actions and some changes we did. - I cannot manually save the database, because this triggers the save actions and leads to a change of the file.

So, this is not a bug, it is a feature.