[Bug] Cancel Edit Action still saves an empty action

[mjthoraval]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Are you using the latest Zotero and the latest plugin?

• I have confirmed I'm using the latest Zotero and the latest plugin

Environment

• OS: Windows 10
• Zotero Version: 7.0.0-beta.43+5e634f57f (64-bit)
• Plugin Version: 1.0.0-15

Describe the bug

After I click on the + to create new action, I get the popup window Edit Action.
Then click Cancel. This creates an empty action.
I would expect that pressing Cancel would not create a new empty action in this case.

Debug Output

1696106413478	addons.xpi	WARN	Checking C:\Program Files\Zotero\distribution\extensions for addons

[JavaScript Error: "NS_NOINTERFACE: " {file: "resource://gre/modules/ComponentUtils.jsm" line: 90}]
createInstance@resource://gre/modules/ComponentUtils.jsm:90:36


1696106415018	addons.xpi	WARN	Addon with ID undefined already installed, older version will be disabled

[JavaScript Error: "Error: Addon must include an id, version, and type" {file: "resource://gre/modules/addons/XPIProvider.jsm" line: 1710}]

[JavaScript Error: "Error: Addon must include an id, version, and type" {file: "resource://gre/modules/addons/XPIProvider.jsm" line: 1710}]

[JavaScript Error: "NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsITelemetry.getHistogramById]" {file: "resource://gre/modules/TerminatorTelemetry.jsm" line: 87}]

[JavaScript Error: "NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsITelemetry.getHistogramById]" {file: "resource://gre/modules/TerminatorTelemetry.jsm" line: 87}]

[JavaScript Error: "NS_ERROR_FAILURE: Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsITelemetry.getHistogramById]" {file: "resource://gre/modules/TerminatorTelemetry.jsm" line: 87}]

[JavaScript Error: "uncaught exception: undefined"]

[JavaScript Error: "NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE" {file: "resource://gre/modules/PartitioningExceptionListService.jsm" line: 92}]

[JavaScript Error: "NotFoundError: Could not get children of file(C:\Users\mjthoraval\AppData\Roaming\Zotero\Zotero\Crash Reports\events) because it does not exist" {file: "resource://gre/modules/CrashManager.jsm" line: 682}]
_getUnprocessedEventsFiles/<@resource://gre/modules/CrashManager.jsm:682:12


appName => Zotero, version => 7.0.0-beta.43+5e634f57f, os => Windows 10.0 19045, locale => en-GB, extensions => Actions and Tags for Zotero (1.0.0-15, extension), Open PDF for Zotero (0.0.8, extension, disabled), Zotero PDF Preview (1.0.0-4, extension, disabled), Translate for Zotero (1.1.0-18, extension, disabled), Better Notes for Zotero (1.1.4-25, extension, disabled), Better BibTex for Zotero (6.7.122, extension, disabled), Zutilo Utility for Zotero (3.10.1a1, extension, disabled), Zotero Better Authors (3.6.2, extension, disabled)

(3)(+2308364): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.downloadAssociatedFiles

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.autoRecognizeFiles

(3)(+0000000): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.automaticSnapshots

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.autoRenameFiles

(3)(+0000000): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.autoRenameFiles.linked

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.openReaderInNewWindow

(3)(+0000000): Attaching <menulist> element to extensions.zotero.tabs.title.reader

(3)(+0000000): Attaching <menulist> element to extensions.zotero.reader.ebookFontFamily

(3)(+0000000): Attaching <html:input> element to extensions.zotero.openURL.resolver

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <menulist> element to extensions.zotero.openURL.version

(3)(+0000002): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.automaticTags

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <html:input> element to extensions.zotero.trashAutoEmptyDays

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.groups.copyChildNotes

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.groups.copyChildFileAttachments

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.groups.copyAnnotations

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.groups.copyChildLinks

(3)(+0000000): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.groups.copyTags

(3)(+0000313): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.export.citePaperJournalArticleURL

(3)(+0000001): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.zotero.integration.useClassicAddCitationDialog

(3)(+0000001): PluginInstaller: fetching addon info

(3)(+0000000): PluginInstaller: addon info fetched

(3)(+0000001): HTTP GET resource://zotero-winword-integration/version.txt

(3)(+0000000): PluginInstaller: fetching addon info

(3)(+0000001): PluginInstaller: addon info fetched

(3)(+0000000): HTTP GET resource://zotero-libreoffice-integration/version.txt

(3)(+0000001): Refreshing styles list

(3)(+0000005): Columns title width 390

(3)(+0000012): HTTP GET resource://zotero-winword-integration/version.txt succeeded with 200

(3)(+0000001): HTTP GET resource://zotero-libreoffice-integration/version.txt succeeded with 200

(3)(+0000117): Attaching <checkbox> element to extensions.actionsTags.ruleWarningDisabled

(3)(+0000006): Columns name width 104.28571428571429

(3)(+0000000): Columns event width 104.28571428571429

(3)(+0000000): Columns operation width 104.28571428571429

(3)(+0000000): Columns data width 104.28571428571429

(3)(+0000000): Columns shortcut width 104.28571428571429

(3)(+0000001): Columns menu width 104.28571428571429

(3)(+0006371): Creating string pref 'extensions.actionsTags.rules.1696108730336'

(3)(+0000022): [Warning] Creating element title with no namespace specified. Found multiply namespace matches.

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): [Warning] Creating element style with no namespace specified. Found multiply namespace matches.

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000003): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {"0":{},"1":{},"2":{},"3":{},"4":{},"5":{},"6":{},"7":{},"8":{},"9":{},"10":{}}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {"0":{},"1":{},"2":{},"3":{},"4":{}}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): [Warning] Creating element button with no namespace specified. Found multiply namespace matches.

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): [Warning] Creating element button with no namespace specified. Found multiply namespace matches.

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}

(3)(+0000001): {}

(3)(+0000000): {}


### Anything else?

_No response_

[windingwind]

Thanks for the report, but it is designed to be so. Opening the edit window after creating a new action, not clicking save button and then a new action is created.

[mjthoraval]

The Edit Action window appears just after creating a new action. So I was expecting the Cancel button to simply cancel the last action, which was the creation of this action.
But I understand the logic that the Cancel button only cancels the modifications to an existing action and not the creation of an action.

Maybe I should reformulate the title and tagging of this issue to be a feature request then?
Is it possible to support cancelling the creation of a new action?
Currently, pressing + and then Cancel saves an empty action. If I wanted to do that, the steps I would follow would be pressing + and then Save instead. I am not sure if the thing I am asking has some drawback, or if it removes some functionality?

This is of course a very small point. So please feel free to close the issue if you think that the current behaviour is better.

[windingwind]

Sorry for the late reply. Would you prefer not to open an action editor window instantly after creating an action?

[mjthoraval]

After pressing on +, I prefer opening an action editor window (as it is currently). But then, I expect the following behaviour:

• Either I am happy with the action I have created, and then I click Save to save the action. In that case, I want to save all the changes I have made into the new action.
• Or I think it is not good, or I change my mind and I click on Cancel. In that case, I do not want to have any action created. I cancel the creation of an action.

What you are doing now is: create a new action then open the action editor. So an empty action is created even before I have written anything in it.
What I would have expected is: first open the action editor and then create the action only after clicking on Save.
Does that make sense?

[windingwind]

Alright. In that case, I may just add a delete button to the action editor window. Otherwise, the cancel button can be confusing because it has different meanings in different situations.