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Drafts, versions and sharing

Drafts and conflicts​

You never need to save a draft yourself. A couple of seconds after each change, the builder keeps your work as a draft — on this device and in your account, so it follows you to another computer. Save template is still what makes the numbered version that letters are written from. The line under the title says where your draft is:

  • "Saving…" while it is being kept, then "All changes saved · <time>".
  • "Saved on this device · <time> — will sync when you're back online" when there is no connection; it goes to your account by itself once you are back.
  • "Couldn't save your draft — your changes are kept on this device." when DocuFlow's server could not take it; it tries again by itself.
  • "Saved on this device · <time>" for a template that only exists on this computer so far.
  • "Couldn't save your draft — keep this page open until it can be saved." when it could not be kept anywhere — keep the page open and it tries again.
  • "Your draft was also changed somewhere else — choose which to keep below." when another computer (or another tab) changed the same draft meanwhile — see below.

If you open a template that has a draft — left on this device, or in your account from another computer — the builder asks "Restore your unsaved changes?", for example "You have changes from Chrome on Windows, 5 minutes ago, that aren't in a saved version yet. Until you choose, new changes are not kept as a draft." Select Restore to carry on with them or Discard to throw them away; until you choose, Save template stays off and says "Choose Restore or Discard above first." If the template was saved again since the draft began, it adds "They started from version <b>; the template is now at version <v>.", and saving then meets the choice below. When this device and another computer each have different changes, it offers both: Restore from <that computer>, Restore from this device or Discard both.

If the same draft is changed on another computer while you are editing here, the builder says "Your draft was changed on <that computer> at <time> while you were editing here." — or, when it was another tab or window of this browser, "Your draft was changed in another tab or window at <time> while you were editing here." Select Keep my changes to keep yours, or Use the other changes to continue with theirs.

Only you see your drafts — not even administrators can open them. A draft you leave untouched for 90 days is removed.

If someone saved a newer version while you were editing, Save says so instead of writing over it: "Someone saved a newer version (version <n>) while you were editing." — "Your changes were not saved over it. Keep them as a copy of the template, or discard them and open the newer version." Select Keep mine as a copy (your work becomes a new template of your own, called "(my changes)"; "Your changes are in “<title>”" — "The newer version of the original is unchanged.") or Discard my changes (open the newer version: "Your changes were discarded" — "You are looking at version <n>."). The same choice appears if the template was deleted, or you can no longer change it, while you had it open: "This template was deleted while you were editing it." / "You can no longer change this template." — "Your changes were not saved. Keep them as your own copy, called “(my changes)”, or discard them."

If your sign-in ends while you are saving, nothing is lost: sign in again and open the template, and it offers your unsaved changes.

Version history, sharing and deleting​

These are in the builder's More menu. Each needs an internet connection ("Needs a connection" otherwise).

  • History opens "Version history" — "Every save is kept. Look at an older version, then bring it back if you want it." Each row shows "Version <n>", the day and who saved it, and the note written when saving. Select Preview on a row to see that version's letter; the newest says "This is the current version". Select Restore this version to save it again as the newest version: "Restored — saved as version <n>". If you have changes that aren't saved yet, restoring a version replaces them and deletes your draft — the panel says so first: "You have changes that aren't in a saved version. Restoring a version replaces them and deletes your draft."
  • Share opens "Share this template" — "People you add can find it under “Shared with me”. “Can edit” lets them save new versions." Find a colleague under Add a person, choose Can use or Can edit for each, and select Save ("Shared with <n> people"). Remove takes someone off. With nobody added, it says "Only you can use this template."
  • Make a copy — see Make a copy.
  • Delete template asks first: Delete “<title>”? / "People it is shared with lose it too." Select Delete template ("Template deleted"), or Keep it.
  • Use the saved template opens the letter page with the last saved version; All letter templates goes back to the list.

Proposing a template for the whole workspace​

If you made a template that everyone should use, propose it to your administrators.

To propose:

  1. In the builder, open More and select Propose for the workspace. The box says "An administrator looks at the saved template and, if they agree, adds it to the workspace templates everyone can use."
  2. Optionally write A note for the administrators (optional), up to 500 characters.
  3. Select Send proposal.

What you'll see when it's done: "Proposed" — "Sent to your administrators. You'll see their answer here." — and Done. The builder shows "Proposed for the workspace on <date> — waiting for an administrator." with Withdraw to take it back ("Proposal withdrawn"); meanwhile the menu item says "Already proposed". You get a notification when it is approved or declined (with the reason). The proposal is of the saved template — save first if you want your latest changes included; with changes not saved yet, the box adds "Changes since the last saved version are not included — save the template first if you want them to be."

An administrator sees Add to workspace templates instead, which adds the template at once: "Added to workspace templates", with Open.

Exporting and importing a template​

  • Export (in More) saves the template as a .docuflow-template.json file, to keep or to give to another DocuFlow office. "Template exported", with the file name. Export takes the last saved version.
  • Import a template (on the Letter templates page) makes a new template of your own from such a file, and opens it in the builder. "Template imported" — "Look it over, then save it to keep it." A logo can't travel in a file: "The logo wasn't included in the file. Add it again under Letterhead."
If something goes wrong

"That file couldn't be imported", with the reason — for example "This file isn't a DocuFlow letter template, or it is damaged.", "This template was made by a newer version of DocuFlow. Update DocuFlow to open it.", or "The template is too large. Remove some fields, choices or text."

On the desktop app​

  • Templates you have opened before, the workspace letterhead and its logo are kept on this computer, so you can write letters with them offline. "This template isn't saved on this computer yet. Connect to the internet to open it once." means it was never opened here.
  • You can create and change your own templates offline. Saving says "Saved on this computer" — "It goes to your workspace the next time you are online."
  • If your offline change can't go onto the template when you reconnect, it is kept as a copy called "(my changes)" and a message says why: someone else changed the template, it was deleted, or you can no longer change it — "Nothing was lost."
  • If the server refuses a change for another reason: "A template change could not be saved", with the reason and "Your version is still kept on this computer."
  • Workspace templates can be used offline but not changed: "Workspace templates can only be changed while you are online." The builder says so before you start, and adds "You can keep editing — your changes are kept on this device until you can save."
  • A new template needs DocuFlow to have checked, online, that you may create templates: "You're offline, so DocuFlow can't check that you may create templates here. Your work is kept on this device; save it once you're connected."
  • Drafts are kept on this computer while you are offline ("Saved on this device · <time> — will sync when you're back online") and go to your account when you reconnect.