Charlie Arehart

Studio has an interesting (and to some, annoying) mechanism for determining where to save newly created files. If you're not aware of this approach, you can be left feeling that Studio has made a mistake in deciding where to save a file—if you even notice it's not where you had expected.

The mechanism is controlled by the location pointed to in the "local files" tab in Studio's Resource Toolbar on the left of the screen. Whichever directory is highlighted in that tab will be where Studio saves newly created files. It's also where Studio starts looking when you ask it to open a file (using File Open).

What's most disconcerting to many, however, is that if one chooses to use File/Save As, to create a copy of a currently open file, it's normal in most editing tools for the default location for the newly copied file to be the same directory as the file from which the copy (save as) is being done. But Studio follows the same logic described above, even for a Save As.

The good news is that, as is almost always the case, Studio can be customized to work to your preferences. If you would like Save As to save into the current directory of the source file, de-select the option in Options>Settings>General for "Display Current Local Folder in File Dialogs". This is turned on by default (to create the behavior described above). You'd want it off, but keep in mind that it changes not just the Save As but all file dialogues.

It may seem that the wording is counter to what you'd expect, but when you realize that by "current local folder" they mean that selected in the "local files" tab rather than the "current local folder" of an opened file—as in a Save As situation—it makes some sense. Anyway, change it to suit your taste.

Charlie Arehart Education Director, Fig Leaf Software