Before closing a text-editor tab, classify it as unchanged, changed and worth keeping, deliberately disposable, or undecided. An undecided tab stays open. That rule is more reliable than reacting quickly to a warning, because it forces you to identify both the destination file and the outcome you expect.
Imagine five open tabs. 01-opening.md, 02-scene.md, and 03-ending.md already have known paths. Two scratch notes, memo-a and memo-b, do not. The fallback folder is drafts/recovery/, and every file you intend to keep ends with a marker containing TAB-111.
Make the decision before the warning appears
The warning is the final checkpoint, not the place to decide what the draft means. Use this matrix first:
| Tab state | Keep the change? | Action before closing | Decision at a warning | Expected outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saved and unchanged | Yes | Confirm path and end marker | Close normally | The same file remains on disk |
| Changed and needed | Yes | Save first and recheck the unsaved indicator | Choose the save outcome; stop if the destination is unclear | Reopening shows the change and marker |
| New note worth keeping | Yes | Save it under drafts/recovery/ with a fixed name |
Do not discard | Name and destination are known |
| Changed but confirmed disposable | No | Read the content and compare with the saved file | Consider the discard outcome | Tab closes without changing the saved source |
| Uncertain | Unknown | Leave the content untouched | Cancel and do not close | Tab and content remain available |
Discard is not a fallback for a failed save. If the folder has disappeared, the newest version is unclear, or even one sentence may be useful, cancel. Only a change you have positively classified as unnecessary belongs in the discard row.
Close the five tabs in a safe order
- List all five tab names and their current destinations. A blank destination means “do not close.”
- Check the three named files for their end markers. Mark any tab whose visible content differs from the saved file.
- Give
memo-aandmemo-bfixed paths such asdrafts/recovery/memo-a.md. Keep them open until those paths exist. - Close unchanged saved tabs first, then tabs that have been saved and reopened successfully. Leave deliberate discards until last.
- If the warning text or available choices differ from what you expected, cancel. Recheck the tab name, content, and destination before trying again on a duplicate note.
Do not call the task complete merely because the tab bar is shorter. Reopen each retained file from its destination and read back both the intended change and the TAB-111 marker.
What Rune Studio documents—and what remains to test
Rune Studio’s current Mac documentation lists an unsaved indicator and confirmation before an unsaved tab is closed. That behavior is more directly relevant here than general file-tree or tab-arrangement features.
In the available five-file exercise, all five files were saved under fixed names. One target was reopened and its TAB-111 marker was read back. This supports the return-path check after saving.
No destructive unsaved-warning choice was exercised. The exact warning labels, the state after canceling, and the file contents after discarding were not observed in that exercise. Before relying on the feature with a real manuscript, create a short duplicate note and try the equivalents of save, discard, and cancel one at a time. Confirm the matrix outcome after each choice. Cloud sync, collaborative editing, and automatic tracking outside the workspace are not included in this guidance.
The safest option is sometimes no option
Safe tab closing is not about choosing “save” or “discard” quickly. It is about refusing to close until a keeper has a known path and can be reopened. Discard only a change you have intentionally rejected; cancel whenever the classification is uncertain.
Begin with three saved files and two disposable practice notes. For more detail, review the Rune Studio download and feature page before testing warning choices on copies.