My data and saving the project

In short

• The data stays in this browser on this device. Statable sends it to no server; there is no account.
• When you switch devices or work on someone else's computer, save the project to a file (.statable): Ctrl+S or ⌘S.
• In Chrome and Edge you choose the location once, for example a OneDrive folder; after that Ctrl+S overwrites the same file. In Safari, Firefox and on phones, Ctrl+S downloads a file.

In the browser

The project (data, column descriptions, pages, notes) is saved in the browser continuously. A small check mark next to the project name at the top left confirms this. Statable keeps several projects; the start page lists them under "Recently edited". Opening a new file or an example creates a new project - the previous one stays in the list.

Saving to a file

The project name at the top left opens the menu; it shows the state, for example "Saved in media.statable · 2 min ago", "Unsaved changes" or "Not saved to a file". Next to the name, a check mark means everything is saved and a dot marks changes that are in no file.

• "Save to file …" (Ctrl+S or ⌘S) asks for location and name the first time. After that, Ctrl+S overwrites this file without asking.
• "Save as …" (Ctrl+Shift+S or ⇧⌘S) picks another file, e.g. for a copy.
• After the browser was closed, it asks once whether Statable may change the file again. The menu then shows "Keep saving in media.statable"; one click is enough.
• Where the browser cannot do this, the button reads "Download as file". Every save then creates a new file in your "Downloads" folder (media (1).statable …); the older ones can be deleted.

On shared computers and between devices

In a seminar room or on a shared computer the data stays in that computer's browser. So save to a file when you finish, best into a cloud folder such as OneDrive, and open the file at home or on the next computer on the start page (drag the file in, or "Open project file"). To be completely safe, remove the project from the browser on the start page afterwards.

Reminders

Statable warns when you close the tab only if there are changes that are not in the file and the project is more than the example data or an empty table. After about ten minutes of work without a file, a note appears once; "Don't remind me" switches it off for this project.

Supervision and teaching

• Supervision: send the .statable file by e-mail or cloud. It contains the data, all pages, notes and decisions; the supervisor opens it on the start page.
• Teaching: provide the file on the course learning platform. Students download it and drag it onto the Statable start page. It opens as a new project; their own projects stay untouched.
• A link such as "…/?projekt=kurs/media.statable" or "…/#oeffne=kurs/media.statable" opens a file that lives on the same server as Statable, after the prompt "Open project …?". For security, Statable does not open files from other servers (learning platforms included) by link: download and drag in.

Closing and removing a project

"Close project" returns to the start page; the project stays in the browser and in the list. Deleting is possible only there: in the menu (three dots) of a row, "Remove from browser" removes the project, after a prompt. Afterwards it exists only as a file, if one was saved. The original data file is never changed.

When storage is full

The browser allows only limited space. When it is full, Statable shows a warning sign next to the project name ("Storage full"): the latest change is then not saved. Save the project as a file with Ctrl+S and remove projects you no longer need from the browser on the start page.

For experts

• Saving to the same file uses the File System Access API (showSaveFilePicker, showOpenFilePicker, FileSystemFileHandle). It exists in Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers on computers, not in Safari, Firefox or on phones; there it stays a download.
• The file access is remembered per project in IndexedDB (database "statable-dateien"). After a restart the browser asks for permission again; Statable asks only after a click, as the browser requires.
• Writing goes through a temporary file of the browser; if writing is interrupted, the previous file stays unchanged.
• The project is JSON (format "statable-projekt", version 1); the data is inside as .sav (Base64). Nothing is sent to a server.
• Opening by link loads only from the origin that serves Statable itself (Content-Security-Policy connect-src 'self'), without cookies, with a size limit of 100 MB and always after a prompt.