How do I "save all"

Question

When I try to shutdown or restart with many files open in APPLEWORKS, I am asked for each file whether I want to save it. I'm sure with an earlier Mac, there had been a "Save All" option.
I know there is an autosave facility, but that doesn't help.
If I didn't shut down properly, what just switched off, could I then rely on the Autosave, or would that creat other problems.
Thanks,
Ratrust

Answer 1

Hi RR (or is it RT),
Welcome to Apple Discussions and the AppleWorks forum.
There isn't, and to my recollection, there never has been as "Save All" option in AppleWorks or the Mac OS. It might be possible to construct an Automator process or to write an AppleScript that would save all open documents, quit the application(s) and Shut down the computer, but that would be a topic for a different forum.
One way of avoiding the Save/Don't save/Cancel question for each file is to make a habit of saving each document as you leave it. Press command-S before switching to another window or to another application. It's an extension of a habit I taught myself (and attempted to teach my students)—everytime you leave the keyboard, press command—S first.
AutoSave does help, but it's function is to ensure that you have a recent copy of your document, not a current copy. Anything you changed since the last scheduled autosave will be lost.
Even if you could rely on AutoSave to save your AppleWorks documents, an improper shutdown such as you suggest would introduce other problems for any open application and for the operating system itself. All applications do some cleaning up as they go through the quit process, whether the process is initiated by the user (through the application menu or by pressing command-Q) or by the operating system as part of the shut down process. The Mac OS also saves the current state of mounted volumes (such as your hard drive) before unmounting them, and does a number of other maintenance tasks as part of the shut down process. Although OS X goes through a self check and repair routine on startup, and can handle a shutdown through loss of power, I wouldn't make it a regular practice to shut down in that manner, even after saving everything and quitting all applications. The time you gain in the shutdown will be lost in startup as the OS finds more things in need of repair.
Regards,
Barry