Skip to content

VOTING_PERSISTENCE_DESCRIPTION.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
109 lines (91 loc) · 4.16 KB

VOTING_PERSISTENCE_DESCRIPTION.md

File metadata and controls

109 lines (91 loc) · 4.16 KB

Voting Data Persistence Feature

Overview

This feature automatically saves voting results to a JSON file whenever you switch between panels/events in the MUN Timer application.

What Was Added

1. Data Storage Structure

  • Added votingResults object to appData to store voting data for each event
  • Each voting event is identified by its unique event ID
  • Voting data includes:
    • Vote mode (simple, two-thirds, security council, consensus)
    • Vote type (substantive, procedural)
    • Vote counts (for/against/abstain) OR Security Council per-member votes
    • Timestamp of when data was saved

2. Auto-Save Functionality

When: Automatically triggered when you switch away from a voting event to another event

What's Saved:

  • Current majority mode and vote type settings
  • For numeric voting: For, Against, and Abstain vote counts
  • For Security Council voting: Individual vote choices for each member
  • All data is stored in appData.votingResults object keyed by event ID

Smart Saving:

  • File is only downloaded if voting data has actually changed
  • Prevents unnecessary file downloads when just browsing events
  • Ignores changes if all votes are still at default values (zeros or default selections)

File Output: Creates/downloads mun-timer-autosave.json file to your Downloads folder

3. Auto-Load Functionality

When: Automatically triggered when you switch to a voting event

What's Loaded:

  • Restores the majority mode and vote type from last session
  • Restores vote counts or Security Council member votes
  • Recalculates and displays the voting visualization
  • Shows the result (PASSED/FAILED/TIE)

How It Works

User Experience

  1. Navigate to a voting event
  2. Select your voting mode (Simple Majority, Two Thirds, etc.)
  3. Enter vote counts or make Security Council selections
  4. Switch to a different event → Auto-save happens!
  5. A JSON file mun-timer-autosave.json is downloaded
  6. Switch back to the voting event → Data is restored automatically!

Technical Details

New Functions Added:

  • saveVotingData() - Captures current voting state and stores it (only if changed)
  • hasVotingDataChanged() - Compares current voting data with previously saved data
  • loadVotingData() - Restores voting state when returning to a voting event
  • autoSaveToFile() - Downloads the complete appData as JSON file

Modified Functions:

  • setCurrentEvent() - Now calls saveVotingData() before switching events
  • ensureDefaults() - Initializes votingResults object if not present
  • Voting event rendering - Now calls loadVotingData() after rendering

File Format

The auto-saved JSON file contains the complete application state including:

{
  "topics": [...],
  "events": [...],
  "delegates": [...],
  "chair": {...},
  "votingConfig": {...},
  "speechesDefaults": {...},
  "votingResults": {
    "4": {
      "mode": "simple",
      "voteType": "substantive",
      "forVotes": 8,
      "againstVotes": 2,
      "abstainVotes": 0,
      "timestamp": "2025-10-07T12:34:56.789Z"
    }
  }
}

Benefits

  1. No Data Loss: Vote results are preserved when navigating between events
  2. Easy Review: Return to any voting event to see previous results
  3. Backup: Auto-save file can be loaded later using "Load JSON" button
  4. Audit Trail: Each save includes a timestamp
  5. Seamless UX: Works automatically without user intervention
  6. Smart Saving: Only downloads file when data actually changes, reducing clutter

Loading Saved Data

To restore a previously saved voting session:

  1. Click the "Load JSON" button
  2. Select your mun-timer-autosave.json file
  3. All voting results will be restored
  4. Navigate to voting events to see the saved data

Notes

  • The auto-save file is only downloaded when voting data has changed
  • File is NOT downloaded if you just view a voting event without making changes
  • File is NOT downloaded if all votes are still at their default values (all zeros)
  • Browser settings determine where the file is saved (usually Downloads folder)
  • All voting data persists through JSON save/load operations
  • The feature works with all voting modes (Simple, Two-Thirds, Security Council, Consensus)