Settings Not Persisting - Fix and Debugging

Issue

Settings reset to defaults when navigating away and returning to the Backup Settings page.

Root Cause Analysis

The PublicUI loads settings from the API correctly, but there may be issues with:

1. Component lifecycle - Settings might not reload when revisiting the page
2. API response - Settings might not be saving to appsettings.json correctly
3. Caching - Blazor might be caching the component state

Fixes Implemented

1. Added Console Logging

Console.WriteLine($"[BackupConfig] OnInitializedAsync at {DateTime.Now:HH:mm:ss}");
Console.WriteLine($"[BackupConfig] Loaded: Freq={frequencyMinutes}, Dir={backupDirectory}");
Console.WriteLine($"[BackupConfig] Saving: Freq={frequencyMinutes}, Dir={backupDirectory}");

Purpose: Track when settings are loaded and what values are being used.

2. Added "Last Loaded" Timestamp

<small class="text-muted">Last loaded: @lastLoadTime.ToString("HH:mm:ss")</small>

Purpose: Visual confirmation that settings were loaded and when.

3. Reload After Save

if (success)
{
    SetStatus($" {message}\n\nSettings saved successfully!", "alert-success");
    await Task.Delay(500);
    await LoadSettings(); //  Reload to confirm save
}

Purpose: Immediately reflect saved values in the UI.

4. Clear Status on Reload

statusMessage = string.Empty; // Clear any previous messages

Purpose: Don't show stale messages when reloading.

Debugging Steps

Step 1: Check Console Logs

Open the browser developer console (F12) and look for messages:

[BackupConfig] OnInitializedAsync at 14:30:45
[BackupConfig] LoadSettings called
[BackupConfig] Loaded: Freq=30, Dir=C:\Backups\Minecraft, Max=10

What to check:

• Is OnInitializedAsync called when you visit the page
• Are the loaded values correct
• Do values change when you navigate away and back

Step 2: Verify API Response

1. Open browser Developer Tools (F12)
2. Go to Network tab
3. Navigate to Backup Settings
4. Look for request to /api/backup/config
5. Check the response:

{
  "frequencyMinutes": 30,
  "backupDirectory": "C:\\Backups\\Minecraft",
  "maxBackupsToKeep": 10
}

What to check:

• Is the API returning the values you saved
• Are the values correct in the response

Step 3: Check appsettings.json

Open MCBDS.API\appsettings.json and verify:

{
  "Backup": {
    "FrequencyMinutes": 30,
    "BackupDirectory": "C:\\Backups\\Minecraft",
    "MaxBackupsToKeep": 10
  }
}

What to check:

• Are your saved values actually in the file
• Is the JSON structure correct
• Are values persisting after API restart

Step 4: Test Save Operation

1. Open Backup Settings
2. Change frequency to 60
3. Click "Save Settings"
4. Open browser console
5. Look for:

[BackupConfig] Saving: Freq=60, Dir=C:\Backups\Minecraft, Max=10
[BackupConfig] Save successful
[BackupConfig] LoadSettings called
[BackupConfig] Loaded: Freq=60, Dir=C:\Backups\Minecraft, Max=10

What to check:

• Did the save succeed
• Did the reload happen
• Are the reloaded values correct

Step 5: Test Navigation

1. Save settings (e.g., freq=60)
2. Navigate to Home
3. Navigate back to Backup Settings
4. Check console for:

[BackupConfig] OnInitializedAsync at 14:31:20
[BackupConfig] LoadSettings called
[BackupConfig] Loaded: Freq=60, Dir=C:\Backups\Minecraft, Max=10

What to check:

• Did OnInitializedAsync run again
• Are the loaded values still 60
• Or did they reset to 30

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Values Reset to Defaults

Symptom: Settings show 30, "C:\Backups\Minecraft", 10 every time

Possible Causes:

1. API not saving to appsettings.json
2. API reading from wrong file
3. File permissions issue

Solution: Check API logs for:

[BackupController] Backup configuration updated

If missing, the save might be failing. Check:

• File permissions on appsettings.json
• API has write access to the directory
• No antivirus blocking file writes

Issue 2: API Returns Null

Symptom: Console shows [BackupConfig] API returned null

Possible Causes:

1. API not running
2. Wrong API URL in MauiProgram.cs
3. CORS issue
4. Network error

Solution: Check MCBDS.PublicUI\MauiProgram.cs:

client.BaseAddress = new Uri("https://localhost:7123"); //  Correct URL

Verify API is running at that URL.

Issue 3: Values Load Once But Not Again

Symptom: First load shows correct values, but after navigation they reset

Possible Causes:

1. Blazor caching component
2. API returning cached response
3. Hot-reload not working

Solution: Add cache-busting to API call:

var config = await ApiService.GetBackupConfigAsync();
// Or with timestamp:
var config = await ApiService.GetBackupConfigAsync($"t={DateTime.Now.Ticks}");

Issue 4: Save Succeeds But Values Don't Persist

Symptom: Save shows success, but values reset after restart

Possible Causes:

1. API saving to wrong appsettings.json
2. File being overwritten
3. Configuration not reloading

Solution: Check which appsettings.json is being modified:

C:\Users\joshua\source\repos\JoshuaBylotas\MCBDSHost\MCBDS.API\appsettings.json

Verify this is the file the API is reading from.

Expected vs Actual Behavior

Expected Behavior

1. Open Backup Settings
    Load from API: freq=30
    Display: 30 minutes
   
2. Change to 60, click Save
    Save to API
    API updates appsettings.json
    Reload from API: freq=60
    Display: 60 minutes
   
3. Navigate to Home
   
4. Navigate back to Backup Settings
    Load from API: freq=60
    Display: 60 minutes 

Actual Behavior (if bugged)

1. Open Backup Settings
    Load from API: freq=30
    Display: 30 minutes
   
2. Change to 60, click Save
    Save to API
    Reload from API: freq=60
    Display: 60 minutes
   
3. Navigate to Home
   
4. Navigate back to Backup Settings
    Load from API: freq=30 
    Display: 30 minutes 

Quick Test

Run this test to verify the fix:

1. Open PublicUI
2. Go to Backup Settings
3. Note "Last loaded" timestamp
4. Change frequency from 30 to 99
5. Click "Save Settings"
6. Wait for success message
7. Note "Last loaded" timestamp (should update)
8. Verify display shows 99
9. Navigate to Home
10. Navigate back to Backup Settings
11. Check "Last loaded" timestamp (should be new)
12. Verify display still shows 99 

If step 12 shows 30 instead of 99, the issue persists.

Additional Debugging

Enable Detailed API Logging

In MCBDS.API\appsettings.Development.json:

{
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Debug",
      "MCBDS.API.Controllers.BackupController": "Trace"
    }
  }
}

This will show every API call and response.

Add Breakpoint

In BackupConfig.razor, add breakpoint at:

protected override async Task OnInitializedAsync()
{
    Console.WriteLine(...); //  Breakpoint here

Step through and inspect:

• config object from API
• frequencyMinutes, backupDirectory, maxBackupsToKeep values

Summary

The fix adds:

1. Console logging for visibility
2. Last loaded timestamp for confirmation
3. Reload after save to ensure UI updates
4. Clear status messages to avoid confusion

If the issue persists after these changes, use the debugging steps above to identify the root cause.

Status

Build: Successful
Logging: Added
Timestamp: Added
Auto-reload: Implemented
Ready for: Testing