Overview
Single-session editing mode is an editing state in which a document can be actively edited by only one user at a time. The active editor can be either the document’s author or a collaborator who has been granted Full access (view and edit) permissions through Access Control settings.
The mode is activated when the user clicks Edit in the document editor. This action locks the document for editing by other users. While locked, collaborators can open and view the document, but they cannot make any changes until the active editor ends the session or the system automatically releases the lock.
Purpose
Single-session editing mode is designed to:
Prevent accidental edits and overwrites.
Reduce version conflicts between collaborators.
Maintain document integrity when autosave is not continuous (Pergamon autosaves every 3 minutes).
Provide clear edit ownership in team environments.
How it works
When the Edit button is clicked, Pergamon enables the single-session editing mode and marks the document as locked at the bottom of the editor.
The lock remains in effect until one of the following occurs:
The user clicks the lock icon to end the session.
The user leaves the editor by either saving the changes or discarding the changes in the confirmation box.
The system automatically releases the lock at midnight (server time) if the session is not ended manually.
- Hong Kong (HKT): 05:00 (next day)
- China: 05:00 (next day)
- Poland: 22:00 (same day)
- Germany: 22:00 (same day)
During the session:
The active editor sees the message: “You’re editing now. Collaborators can’t edit until you click the lock.”
Other collaborators who open the document see: “This document is locked by [active editor’s name].”
Only the active session’s edits are stored during autosave cycles.
Access and permissions
Authors manage access through Access Control settings.
Only users with Full access (view and edit) can enter single-session editing mode.
Users with View-only permissions can open documents but cannot initiate or end editing sessions.
If a document is locked by another user, collaborators with Full access can still view but not modify the content until the lock is released.
Lifecycle and behavior
Idle state – Document is open but not locked. Session indicator message at the bottom:
Active editing – User clicks Edit. Document enters single-session mode. Session indicator message at the bottom:
Concurrent view – Other users open the document while it’s locked. Session indicator message at the bottom:
This document is locked by [active editor’s name]Session end – Lock is released when the active editor clicks the lock, leaves the page, or when the system clears all locks at midnight.
Editing constraints
Pergamon’s autosave runs every three minutes. Real-time edits by multiple users are not supported.
If the browser tab is closed while editing, the lock remains active until released or cleared automatically.
Locks are not security controls; they only regulate editing access.
Only one session can be active per document at any time.
How automatic lock release works (UTC-based)
Single-session editing mode uses a fixed UTC time to automatically release document locks that are not ended manually.
If a user closes the browser tab, loses connection, or forgets to unlock the document, Pergamon releases the lock at a scheduled time to prevent documents from remaining inaccessible to collaborators.
Lock release time
The lock is automatically released at 21:00 UTC, regardless of the user’s local time zone.
This approach ensures:
Predictable behavior across global teams
Consistent lock handling for distributed collaborators
No dependency on a user’s local system time
Local time equivalents
Because the lock release is based on UTC, the local release time varies by region:
Hong Kong (HKT, UTC+8): 05:00 (next day)
China (UTC+8): 05:00 (next day)
Poland (CET, UTC+1): 22:00 (same day)
Germany (CET, UTC+1): 22:00 (same day)
Note: Local time may vary during daylight saving time. The lock release always occurs at 21:00 UTC.
What this means for collaborators
If the active editor does not manually end the session, collaborators regain editing access after the automatic release.
Until the release occurs, other users can view the document but cannot edit it.
To make a document available sooner, the active user should unlock and leave the editor.
Why Pergamon uses a fixed UTC time for lock release
Pergamon releases single-session editing locks at a fixed UTC-based time (21:00 UTC) to ensure consistent and predictable behavior across global teams.
Using a single reference time avoids issues caused by:
Differences in local time zones
Daylight saving time changes
User device clock mismatches
A UTC-based schedule guarantees that document locks are cleared reliably, even if the active editor closes the browser unexpectedly or loses connectivity. This prevents documents from remaining locked indefinitely and ensures collaborators regain editing access without manual intervention.
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