it would be nice if you could also accept that it is still a valid UX option for interaction, even if you personally do not like it.
I am not against adding the popup when the option to hide it is available. Providing that option is common to some extent across nearly every modern program. (Have you *never* hidden even a single warning dialog?) The default would be to show the popup. Users change it at their own peril.
There are also other ways to prevent the mistake. Adding the popup makes it feel like the problem is solved so that other options aren't fully explored. Here are a few possibilities:
* Make the buttons smaller and separate "in session" from the others. * Rename the options to make them easier to distinguish (like, "In Entire Session", "In Current Document", "In Selection Only"). * Highlight the "in session" button with red, orange, or some other warning color when the cursor hovers over it. * Showing a tooltip with a warning (currently only in selection has a tooltip).
Even with the popup, the mistake could still occur under circumstances different from yours. To address this, backing out of the mistake could be made easier.
* Enable undo to be able to backout of replace all for all documents simultaneously. * Make "reload all" more visible by adding it to the menu. (Guard it with a popup when activated from the menu. The keybinding would still reload without popup.)
Obviously, all of this will never happen for you.
I've made this mistake. Based on available info, your rate is about 1-2 per decade. My rate is at least double that. But for me, the benefit of the popup is far less than the cost of the mistake. I probably use "in session" more than you do. That would explain why my mistake rate (vs time) is higher than yours and also why the popup would be more bothersome. It does *not* take me an hour to back out though. I save the documents that I definitely want to keep the change. Then kill and reopen Geany.