Fix for task save getting triggered even if no edits because of people control set

api/src/com/todoroo/astrid/data/Task.java

@@ -240,8 +240,8 @@ public final class Task extends RemoteModel {
         defaultValues.put(LAST_SYNC.name, 0);
         defaultValues.put(REMOTE_ID.name, 0);
         defaultValues.put(USER_ID.name, 0);
-        defaultValues.put(USER.name, "");
-        defaultValues.put(SHARED_WITH.name, "");
+        defaultValues.put(USER.name, "{}");
+        defaultValues.put(SHARED_WITH.name, "{}");
     }
 
     @Override

astrid/plugin-src/com/todoroo/astrid/actfm/EditPeopleControlSet.java

@@ -380,7 +380,8 @@ public class EditPeopleControlSet implements TaskEditControlSet {
             if(userJson == null || userJson.optLong("id", -1) == 0) {
                 dirty = task.getValue(Task.USER_ID) == 0L ? dirty : true;
                 task.setValue(Task.USER_ID, 0L);
-                task.setValue(Task.USER, "{}");
+                if(!TextUtils.isEmpty(task.getValue(Task.USER)))
+                    task.setValue(Task.USER, "{}");
             } else {
                 String user = userJson.toString();
                 dirty = task.getValue(Task.USER).equals(user) ? dirty : true;
@@ -390,7 +391,8 @@ public class EditPeopleControlSet implements TaskEditControlSet {
 
             JSONObject sharedWith = parseSharedWithAndTags();
             dirty = sharedWith.has("p");
-            task.setValue(Task.SHARED_WITH, sharedWith.toString());
+            if(!TextUtils.isEmpty(task.getValue(Task.SHARED_WITH)) || sharedWith.length() != 0)
+                task.setValue(Task.SHARED_WITH, sharedWith.toString());
 
             if(dirty)
                 taskService.save(task);

astrid/src/com/todoroo/astrid/service/MetadataService.java

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import com.todoroo.andlib.service.Autowired;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.service.DependencyInjectionService;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.sql.Criterion;
 import com.todoroo.andlib.sql.Query;
+import com.todoroo.andlib.utility.DateUtilities;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.MetadataDao;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.dao.MetadataDao.MetadataCriteria;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Metadata;
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ public class MetadataService {
         HashSet<ContentValues> newMetadataValues = new HashSet<ContentValues>();
         for(Metadata metadatum : metadata) {
             metadatum.setValue(Metadata.TASK, taskId);
+            metadatum.clearValue(Metadata.CREATION_DATE);
             metadatum.clearValue(Metadata.ID);
 
             ContentValues values = metadatum.getMergedValues();
@@ -141,6 +143,7 @@ public class MetadataService {
         // everything that remains shall be written
         for(ContentValues values : newMetadataValues) {
             item.clear();
+            item.setValue(Metadata.CREATION_DATE, DateUtilities.now());
             item.mergeWith(values);
             metadataDao.persist(item);
             dirty = true;