question regarding keywords panel

[akirot]

The keywords panel allows flexible manipulation of keywords - all is documented in depth in the help and everything works well.
However, until now I could not find out the intended function of the yellow pencil to the left of the keyword editor. What I found out is it deletes the recently entered new keywords (as long as they are not confirmed with the green hook in the menu bar).
I wonder if it is just there because it is part of the user interface but does not add real value in the given context?
Probably Mario could shed some light on it?

Thank You!

[Mario]

The pen icon indicates changed metadata (Keyword Panel and also in the Metadata Panel).

You can click it to force-mark the keywords as changed, e.g. if you want to set the keywords of the focused file to all other selected files, without changing the keywords of the focused file.
You select some files, then focus the file from which you want to transfer the keywords to all selected files.
Now you click then Pen to mark the keywords as modified, and then save with the green check icon.

When you enter a new keyword, the pen will change color, indicating that you have made (yet uncommitted) changes.
If you now click the pen, you toggle it's state back to "not changed", and this resets the keywords back to the keywords in the file.

This is not so impressive in the Keyword Panel, it's more aimed at the metadata panel. Here you can individually reset changes, or mark tags as changed you want to write in all selected files.

[akirot]

Ah, I see. The major benefits are achieved working with more than one file.
Quite elaborated - I like that.
I know the behaviour from the metadata panel but didn't manage to transfer this to the keywords panel.
Now it's clear.

Thank you