Not getting the expected result

Discussion of new Synchronize It! version.
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MKairys
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Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 10:28 am
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Not getting the expected result

Post by MKairys »

I have a folder of small binary files I want to sync from my desktop to my laptop (via a mapped drive). Three of the files on the desktop were changed and had different sizes, but all the files on the laptop were newer, so I chose "size only".

The problem is this: If I choose "Update target" no differences are found. If I choose "synchronize" then the three changed files are found, but the direction of copy is from laptop to desktop, the reverse of what I want.

I can click "reverse" and sync from laptop to desktop, and then the direction of copy is from the desktop to the laptop, which is correct but seems counter-intuitive to say the least...

Guest

Re: Not getting the expected result

Post by Guest »

MKairys wrote: Three of the files on the desktop were changed and had different sizes, but all the files on the laptop were newer, so I chose "size only".
If I understand correctly, you have changed the files on your desktop, but you want to keep the older files. I think any synchronizer would be helpless in such situations. How should the software know, what you want? Or, differently phrased, how could an appropriate rule look like?

MKairys
Posts: 63
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 10:28 am
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Re: Not getting the expected result

Post by MKairys »

Anonymous wrote:How should the software know, what you want?
I think it's quite straightforward. The three files on the desktop that I modified differ in size from their counterparts on the laptop. The file times are irrelevant so I say "Size only". I want to copy to the laptop so I make it the target and say Update Target. I expect the software to say "these three files differ in size, so I will copy them to the target."

Now, Synchronize had to make a decision about which way to go when I told it to ignore file times, and it did -- it chose to not to ignore them. I think this was a reasonable thing to do, if not quite as useful as the operation I had intended :wink: At least it showed me the correct files, which Update Target did not.

grigsoft
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Post by grigsoft »

Well, this makes some sense. Currently comparison rules only affects file listing, copy direction is still using date always. I will think about your approach.
In your case you can use Duplicate mode to copy older files to destination. I will make next update today, it will include full help. You will find Actions section useful, I think.

Guest

Post by Guest »

Oh, I see! You have already made a manual disposition. What I meant is that the software can hardly decide by itself (automatically) which way you want to synchronise.

grigsoft
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Post by grigsoft »

That's true, but this is what actions are for. With time I will add an abiliy to create custom actions, which would definitely help in this case.

MKairys
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Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2003 10:28 am
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Post by MKairys »

grigsoft wrote:Well, this makes some sense. Currently comparison rules only affects file listing, copy direction is still using date always.
The thing I found disturbing is that Update Target claimed the two directories were identical, which I knew was not true...

grigsoft
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Post by grigsoft »

well, historically UpdateTarget ignore files which are newer on target. Maybe I will have to think this concept over again. But I will left it for version 3.5 :)

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