FSYNC - Program to Synchronize Windows Directories

Please send comments to Glenn Story at glenn.story@gmail.com

Download the file from here.

Introduction

FSync can synchronize the following types of directories:

• Directories on your local computer
• Directories on other computers that have been mapped to your local computer
• Directories on other computers by specifying UNC names.
• Directories on other Windows, Unix, or other machines that can be accessed via the FTP protocol.

How to Install FSync

How to Run FSync

1. Get a copy of FSYNC.ZIP .
2. Unzip the file into a temporary directory, producing the following files:
   • FSYNC.EXE: The actual program.
   • FSYNC.HTM: This document.
   • FSYNC.REG: Information to update the registry
   • WWWIN.EXE: A program that is used by FSync.
   • MERGEWIN.EXE: A program used to support merging.
   • *.GIF: Images that go with this document.
   • SETUP.EXE: A program to install FSync and its components.
   • SETUP.DAT: A data file read by SETUP.EXE.
3. Run "SETUP" from the directory into which you have unzipped the files.

NOTE: If you are using WinZip, you can combine steps 2 and 3 by simply clicking "Install" from the WinZip wizard bar in standard mode. In Wizard Mode, WinZip can also perform these steps.

How to Run FSync

Specifying Directories to Synchronize

The File List

FSync Actions

Editing the File List

Merging two files

FSync Options

Specifying Automatic Options

Excluding File Extensions

Excluding Directories

Automatic (unattended) Operation

Starting FSync

FSync can be run in one of five ways:

• From the explorer, double click on the FSync program's icon.
• From the command prompt, key in "fsync" and press return.
• From the explorer, double click on an FSync document's icon.
• From the command prompt, key in "fsync < file >" where < file > is the filename of an FSync document.
• From the command prompt, key in "fsync -q < file >" where < file > is the filename of an FSync document.

In the last method, the "-q" stands for quick mode. FSync will automatically do a scan. If the scan shows no files need to be updated, FSync will exit immediately.

The File List

Each entry in the file list contains the following items:

• The file name
• Timestamp and file-size information for copies of the file in the two directories being synchronized.
• The next action to be taken to synchronize the files. The action for a file can be set automatically by FSync whenever you select "Scan" or "Sync all". You can also set this action manually when you edit the file list. This action can be one of the following:

  Copy File 1 to File 2

  The file is to be copied from directory 1 to directory 2.

  Copy file 2 to file 1

  The file is to be copied from directory 2 to directory 1.

  Delete file 1

  The file is to be deleted from directory 1.

  Delete file 2

  The file is to be deleted from directory 2.

  Merge files 1 and 2

  The files in directory 1 and directory 2 are to be merged together. (Normally, FSync uses Mergewin to perform this merge. You may supply an alternate mechanism for doing this merge as described under Supplying a Merge Mechanism).

  No action at this time

  This action (if you can call it that) is selected whenever a synchronization action has been carried out successfully. It is also set for each file (except those marked to be skipped as described next) whenever an existing FSync document is opened and a file list is loaded from it.

  Skip this file every time

  You set this action manually for files that you don't want FSync to try and synchronize. This is the only action that survives long term: It is not changed by Scan or Sync operations and it is saved to disk and restored when the FSync document is later re-opened. This action is never set automatically by FSync; nor is it ever changed automatically to something else.

FSync Actions

Scan

This function will scan all files in the two directories and compare their states to the saved states in FSync's file list. It will set a new action for each file as described in The File List above.

Edit File List

This will allow you to view and make changes to the File List and the actions specified for individual files therein. This process is described in more detail below.

Sync from list

This function will synchronize each file in the file list based on the file action set on the previous scan, or as set by you via the edit function.

Sync all files

This function combines the actions of "scan" and "sync from list". The files are scanned and compared to the file list, and then immediately synchronized.

Sync one file

This function will allow you to synchronize one file. It will first display a standard file dialog box for you to select a file. It will then add the file to the list if it is not already there. Next it will let you change the current action for the file, and finally it will sync the file.

Set Directories

This function lets you respecify the directories to be synchrononized. (Since this makes the contents of the file list questionable, you should perform this action with caution.)

Show scan summary

Whenever you select "scan", a summary is displayed of the current actions set for the files in the file list. If you would like to display this information at some other time select this function. Note that this will display the current information, not necessarily the information at the last scan.

Stop scanning or syncing

This function will terminate the current scan or sync function. Normally, FSync will stop what it is doing immediately and return to a "ready" state. However, there are two situations where FSync will request further information from you:

1. While Scanning: You will be given the opportunity to consider the current scan up to date (i.e. the information recorded for the previous scan or sync is still up to date). You should use this feature with caution. Only consider the current scan to be up to date if you know with certainty that the files being scanned have not changed; otherwise, your sync operation may omit files, or you may get errors for attempting to access files that are no longer present.
2. While copying a file: You will be give the option to terminate the sync operation immediately or deferring the stop until copying the current file is completed. You should normally select the latter so as not to end up with an incomplete file at the destination location.

Reset all

This function will mark all files in the list as up to date without actually moving any files. This is sometimes useful for creating a new file list when files already exist (and have been manually synchronized) between the two directories.

Options

This will bring up an options menu that lets you control various parameters. See FSync Options for details.

Automatic Execution This will bring up a dialog box to make execution of FSync more automatic or even fully automatic. See Specifying Automatic Options for details.

Edit Extensions to skip

This will allow you to specify certain file extensions that you do not want to synchronize. See Excluding File Extensions for details.

Edit Directoriesto skip

This will allow you to specify certain directories that you do not want to synchronize. See Excluding Directories for details.

When you ask to edit the file list you are presented with a dialog box that displays all the files in the file list. You can select individual files from this list and then perform one of the following tasks:

• Edit an item. This brings up another dialog box with radio buttons representing the various actions that can be set for the file.
• Delete an item. This deletes the selected item from the list. (If the corresponding files still exist, the item will be re-added the next time you scan.)
• Sync an item. This will take the currently set synchronization action for the selected file.

Whenever FSync wants to merge two files it displays a dialog box.

If the file is determined to be either a text file or xBASE file, the radio button, "merge the two files using internal merge" (meaning MergeWin) will be set by default. For other types of files, this option is not available.

For any type of file you can select "Merge the two files using external program." You must specify the name of the program to be run. A command line will ge generated of the following form:

command file1 file2

Thus, you must supply a command (program or batch file) to accomplish this function. Your command should merge changes between the two files, and replace both original files with the merged version. (If you have a merge program you want to use but it doesn't have the above-described behavior you can simply "wrap it" in a batch file.)

FSync Options

General Options (Check boxes)

Include Subdirectories

If this box is checked then scanning and synchronizing will include subdirectories of the specified directories. If this box is not checked then only the specified directories will be scanned and synchronized.

Allow Multiple Output Volumes

If this box is checked, then if files don't fit on the current output disk a new disk will be used. This can be used, for example, to copy files to diskettes, super-floppies, zip drives or Syquest drives. This option was added so that I can use this program as a backup program. It assumes most files will be moved from the first directory to the second. If this box is not checked, then all files from directory one must fit on the drive specified for directory two, or else an error will occur.

Use these settings once, then revert to previous settings

If this box is checked, any other changes you make to the options dialog box will only apply to the next sync operation. Then the program will revert to the previous settings. (If you save the FSync document before doing a sync operation, the previous settings will be saved.) This option is used for cases, where, for example you want to do a single sync, with the option "Make directory 2 look like directory 1" and thereafter do a normal sync operation. If this box is not checked, then any changes you make in the options dialog box will be made permanent when you click "OK".

File Manipulations (Radio buttons)

• Summary: This section lets you select a general type of synchronization.
• Details: This section lets you examine and set the precise action to occur for each situation encountered by FSync.

Summary

Synchronize the two directories

This option treats both directories as peers. Files are copied from either directory to the other to make the two directories match. If the file has been changed in both locations, you will be given a chance to merge the contents of the two files.

Make directory 1 look like directory 2

This option treats directory 2 as the "master" or "source" directory, and will attempt to change directory 1 to match.

Make directory 2 look like directory 1

This option treats directory 1 as the "master" or "source" directory, and will attempt to change directory 2 to match.

Custom

This option indicates that some non-standard set of detail options is in effect. Normally you would not click on this button. (Doing so does not change any settings.) FSync will automatically set this button when you select a button in the "Details" section.

Details

From here you can specify three types of options.

Message Destinations

If you specify a log file, you can also specify the amount of detail you want written to the file. Error messages are always written. You can optionally also send information messages and/or successful file actions (copy, etc.)

Handling Automatic Termination

Response

To examine or modify the list of file extensions to skip, select "Edit file extensions to skip" from the "Sync" menu. You will then see a dialog box like this:

From here you can select and delete extensions. Or you can select the "Add" button which will display the following:

From this latter dialog box you can add a preset category of extensions or individual extensions that you specify.

All extensions on the list that you specify will be set to be skipped from synchronization. The check for these extensions is made when a new file is encountered or (optionally) when you edit the list of extensions. This gives you the ability to then edit the file list and change the status of specific files even if they have an excludible extension.

Excluding Directories

To examine or modify the list of file directories to skip, select "Edit directories to skip" from the "Sync" menu. You will then see a dialog box similar to the "extensions to skip" dialog box shown above.

From here you can select and delete directories. Or you can select the "Add" button which will display a dialog box that lets you specify a new directory to skip. This directory may be entered as a relative directory (relative to the "to" and "from" directories. It may also be entered as an absolute directory, which must specify a directory below either the "to" or "from directory.

Automatic (Unattended) Operation

• In order to create and specify the FSync document file you must first run FSync interactively.
  1. Use the Options command on the Sync menu to specify how you want to the synchronization to be done. (See FSync Options for details.)
     1. Do not specify a sync option that includes merging, since merging is inherently interactive.
     2. Multi-volume output can't be done without user interaction, since you have to change the output volumes.
  2. Use the Automatic Execution command on the Sync menu. (See Specifying Automatic Options for details.)
     1. De-select the Dialog Box check box.
     2. Select the Log File check box and specify the name of a log file.
     3. Specify which types of items you want included in the log file.
     4. Unless you want FSync to stop when errors are encountered, select the "Exit even if errors..." check box.
     5. Select the response you desire for various prompts that would otherwise appear during FSync operation.
  3. If you specify an FTP name, specify the full form ftp://account:password@location. However be aware that the password will then be visible in the FSync document file and on the screen, so secure the machine accordingly.
  4. Save the configuration with the "Save as..." command on the File menu.
• Subsequently you can run FSync from a command line, script, or shortcut with the following command-line options:

  fsync -a fsd-file

  where fsd-file is the name of the file you saved in step 4

  FSync issues a return code which can be interrogated by batch files or other scripts:

  0

  All actions succeeded

  1

  There were errors handling individual files during the synchronization.

  2

  There was a general error preventing any synchronization to occur at all.