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3. Configuration via the GUI

Synchronize can be configured via a GUI. You can use the GUI to execute a synchronization, or you can use the GUI to create a configuration file and run the synchronization in console mode.

3.1 Menu and Toolbar

Menu and toolbar of Directory Synchronize

  1. Create a new configuration.
  2. Open a new configuration.
  3. Save the current configuration.
  4. Quit the program.
  5. Start a preview of the synchronization of the directories using this configuration.
  6. Start synchronizing directories using this configuration.
  7. Stop the synchronization after completing the current file.
  8. Swap the paths of source and destination directories in all directory definitions
  9. Use Java "Metal" look and feel; if deselected the platform look and feel will be used.
    (due too limitations in the JRE this doesn't work on linux - yet)
  10. Set the default path for configurations.
  11. Display help for "Directory Synchronize".
  12. Display information about "Directory Synchronize".
  13. Pause the synchronization after completing the current file.

3.2 Global options

Global options of Directory Synchronize

  1. The global logfile.
    If you want global logging, you must specify a logfile. The path must be given absolut, the directory must exist. The file doesn't have to exist yet, it will be created. If the file already exists the log will overwrite the file. If you don't specify a log file, logging will be disabled.
  2. Browse for the global logfile or directory.
  3. The output of the synchronization.
  4. Scroll the output of the synchronization automatically.
  5. The progress of the overall synchronization.
  6. The progress of the synchronization of the current directory.
  7. The progress of the synchronization of the current file.

3.3 Directories and directory paths

Path options of Directory Synchronize

  1. "Directory definitions": The directory definitions to synchronize.
  2. Select all directory definitions.
  3. Deselect all directory definitions.
  4. "Add new": Add a new directory definition to the list.
  5. "Copy": Copy an existing directory definition.
  6. "Remove": Remove a directory definition from the list.
  7. "Up": Move the selected directory definition up.
  8. "Down": Move the selected directory definition down.

Path options of Directory Synchronize

  1. "Name": The name of this directory definition.
    The name is only used for displaying purposes, but must be specified.
  2. "Source directory": The source directory for this directory definition.
    The path of the source directory to synchronize to a destination directory. Here you specify the directory with the original files.
  3. Browse for "Source directory": Browse for the source directory.
  4. "Destination directory": The destination directory for this directory definition.
    Here you specify the destination directory where to store the backup-files.
    You can specify the following wildcards for time and date (case sensitive):
    <date> for the current date, or
      <DD> for the current day,  
      <MM> for the current month,
      <YYYY> for the current year.
    <time> for the current time, or
      <hh> for the current hour,
      <mm> for the current minute,
      <ss> for the current second.
  5. Browse for "Destination directory": Browse for the destination directory.
  6. "Logfile": The logfile.
    If you want logging for this directory, you must specify a logfile. The path must be given absolute. The directory and file don't have to exist, they will be created. If the file already exists the log will overwrite the file. If you don't specify a log file, separate logging for this directory definition will be disabled.
    You can specify the same wildcards as for the "Destination directory".
  7. Browse for "Logfile": Browse for the logfile or directory.
  8. "Include directories": Include this directory patterns in the synchronization.
    Here you can decide if only directories matching a specified pattern should be synchronized.
    For example if you specify '*_new', only directories that end with '_new' will be processed. You can use wildcards (i.e. '?' and '*'). '?' means zero, or one character, '*' means zero, one, or more characters. You can specifiy more than one pattern seperated by semicolons ';'
  9. "Exclude directories": Exclude this directorie patterns from the synchronization.
    Here you can decide if directories matching a specified pattern should NOT be synchronized.
  10. "Include files": Include this file patterns in the synchronization.
    Here you can decide if only files matching a specified file pattern should be synchronized.
    For example if you specify '*.txt' only files that end with '.txt' will be processed. You can use wildcards (i.e. '?' and '*'). '?' means zero, or one character, '*' means zero, one, or more characters. You can specifiy more than one file pattern seperated by semicolons ';'.
  11. "Exclude files": Exclude this file patterns from the synchronization.
    Here you can decide if files matching a specified file pattern should NOT be synchronized.

3.4 Directory options

Directory options of Directory Synchronize

  1. "All": Copies all files and directories.
    If a file already exists in the destination directory it will always be overwritten with that one from the source directory. If you specify this option, all other copy options will be ignored (you already copied all files, what do you want more?).
  2. "New": Copies only new (not existing in destination directory) files and directories.
    Files that exist in the source directory but not in the destination directory will be copied to the destination directory.
  3. "Larger": Copies only larger files and directories.
    If there already is a file with the same name in the destination directory, it will only be overwritten with the file from the source directory if its size is smaller than the size of the original file in the source directory.
  4. "Modified": Copies only modified files and directories.
    If there already is a file with the same name in the destination directory, it will only be overwritten with the file from the source directory if its modified-date is older than the modified-date of the original file in the source directory.
  5. "Only larger and modified": Copies only larger AND modified files and directories.
    If there already is a file with the same name in the destination directory, it will only be overwritten with the file from the source directory if its size is smaller and its modified-date is older than the size and date of the original file in the source directory.
    If you specify the option 'Copy larger' or 'Copy modified', this option will be ignored (you already copied this files).
  6. "Include subfolders": Includes subfolders in this synchronization.
    Here you can decide whether you want to synchronize the content of the source directory including subfolders or not.
  7. "Verify synchronized files":
    If this box is checked then after a file has been copied checksums of the source and destination file are calculated and compared. If the checksums don't match an "Verify error" will be reported.

  8. "Delete files": Delete files not existing in the source directory from the destination directory.
    Files that have been deleted in the source directory, but still exist in the destination directory will be deleted in the destination directory.
  9. "Delete directories": Delete directories not existing in the source directory from the destination directory.
    Directories that have been deleted in the source directory, but still exist in the destination directory will be deleted in the destination directory.
  10. "Copy to all directory definitions": Copies the current options to all directory definitions.
  11. "Copy to enabled directory definitions": Copies the current options only to the enabled directory definitions.

3.5 Advanced options

Directory options of Directory Synchronize

If you don't know what this advanced options are about - chances are good that you don't need them.

Handling of timestamp related problems
Some filesystems don't store timestamps accurately (e.g. FAT) and it is possible that problems with the option "Modified" arise (e.g. FAT always forces the timestamp down to even seconds; if you copy a file with a source timestamp of "12:05:01" to FAT it will be stored with a destination timestamp of "12:05:00". The next time you synchronize this file with the "Copy modified" option it will be copied again because the source timestamp is newer than the destination timestamp).

  1. "Write timestamps back to source files": 
    If  this box is checked then after a file has been copied the destination timestamp is written back to the source file (the timestamp of "12:05:00" would be written back to the source file. The next time you synchronize this file with the "Modified" option it will not be copied again because both files have the same timestamp).
    Doesn't work if the source file is write protected.
  2. "Specify max seconds between timestamps to be equal":
    If  this box is checked then timestamps that differ x seconds are treated as equal (the timestamp of "12:05:00" would be treated as equal to the timestamp "12:05:01". If  you synchronize this file with the "Modified" option it will not be copied because both files have an equal timestamp).
    If this value is chosen too big files that are actually different might be falsely considered to be identical.

  3. "Copy symbolic links as files" or "Skip symbolic links": Symbolic links are copied as files otherwise symbolic links are skipped while copying.
    If you already copied symbolic links and select later to skip symbolic links the symbolic links that have been copied to the target directories as files will be deleted in the target directories.
    Only applies if the source filesystem can handle symbolic links (UNIX, Linux, MacOS).
  4. "Reset to default": Reset the advanced options to their default values.

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