DateTime stamp option (as Prefix OR Suffix)

[sfdude99]

Hi !

Can you add (in the v2.3),
a DateTime stamp option (as a Prefix OR a Suffix to file name) ?
ie -
left-side file name: events.txt
right-side file name: 200908021-123503_events.txt

format of stamp (for easy file asc/desc sorting by file DateTime stamp):
YYYY-HHMMSS_filename.ext

Thanks!!! FFS is getting to be #1!
SFdude

[Zenju]

Are you talking about a display only feature or about appending the prefix to files while synchronizing?

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Hi Zenju!

The latter, ie:
---> appending the prefix to files while synchronizing...

that would be great for those of us, needing to keep track
of file updates, several times a day.

In case of emergency - we would know immediately (by the DateTime stamp prefix),
what file version to restore....by the name of the file itself!

SFdude

[Zenju]

Hi Zenju!

The latter, ie:
---> appending the prefix to files while synchronizing...

that would be great for those of us, needing to keep track
of file updates, several times a day.

In case of emergency - we would know immediately (by the DateTime stamp prefix),
what file version to restore....by the name of the file itself!

SFdude

There already is a column "date" showing the current timestamp as well as offering ascending, descending sorting. Why would you need the filestamp in the filename additionally then?

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Hi Zenju,

Indeed there is an extra Date & Time col column
in Win's File Explorer or in Total Commander.

But... in some instances that col is set to:
- Date Created
sometimes to:
- Date Modified

Can be confusing and even dangerous,
if you change and make file backups several times a day.

On the other hand, if the * filename itself * is preceded
by a "Backup Date & Time" prefix - then there is no doubt,
in case you need to restore a previous version of a file.

Trust me, I battle with this backup version ambiguity every day.
When making a backup of a critical file,
I currently insert this "Backup Date & Time" prefix by hand
in the backup version of a filename,
BEFORE I start changing any file content.

In case of a restore emergency - I know exactly when the backup of any file was done.
With complete certainty...it's in the filename itself!

Anyhow, hope this "real world" scenario makes sense to you,
and that you can include the Date_Time prefix stamp as an option...

Thanks!
SFdude

[Zenju]

> I currently insert this "Backup Date & Time" prefix by hand
> in the backup version of a filename,
> BEFORE I start changing any file content.
What you describe seems to be the perfect usecase for "move to custom directory": Go to synchronization settings and adapt "Deletion handling". For each sync-session all files that are deleted or overwritten will be moved to a user-specified directory, contained in a subfolder consisting of current time and date!

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Zenju: your solution is brilliant!
Almost there, now...

Pls, follow my example, below.

OBJECTIVE:
----------------
Before overwriting with the latest updated version of the file in C: drive (left-side),
we wish to make a DateTime-stamped backup of any
previously backed-up files in the F:\ & H:\ drives (right-side) .

So, in FFS * UPDATE mode * ...

From Left... To Right...
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] [ F:\ TestF\ DateTime_file.txt ]
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] [ H:\ TestH \ DateTime_file.txt ]

If I UPDATE using your solution of "Deletion handling",
I will end up with a nice DateTime-stamped backup Folder:

- but only on the F:\ drive (no DateTime Folder on the H:\ drive at all)
- it will repeat the DateTime-stamped backup Folder TWICE - as Folders [1} & [2]
(because the SOURCE Folder in C:\ is used TWICE on the left-side).

Try it! See?

The [X] "Deletion handling" feature, (if checked),
only allows for ONE Target Drive\Folder to be specified, currently.

But, in our example above, we need to create DateTime Folders
on the TWO target Drives/Folders (F: AND H:) - right side.

Hope this makes sense....
SFdude

[Zenju]

Zenju: your solution is brilliant!
Almost there, now...

Pls, follow my example, below.

OBJECTIVE:
----------------
Before overwriting with the latest updated version of the file in C: drive (left-side),
we wish to make a DateTime-stamped backup of any
previously backed-up files in the F:\ & H:\ drives (right-side) .

So, in FFS * UPDATE mode * ...

From Left... To Right...
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] [ F:\ TestF\ DateTime_file.txt ]
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] [ H:\ TestH \ DateTime_file.txt ]

If I UPDATE using your solution of "Deletion handling",
I will end up with a nice DateTime-stamped backup Folder:

- but only on the F:\ drive (no DateTime Folder on the H:\ drive at all)
- it will repeat the DateTime-stamped backup Folder TWICE - as Folders [1} & [2]
(because the SOURCE Folder in C:\ is used TWICE on the left-side).

Try it! See?

The [X] "Deletion handling" feature, (if checked),
only allows for ONE Target Drive\Folder to be specified, currently.

But, in our example above, we need to create DateTime Folders
on the TWO target Drives/Folders (F: AND H:) - right side.

Hope this makes sense....
SFdude

> - it will repeat the DateTime-stamped backup Folder TWICE - as Folders [1} & [2]
> (because the SOURCE Folder in C:\ is used TWICE on the left-side).
That's because you are using multiple folder pairs(For each folder pair there is a subfolder "1, 2, 3, 4, ..."). You see this time stamped folder has been introduced to create a functional equivalent for windows recycle bin, i.e. simulate a versioning of deleted files. It is kind of incidental that this functionality fits for your usecase. However in order to get it to work the way you want it, simply use two configurations with one folder pair each. For the first configuration you'll specify F: as deletion folder, for the second H:. If your workflow doesn't need manual intervention I highly recommend using batchjobs to automate this process.

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Hi Zenju,

I agree with all you said, above.

Instead of having to load 2 different configurations as you suggest,
would it be possible (in the next version 2.3?) ,
to allow FFS to handle this scenario:

* UPDATE mode * ...

From Left... To Right...
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] ---> [ F:\ TestF\ DateTime_file.txt ]
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] ---> [ H:\ TestH \ DateTime_file.txt ]

within a single Configuration?
Maybe an additional "Deletion handling" Checkbox:
[ X ] "Save Date-Stamped files TO ALL specified TARGET (right-side) paths?

That would make things much simpler to me,
(and to many users with this common backup scenario)...
It would mean a Zen peace of mind to know that a changed file
has been moved Left to Right,
but also, that FFS has taken care of the DateStamp details of previous versions of that file...
all without changing configs.

Thanks Zenju!
SFdude

[Zenju]

Hi Zenju,

I agree with all you said, above.

Instead of having to load 2 different configurations as you suggest,
would it be possible (in the next version 2.3?) ,
to allow FFS to handle this scenario:

* UPDATE mode * ...

From Left... To Right...
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] ---> [ F:\ TestF\ DateTime_file.txt ]
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] ---> [ H:\ TestH \ DateTime_file.txt ]

within a single Configuration?
Maybe an additional "Deletion handling" Checkbox:
[ X ] "Save Date-Stamped files TO ALL specified TARGET (right-side) paths?

That would make things much simpler to me,
(and to many users with this common backup scenario)...
It would mean a Zen peace of mind to know that a changed file
has been moved Left to Right,
but also, that FFS has taken care of the DateStamp details of previous versions of that file...
all without changing configs.

Thanks Zenju!
SFdude

> [ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] ---> [ F:\ TestF\ DateTime_file.txt ]
This won't be possible, because that's no synchronization but file renaming. I know that it works for your update scenario, but for all other scenarios (mirror sync, two way sync) such an option doesn't make sense.
But let's work with the "user-defined deletion folder": This makes sense for all kinds of configurations, and also fulfills your requirements, with one drawback: It can only be used with a single folder pair:
[ C:\ TestC \ file.txt ] ---> [ F:\ CustomDelFolder\<current date>\file.txt ]

> Maybe an additional "Deletion handling" Checkbox:
> [ X ] "Save Date-Stamped files TO ALL specified TARGET (right-side) paths?
I don't like settings that are semantically vacant most of the time except for some scenarios.

So let's see what other possibilities are there:
- I could make the custom-deletion dir relative to the drive where files are deleted, i.e. supporting relative directories like "\myDelDir". But then I'd have to determine if it's a relative or absolute path, because this determines whether I need to create subfolders "1, 2, 3, ..." or not. That's gonna be difficult. Also changing the working directory before each deletion is not very nice, and could be a performance problem. Additionally it's kind of confusing, because rel. directories currently correspond to the programs working directory. So I think this one is out.

- I could make the overall configuration, including user-defined deletion directory, depend on each folder pair. This would create a huge boost in flexibility. And currently I'm about 80% sure that this feature will come.... But this is a major change and there is a lot to be considered, mostly usability issues, technically it's not that difficult. So there's no timeline yet.

- I could move files to a fixed deletion directory in each synchronization base directory, that would be a fourth option for "Deletion handling". But this folder then would need to be excluded programmatically when comparing. I'm not yet convinced whether there is a real benefit from that.

Well that are all options that currently come to my mind. Perhaps there is some perfect solution that I've missed?

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Yes, agree - this would be a great boost in flexibilty!.

Your option (repeated below), would be the best & make FFS very powerful
for the type of BACKUP scenario, which we are discussing in this thread:

>> ... I could make the overall configuration, including user-defined deletion directory, >> on each folder pair. This would create a huge boost in flexibility. And currently I'm about 80% sure that this feature will come.... But this is a major change and there is a lot to be considered, mostly usability issues, technically it's not that difficult. ...

[Zenju]

The more I think about it the more I like the idea of per-folderpair-configuration. I'll try to include this feature for v2.3!

-Zenju

[sfdude99]

Hi !

Can you add (in the v2.3),
a DateTime stamp option (as a Prefix OR a Suffix to file name) ?
ie -
left-side file name: events.txt
right-side file name: 200908021-123503_events.txt

format of stamp (for easy file asc/desc sorting by file DateTime stamp):
YYYY-HHMMSS_filename.ext

Thanks!!! FFS is getting to be #1!
SFdude

GREAT! Go FFS!!! #1...