Include filters only work the first time

[lhighland]

I've set up a FFS mirror job that uses include filters to mirror selected files from the source folder to the target folder. It works perfectly, but only the first time. Subsequent runs mirror nothing. It's the same if I simply re-run the job or if I save it and reopen it.

I delete some of the files from the target folder between runs.

The runs that do not mirror anything run instantaneously and the messages show nothing even looked at.

If I create a new job (copy and paste the include filter entries), it works perfectly the first time. Then it doesn't.

I'm on the current edition -- 14.6 Donation.

Thanks
Lynn

[lhighland]

I should have also said that my FFS Mirror job with filters that include folders works repeatedly. It's the one with filters that include files that only works the first time.

Thanks again
Lynn

[Plerry]

Not sure what you mean by
>... only works the first time. Subsequent runs mirror nothing.
Is the Compare Results / Preview synchronization window (item 10 in the Main Dialog Overview / Preview synchronization) empty?
By default, that window only shows the proposed sync actions; if everything is in sync (as a result of a sync you just ran), it will be empty.

You can toggle the visibility of the different Compare Result categories via the icons mid below the Compare Results (item 11 in the Main Dialog Overview, "Select categories to show on grid"). Clicking the "=" icon will unhide all items that are considered to be left-right equal, and hence do not require sync actions. The contents of that list should give a good impression of the correct working of your Include Filter.

You can also look at item 12 in the Main Dialog Overview, "Synchronization Statistics".
This shows the number of files per sync action. The total should be equal to all files included per your Include Filter (and not excluded by your Exclude Filter).

[lhighland]

Plerry -- thanks for your help and your quick response. This is an education.

What I meant by "only works the first time. Subsequent runs mirror nothing." is that the first time I run the mirror operation using filters to include specific files, FFS behaves exactly as I want, i.e. all the new, deleted, and modified files in the source folder are correctly reflected in the target folder.

If I then change something in the source folder and rerun the FFS batch job (without closing and reopening FFS), none of the changes in the source folder are reflected in the target folder. The preview panes you mentioned (thanks very much, they're helpful) indicate nothing has been changed even though it has.

But, here's the solution -- If I close FFS, reopen it, and reopen and run the same batch job, all changes in the source folder are properly reflected in the target folder. It seems as if FFS remembers what it did in the last sync and doesn't look at the source folder again until FFS is closed and reopened.

Since I'll be running this batch job once a week via Windows Task Manager, FFS will be closed and reopened each time; it should do exactly what I want.

Thanks again for your help.
Lynn

[Plerry]

As long as the FFS instance in which you ran a sync is still open, if you want to run the "same" sync, you need to first run a new Compare. You can not just click Synchronize again.
FFS does not automatically run a new Compare for you (there are cases in which that is useful).

So, the problem is not that the Include Filter does not work, but that no (new) Compare results are available.
But, it would be elegant if FFS would warn you that you did not run a Compare since your last sync, or suggest to run a new Compare.