Mirror confusion

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Posts: 2
Joined: 17 Dec 2006

catalyst-2012

I am a seasoned enterprise software engineer just getting started with FreeFileSync for personal use and hoping to use it over AllwaySync.

I find one most important feature confusing in how it is described. The feature is the Mirror variant.

In the western world we normally read from left to right. Most users normally copy files from left to right. I normally sync from my desktop/laptop files in the left folder, to my external backup storage in the right folder; i.e.: from left to right. In other words, changes on my desktop/laptop would normally be copied/mirrored/reflected/propagated from left to right, such that after completion of synchronization, the right folder will be a reflection or mirror of the left folder. I realize there are exceptions when we may want to sync/copy in the opposite direction.

In FreeFileSync 5.23/Synchronization Settings/, 3 of the 4 variants are clear, however, the Mirror->> variant: "Create a mirror backup of the left folder which exactly matches the right folder after synchronization." is unclear.

If I understand correctly, FreeFileSync Mirror->> is "Creating a mirror of the LEFT folder thus MATCHING the LEFT folder, it is NOT MATCHING the RIGHT folder.

There are several ways to write this; I would suggest "Create a mirror backup of the left folder, such that the right folder exactly matches the left folder after synchronization." or if you prefer: "Create a mirror backup of the left folder, such that after synchronization, the right folder exactly matches the left folder." Either way is clear.

Thank you.
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Posts: 7210
Joined: 9 Dec 2007

Zenju

This has been adapted for the next version, hopefully this is more clear now:
Eng: "Create a mirror backup of the left folder by adapting the right folder to match."
Ger: "Eine Spiegelkopie des linken Ordners erstellen, indem der rechte Ordner angeglichen wird."
Posts: 13
Joined: 7 Jan 2011

giaglis

I had the same problem when translating the phrase to Greek. The description I ended up using would be back-translated into English as:

"Adaptation (or modification) of the right folder, so that it becomes an exact (mirror) copy of the left folder."
Posts: 2
Joined: 17 Dec 2006

catalyst-2012

Zenju: North American English is my first language. I provided two clear possibilities, why not use one of them? What you indicated is a step in the right direction, but still not all that clear in English.

Georgios Giaglis: "so that it becomes an exact (mirror) copy of the left folder" makes clear sense, but beware of universal translators as they are software machines and do not always get it right or clear. I am also fluent in Spanish, so I know that different languages arrange nouns/verbs/adjectives in different order, and grammar will also vary.