Feature Request: ignore Google files

[dabble]

When syncing with Google Drive, Google Docs files and similar are unable to be synced (viewtopic.php?t=6027).

I'd like to suggest either adding an option to exclude all Google files,
or treat filters with file extensions like .gdoc or .gsheet (these are the extensions that Google Backup and Sync creates to link to Google files on Drive, in the shape of JSON files) as if they're filtering their associated file type.

Another alternative could be to actually create the aforementioned JSON files when syncing Google files, like Backup and Sync does, though I guess this would be a bit more work.

Being unable to exclude only files of these types (setting a minimum file size doesn't cut it, as that also excludes empty folders or files that I'd like to include) makes my file list quite a bit cluttered, so I'd love to get feedback on this request, or hear about any alternative methods of solving it!

- I think this is a comprehensive list of Google's file types (extracted from developers.google.com/drive/api/v3/mime-types):

- Google Docs (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.document)
- Google Drawing (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.drawing)
- Google Forms (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.form)
- Google Fusion Tables (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.fusiontable)
- Google My Maps (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.map)
- Google Slides (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.presentation)
- Google Apps Scripts (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.script)
- Google Sites (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.site)
- Google Sheets (MIME type application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet)

[Plerry]

Perhaps I am missing your point,
but can't you simply add entries like
*.gdoc
*.gsheet
etc.
to the FFS Exclude filter?

[dabble]

Unfortunately not, as that only excludes those JSON link files locally (if one happens to have some of those lying around from previous usage of Backup and Sync) and not the actual files on Drive.

The problem is that FFS lists Google files, and when it tries to sync them, this error occurs (the same one as in viewtopic.php?t=6027):

Cannot read file "gdrive:\<path to e.g. a Google Docs file>".

Only files with binary content can be downloaded. Use Export with Google Docs files.

[Plerry]

One approach you may consider is to organize your files and folders such that your Google Doc files are located in other (sub)folder(s) than your other files.
You can then exclude the (sub)folder(s) containing the Google Doc files from the FFS sync by listing this/these (sub)folder(s) in the FFS Exclude filter.

[dabble]

Nice suggestion! :)

[mairo]

Is there a solution for this Problem 2 years later....??

[sergiorcs82]

3 years later, still no solution?

I have already lost data in recent times because i failed to notice that FFS can't download Google Docs files but will still delete them - seriously, you should either support them entirely, or not at all!

[xCSxXenon]

viewtopic.php?t=8529
viewtopic.php?t=7390
Some related info, maybe not useful of satisfactory for you

[ElCaganer]

I used to have the same problem. Here's a workaround that has worked for me:

Filter --> Include:
/*.???

It assumes that all your other files have the typical extensions *.XYZ. Beware if not because then some of your files would not be included.

I hope that this helps!

[sergiorcs82]

Hi, @ElCaganer. (I love the nickname, by the way... XD)


Thanks for the tip!
Sadly, my system is Linux, so there are plenty of extensionless files... meh.

[ETupelo]

I just wanted to add my voice in support of some way to filter out Google formatted files. Filters for *.gdoc or *gsheet and such don't seem to have any effect. On Linux at least, Google files appear in FFS without a file extension at the end. (Using Google Drive's syncing app on a Windows computer, those files appear in the system file browser with those extensions. I don't know enough to speculate on if that means FFS could identify those file types with those extensions or not.)

I'm less concerned with being able to convert those files into a useable format, which seems beyond what this program is for. The main issue is I always have to run FFS with ignoring errors, and then the list of errors is far too long to be able to read through to see if there are any other kinds of errors that I actually care about.

One additional workaround is that Google Docs at some point recently gained the ability to open up .docx files within Google Drive/Docs, without converting it to a Google Doc format. So if one creates a file as a .docx on one's computer and syncs it to Google, one can then go into Google Drive to edit and share that file as if it were a Google Doc. Multiple people can edit the document through Google's interface directly, and then it will still sync in FFS because it's still actually a .docx format.

Otherwise I love this program, and was happy to move to the donate version last year!