[Feature Request] Sync timestamps for identical files

[Bacchus66]

I'd love to see an option for the sync operation (especially on Mirror) to test just those files selected for the sync to see if the content matches where the file size and name are also identical. Then if the content is in fact identical, only the timestamps would be updated instead of syncing the entire file. Applying the content check not on the full comparison, but only on the files selected, such as when using file size and time, and using it to minimize the actual number of files copied in full.

The specific scenario that this applies to (or at least one such scenario) is when renaming a large number of files. Even if the rename is applied equally on both sides, if the timestamps also change then you end up copying a large number of files that are identical except for the timestamps. Which can make the sync far longer than needed if there a lot of files and/or they are large.

Note that this would be part of an otherwise full sync. Content matched files would only get their timestamps synced, but other files that don't match by size and name, or by content if both of those matched, would still be fully synced.

Also, this should definitely be optional, since I wouldn't want to do the content sub-check every time. Only at times where a lot of files got renamed for one reason or another.

[bofh]

I support the request to sync (copy) timestamps as I use it often in Beyond Compare.

We should be aware that a full comparison is not cheaper than a copy.

But there are situations where a timestamp change was unjustified or by accident and I want to get back the old timestamp.