Dialog box: Synchronize directories

 

With this dialog box you can compare two directories including subdirectories with each other, and then copy the files with differences to the target directory, or any other directory. To do this, please proceed as follows:

 

1. Choose the two directories you want to compare, and (if necessary) the file types (wildcards), using the middle combobox. See Select Files how to include/exclude files by wildcards. Predefined filters aren't supported at this time.

2. Select the compare options "Subdirs", "by content" and/or "ignore date"

3. Press the "Compare" button

4. Under section "Show", choose the files to be shown

5. Select the files you want to copy. This is done by a click on the checkbox between the two comparison columns, or by selecting one of the options in the right click menu. By default, the function will select all newer files for copying. To reverse the copy selection, you need to double click on the arrow.

6. Click on "Synchronize". This will open a dialog box to copy the selected files. Only visible files will be copied!

 

Note: You can synchronize the following combinations:

- Two directories

- A directory and a ZIP archive (no other archives!)

- Two ZIP archives (not by content, compare only)

- A local directory and a directory on an ftp server

- A local directory and a directory through the parallel port connection

 

Here is a description of the dialog box elements:

 

Save directories and settings (optional) to wincmd.ini. The list is sorted by name. Cannot save FTP connections and option "only selected".

 

*.* Wildcards to include/exclude certain file types. See Select Files how to include/exclude files by wildcards. Predefined filters aren't supported at this time.

 

Compare Starts the comparison between the two chosen directories.

 

Only selected (in main window)

Only compares the directories and files, which are selected in Total Commander before invoking this function. It is sufficient to only select the directories/files in one window.

 

Asymmetric If this option is checked, it is assumed that a copy of the left side should be created on the right side. Files which do not exist on the left side will be marked for deletion on the right side. This option is meant for backups. Do NOT use this option to synchronize a desktop and notebook!

Subdirs Also compares the subdirectories of the two chosen directories. A modification of this option makes a new comparison necessary.

by content Compares the content of files which have the same size and date. It checks that the files also have the same content. A modification of this option makes a new comparison necessary.

ignore date If this option is selected, files with same size and name are considered identical. If additionally the option "by content" is selected, files with the same size are also compared by content. The result of such a comparison only yields to the result 'equal' or 'not equal' - the copy direction needs to be set by the user. A modification of this option makes a new comparison necessary.

 

Show: Options for the file display: These options become effective immediately, without a new search.

 

Shows only files which by comparison need to be copied from left to right.

Shows only files which by comparison need to be copied from right to left, or (in asymmetric mode) which will be deleted on the right side.

Shows files which are considered equal with the current compare settings.

Shows files which appear as being different, but with no default copy direction (e.g. same date/time, or date/time ignored).

The above symbols also appear in the list of compared files, between the compared files. There are two additional symbols appearing in this list:

Appears only when comparing between an FTP server and a local directory. It means that the files are identical only if the remote file is a text file on a Unix server. For details, please read Synchronize dirs and FTP servers.

Only appears when comparing by contents, before the file pair has actually been compared.

 

dupes Shows files which exist on both sides.

singles Shows files which exist on one side only.

 

FTP time offset dt=..h

This option is only shown when comparing a local directory with a directory on the net.

It allows to set the time zone difference between your location and the FTP server. Use numbers >0 if the server is to the west, and <0 if it is to the east of your location.

The offset is saved by server name, so if you have defined multiple connections to the same server, you need to set it only once in this dialog.

 

mdtm Use the command mdtm <file date> to set the time stamp of uploaded files. Not all servers support this command. If available, the newer command mfmt will be used instead.

 

utc Send the date/time in utc (universal time=Greenwich mean time). Most servers expect the time in UTC format, but some seem to use local time instead.

 

Synchronize Opens a dialog box, with which the selected files can be copied to the other side, or to any other user-defined directory.

 

Close Closes the dialog box.

 

Name, Size, Date Click on the appropriate  header to sort by name, size, or date. If there is no file on the chosen side, the file from the other side is used for sorting.

 

<File list> Here the compared directories are shown, and (if chosen by the user) also their subdirectories. Each subdirectory is delimited by a gray bar. The symbol in the middle defines the copy direction, which can be chosen by the end user. The coloring of the text defines the default copy direction determined by the comparison:

Green: Copy from left to right

Blue: Copy from right to left, or delete on the right side (asymmetric mode, in this case, the file has a cross symbol in the middle).

Red: Files which are different by the given criteria (no copy direction)

Black: Files which are identical (no copy direction)

The copy direction can be chosen for multiple files at the same time with the right click menu. Furthermore, the right click menu allows to display, delete or even compare individual files by content (can also be opened via double click). For ftp connections, there is an additional command 'Set local file date to remote date'. If you choose it, files with the same size will appear equal (they have the same size+date/time). The idea of this function is to make files look identical from which you know that they are identical (e.g. because you uploaded them using a different program). Concerning the date/time synchronizing problems with ftp, please read Synchronize dirs and FTP servers