Sync Dirs - treat files with differing comments as different

[Seyran_72]

there is a problem with descript.ion files...
I'll write a complaint later. ))
TС does NOT allow you to actually work with comment files. He often perceives them not just as hidden, not just as "systemic", but in general, as NON-EXISTENT!
At work, I have to copy not just files, but comments to them, in which (in comments) I fill in the comments necessary for understanding the file.
No offense to Ghisler, for this I have to resort to the services of a competing file manager, which treats "descript.ion" files as files, and not as a forbidden cow)

Moderator message from: Hacker

Thread split from Manual option to copy file comment descript.ion F5/F6, Shift+F5.

[tuska]

2Seyran_72
Maybe this will help you: Coloring files or folders with TC file comments

Yes, and the name of the author you could perhaps soon write correctly?

[hi5]

Seyran_72: If you keep Configuration, Operation, File Comments, [x] copy comments with files, checked it will copy/move the comments and if there wouldn't be a need to turn it on/off in your case, if you turn on "view hidden files" you can copy descript.ion too of course.

Otherwise you perhaps could try to explain what the other file manager (which one is it?) does differently and better compared to TC?

[Seyran_72]

Yes, and the name of the author you could perhaps soon write correctly?

English is not my native language, I write through Google translator, unfortunately. In Russian, Ghisler sounds and is written like "Gisler". I will follow the translation

[Seyran_72]

Seyran_72: If you keep Configuration, Operation, File Comments, [x] copy comments with files, checked it will copy/move the comments and if there wouldn't be a need to turn it on/off in your case, if you turn on "view hidden files" you can copy descript.ion too of course.

Otherwise you perhaps could try to explain what the other file manager (which one is it?) does differently and better compared to TC?

flashes of hidden / system files, of course, are included.
The file manager in my case is Double Commander. When synchronizing directories, DC treats comment files as normal files, and when changing a comment file in one panel, it treats a similar file in another panel as different (as it should be).
The simplest situation: when you copy a file with comments for the first time, both the file and the comments are copied. If later you changed the comment itself, but the file remained unchanged, then when synchronizing directories, Total Commander does NOT consider that there is a new difference!
And also Total Commander does not allow to synchronize only descript.ion files. Even if you set a strict condition to search and compare ONLY descript.ion files.

[hi5]

I see, a synchronise option to take into account comments as well, in that case I suggest you post it as a new suggestion so others can see it and it may attract more attention.

[tuska]

Seyran_72: If you keep Configuration, Operation, File Comments, [x] copy comments with files, checked it will copy/move the comments and if there wouldn't be a need to turn it on/off in your case, if you turn on "view hidden files"
you can copy descript.ion too of course.

Otherwise you perhaps could try to explain what the other file manager (which one is it?) does differently and better compared to TC?

The simplest situation: when you copy a file with comments for the first time, both the file and the comments are copied.
If later you changed the comment itself, but the file remained unchanged, then when synchronizing directories,
Total Commander does NOT consider that there is a new difference!
And also Total Commander does not allow to synchronize only descript.ion files.
Even if you set a strict condition to search and compare ONLY descript.ion files.

Total Commander allows to synchronize descript.ion files (TC file comments created with Ctrl+Z).
Configuration > Operation > File comments > "Copy comments with files" MUST NOT be ticked for synchronizations!

Here is a summary in German language.
See also: Can you automate adding descriptions (comments) to files?

[ghisler(Author)]

If "Copy comments with files" is checked, TC skips the actual command files when you select them for copying, except when you select just the comment file. Instead, it copies the comments of the files you copy, which modifies the comment file already present in the target. Otherwise you would lose comments in the target comment file when there are more/other commented files in the target than in the source.

[Seyran_72]

If "Copy comments with files" is checked, TC skips the actual command files when you select them for copying, except when you select just the comment file. Instead, it copies the comments of the files you copy, which modifies the comment file already present in the target. Otherwise you would lose comments in the target comment file when there are more/other commented files in the target than in the source.

Total Commander allows to synchronize descript.ion files (TC file comments created with Ctrl+Z).
Configuration > Operation > File comments > "Copy comments with files" MUST NOT be ticked for synchronizations!

Oh, my God.... For so many years I could not understand what was going on... And what am I doing wrong... )))
I understood the checkbox "Copy comments along with the file" the other way around - I thought that this meant that the comment to the file would also be synchronized! )))
And in the Help for the program, I missed this item - English is not my native language ..)
Thank you!!

[Seyran_72]

no, this is not an option either, dear Ghisler! ((
When the checkbox is unchecked, synchronization occurs normally - ALL files participate in synchronization, BUT - another problem appears (if you do not return the checkmark back): a file is created, a comment is "glued" to it, the file is moved to another folder, and the comment .... The comment stays where it was
Or do you suggest EVERY TIME uncheck / check, uncheck / check, uncheck / check ?! ... I create files for 10 minutes, then synchronize with another folder ... And every 10 minutes I get into the "Configuration" and check / uncheck check mark?!.... Do this all day long? Every day?! ))))))
Make a correction, Ghisler, please! This problem has been around for years...

[AntonyD]

2ghisler(Author)

If "Copy comments with files" is checked, TC skips the actual command{btw - what does it mean here "command"?} files .... Instead, it copies the comments of the files you copy,

Either the translation into my language is really incorrect, or the phrase was initially expressed incorrectly.
But now it turns out that this option affects DIRECTLY and ONLY the descript.ion file itself, but not the files themselves selected for copying????

[ghisler(Author)]

You have to decide whether you want to copy the comments or the descript.ion files, you cannot have both.
Example:
On the right, you have 100 files with, say, 80 of them having a description.
On the left, you have 50 files, but only 2 have a description.
Now you select everything on the left and copy it to the right.

Scenario 1: Copy comments with files is checked.
Result: Total Commander copies the 50 files, and copies also the comments of the 2 files which have one. You now have 82 comments on the right.

Scenario 2: Copy comments with files is NOT checked.
Result: Total Commander copies the 50 files and the comment file. Now you only have 2 comments on the right because the old comment file was overwritten.

[AntonyD]

Those do you treat this file as the simplest/ordinary file on the disk?
In theory, its analogue should be Alternate Data Streams!
Those copy/move operations only apply to its contents, not to the file itself!
Those if we select this file and copy it, then we copy its contents to the same file in the target panel!
And if it's not there, we create it. The same is true for moving!
The only thing is that - if ordinary ones are also selected along with this file - then we analyze its contents in intersection with the selected files and the copy / move operation is performed only for those lines in this file that correspond to the result of the intersection. Those if for example 10 files are selected + in this file there are comments only for 2 of them - then when alongside with operation of 10 files copying - the comments are copied AND FOR these two files ONLY. The same goes for moving. ONLY two comments from this special file are moved! Not the whole descript.ion file!

Thus for your scenario:

Scenario 1: Copy comments with files is checked.
Result: Total Commander copies the 50 files, and copies also the comments of the 2 files which have one. You now have 82 comments on the right.

Scenario 2: Copy comments with files is NOT checked.
Result: Total Commander copies the 50 files and the comment file. Now you only have 2 comments on the right because the old comment file was overwritten.

1) We copy 50 files from left to the right. Now right panel contains 50+100=150 files and descript.ion file with 80+2 comments.
2) We copy 50 files from left to the right. Now right panel contains 50+100=150 files and descript.ion file with STILL THE SAME 80 comments!

[Hacker]

AntonyD,

If "Copy comments with files" is checked, TC skips the actual command{btw - what does it mean here "command"?} files .... Instead, it copies the comments of the files you copy,

Either the translation into my language is really incorrect, or the phrase was initially expressed incorrectly.

Yes, it should have said "TC skips the comment files".

But now it turns out that this option affects DIRECTLY and ONLY the descript.ion file itself, but not the files themselves selected for copying????

That is correct. That is what the option says and does.

Those if for example 10 files are selected + in this file there are comments only for 2 of them - then when alongside with operation of 10 files copying - the comments are copied AND FOR these two files ONLY. The same goes for moving. ONLY two comments from this special file are moved! Not the whole descript.ion file!

That is exactly what happens when the option "Copy comments with files" is checked.

1) We copy 50 files from left to the right. Now right panel contains 50+100=150 files and descript.ion file with 80+2 comments.

This is exactly what happens.

2) We copy 50 files from left to the right. Now right panel contains 50+100=150 files and descript.ion file with STILL THE SAME 80 comments!

This is exactly what happens if you uncheck the option "Copy comments with files" and if you do not select the descript.ion file for copying. If you do select it for copying, it is treated just like a normal file and overwrites the descript.ion in the target folder.

Seyran_72,
Except for showing identical files with differing comments as different, what exactly do you want to achieve?

Roman

[AntonyD]

If you do select it for copying, it is treated just like a normal file and overwrites the descript.ion in the target folder.

But why? Why this ALSWAYS special file can't be treated as additional ADS stream for selected files? I mean - in ALL cases - only its content is matter! If I select it - that should means -I selected ITS content. SO - if I have uncheck the option "Copy comments with files" - this should means for the selected descript.ion file that ALL its content can be safely ignored. And only! Do not touch/do not use this file as an ordinary file!
IS this is so un-logical?