The theme of sync-dir and find duplicates is interesting. I use both functions. I admit I haven't read or understand absolutely everything because there is so much and sometimes complicated, but I have read some here and in other posts.
I'll put some of my thoughts here, maybe someone will find something inspiring in it.
1/ The syncdir tool is for synchronizing. Its purpose is not to find files or duplicates, but to compare and reconcile two sides. The 1:1 principle is exactly what is to be followed.
2/ Since syncdir is principally comparing, not searching, the term "a duplicate" is not used, but "equal/not equal". Probably the word "unique" should not be used, since some people tend to create names like real-unique and non-real-unique. Therefore, perhaps a better term from a comparative perspective would be paired/unpaired (non-pair). What has a pair is either equal or unequal. What does not have a pair (from that perspective it is unique, alone, single) cannot be compared whether it is equal or unequal, but it is also an important state for synchronization.
Syncdir has its criteria (name, date attributes, content) for what it considers unique and what not unique. But some people use their own criteria for determining what is unique, hence misinterpretations occur. When a file has at least one property different, it cannot be considered non-real-unique, not-true-unique. For example, if it has the same content but does not have the same name, it is unique according to the syncdir criteria. According to other criteria, it could be described as e.g. content-none-unique.
3/ Perhaps a "ignore filenames" option could be added to syncdir (with option to turn this option on or off), but it still has to be kept 1:1 concept, so if syncdir can not assign/pair identical files by name, it would compare files by size/content and mark files identical in content but not identical in name as none-identical, but with a different (new) marker, not a red crossed out equals sign. And it would also add a new filter button to hide/show them from view. The files would be next to each other (on both side in the same row), and marking them for copying from right to left or left to right for those files would mean copying only the name, not the whole file. If there were multiple identical files in a folder, only one would be paired with the other by syncdir and the others would be handled as now (as unique).
I know this would not solve some situations, but it would solve some. It would be a bit of a step forward. E.g. a renamed file would be able to be resolved by syncdir, which it can't today. It would also make it easier to see the folders where the name changes were made, and possibly by what renaming concept.
4/ I have a feeling that the reason why some want to get a find-duplicate function into syncdir is the userfriendly appearance/layout of syncdir. Therefore, it should be considered whether it would be better to improve the appearance of the find-duplicates results window, or to mimic the appearance of syncdir. Apparently the look/layout of syncdir is more natural to many users than the look of find-duplicates. So syncdir and find-duplicates could remain separate functions. Maybe if find-duplicates were separated from find-files as a separate window with the appearance of syncdir (e.g. named as "find-dups"), in future maybe the right connectors could be found to link find-dups and sync-dirs. Today it is hard to imagine graphically and functionally how the duplicates assignment in syncdir should work, but later if such a graphical representation would already be in a separate find-dups function, better ideas would come up on how to link sync-dir with find-dups.
5/ Find-duplicates can find duplicates in any location (and combination of locations) and select files according to various criteria to do with them what is desired. But if none of these options in find-duplicates suit someone, because their criteria are not fixed or cannot be automated and thus they need to manually see and asses the results of the search ( e.g. deside which to select) , no software solution will help, not even implementing it in syncdir. Just improve the appearance of find-duplicates to make manual assesment as pleasant as possible for this activity (orientation, simplicity, clarity, etc.).
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
I'll put some of my thoughts here, maybe someone will find something inspiring in it.
1/ The syncdir tool is for synchronizing. Its purpose is not to find files or duplicates, but to compare and reconcile two sides. The 1:1 principle is exactly what is to be followed.
2/ Since syncdir is principally comparing, not searching, the term "a duplicate" is not used, but "equal/not equal". Probably the word "unique" should not be used, since some people tend to create names like real-unique and non-real-unique. Therefore, perhaps a better term from a comparative perspective would be paired/unpaired (non-pair). What has a pair is either equal or unequal. What does not have a pair (from that perspective it is unique, alone, single) cannot be compared whether it is equal or unequal, but it is also an important state for synchronization.
Syncdir has its criteria (name, date attributes, content) for what it considers unique and what not unique. But some people use their own criteria for determining what is unique, hence misinterpretations occur. When a file has at least one property different, it cannot be considered non-real-unique, not-true-unique. For example, if it has the same content but does not have the same name, it is unique according to the syncdir criteria. According to other criteria, it could be described as e.g. content-none-unique.
3/ Perhaps a "ignore filenames" option could be added to syncdir (with option to turn this option on or off), but it still has to be kept 1:1 concept, so if syncdir can not assign/pair identical files by name, it would compare files by size/content and mark files identical in content but not identical in name as none-identical, but with a different (new) marker, not a red crossed out equals sign. And it would also add a new filter button to hide/show them from view. The files would be next to each other (on both side in the same row), and marking them for copying from right to left or left to right for those files would mean copying only the name, not the whole file. If there were multiple identical files in a folder, only one would be paired with the other by syncdir and the others would be handled as now (as unique).
I know this would not solve some situations, but it would solve some. It would be a bit of a step forward. E.g. a renamed file would be able to be resolved by syncdir, which it can't today. It would also make it easier to see the folders where the name changes were made, and possibly by what renaming concept.
4/ I have a feeling that the reason why some want to get a find-duplicate function into syncdir is the userfriendly appearance/layout of syncdir. Therefore, it should be considered whether it would be better to improve the appearance of the find-duplicates results window, or to mimic the appearance of syncdir. Apparently the look/layout of syncdir is more natural to many users than the look of find-duplicates. So syncdir and find-duplicates could remain separate functions. Maybe if find-duplicates were separated from find-files as a separate window with the appearance of syncdir (e.g. named as "find-dups"), in future maybe the right connectors could be found to link find-dups and sync-dirs. Today it is hard to imagine graphically and functionally how the duplicates assignment in syncdir should work, but later if such a graphical representation would already be in a separate find-dups function, better ideas would come up on how to link sync-dir with find-dups.
5/ Find-duplicates can find duplicates in any location (and combination of locations) and select files according to various criteria to do with them what is desired. But if none of these options in find-duplicates suit someone, because their criteria are not fixed or cannot be automated and thus they need to manually see and asses the results of the search ( e.g. deside which to select) , no software solution will help, not even implementing it in syncdir. Just improve the appearance of find-duplicates to make manual assesment as pleasant as possible for this activity (orientation, simplicity, clarity, etc.).
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Statistics: Posted by oko — 2024-01-13, 23:09 UTC