Settings File - a Settings File is where MacUpdate stores settings for what items to synchronize, and how to synchronize them. The Settings File is represented by an icon in the Finder. Opening a Settings File in MacUpdate displays the contents of the Settings File in a Settings File Window.
Settings File Window - a Settings File Window displays the contents of a Settings File. Use the New command from the File menu to create a new Settings File Window, then use the Save As... command to save the contents of the Settings File Window as a Settings File.
Pair - Pairs of folders/files are added to the Settings File Window. Each set of these folders/files is called a Pair.
Pair Item - A Pair Item is one single folder/file of a Pair of folders/files. A Pair is made of 2 (two) Pair Items. Or, a Pair Item is half of a Pair.
Source - It is often convenient to think of a Source in a Pair of folders/files as the Pair Item that is newer, or the "source" of synchronization. Newer files "flow" from a Source to a Destination.
Destination - a Destination in a Pair of folders/file is the Pair Item that gets "updated". Newer files "flow" to a Destination from a Source.
Loner - a Loner is a file/folder that exists in either the Source or Destination, but not both. A Loner does not have a "partner" in the other Pair Item.
Synchronization Direction - Synchronization Direction identifies which Pair Item(s) are Sources, and which are Destination(s). Synchronization Direction is indicated by an arrow. Note it is possible for a Pair Item to be both a Source and a Destination. This is represented by a 2-headed arrow.
Synchronization Settings - Synchronization Settings are settings that can be used to trigger Auto-Updating, synchronization of "special" Mac OS folders, synchronization of custom folder icons and/or all folder information, Log File configuration, and Error alert supression. Synchronization Settings are associated with a Settings File.
Synchronization Settings Dialog - a Dialog used to configure Synchronization Settings for a Settings File.
Pair and Loner Settings - Settings that are used to configure Auto-Mounting of Pair Items, and to configure how to handle Loners for each side of the Pair. Pair and Loner Settings are associated with each Pair in a Settings File.
Pair and Loner Settings Dialog - a dialog used to configure Pair and Loner Settings for a Pair.
Other Pair Settings - Currently, this only consists of how to process locked files that need to be updated. Other Pair Settings are associated with each Pair in a Settings File.
Other Pair Settings Dialog - a dialog used to configure Other Pair Settings for the selected Pair.
Criteria - Criteria may be applied to the synchronization process to describe which files/folders should be included in synchronization. Folders/files that do not meet specified Criteria are not processed. Criteria is associated with each Pair in a Settings File.
Criteria Dialog - a dialog used to configure Criteria for a Pair.
Preview/Compare Window - a window that displays the similarities and differences between a Pair of folders, or shows a preview of what the Pair of folders will look like after synchronization.
Status Window - a window that displays the current status of synchronization. It contains a Stop button to cancel or terminate synchronization before complete.
Exception - any condition that prevents MacUpdate from Synchronizing a file or folder, or any condition that requires user interaction to resolve.
Exceptions Window - a window that is shown after Synchronizing as many items as possible. Contains a listing of all Exceptions. If no Exceptions occured during Synchronization, this window is not shown.
Settings Files
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When you do backups or file synchronization, you are always working with Pairs of folders and/or files. It is easiest to think of these Pairs as one being the SOURCE and the other being the DESTINATION. Typically, the Source has the newer, modified files, and the Destination is where you are backing up these modified files to.
A Settings File is simply a document (just like an MS Word document, for example) that contains file and/or folder Pairs (instead of words, like the MS Word document would). You create a new Settings File by choosing "New" from the File menu (which opens up a new, untitled Settings File Window). When you choose "Save As..." from the File menu and save the Settings File, it is saved where you specify as a file with an icon (again, just like an MS Word document -- of course, the icon looks different, but the principle is the same). In the future, then, when you want to change a Settings File, or synchronize the Pairs contained in it, you can just double-click on the Settings File's icon, and MacUpdate will automatically open the file up, and display the folder/file Pairs in a Settings File Window.
Settings File Window
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Choose "New" from the File menu to create a new Settings File Window.
A typical Settings File Window is shown below:
Note that the text in gray is not part of the window. The gray text areas are only descriptions of the different part of the window. Also note that when you choose "New" from the File menu, the Untitled window is blank (the above window has 1 Pair of folders to be synchronized added to it. "left ƒ" is the Pair Item on the left-hand side of the window. "right ƒ" is the Pair Item on the right-hand side of the window.) Note also the above shows a Pair of folders, but you can have a Pair of files, or a Pair that is one file and one folder. In this last case, the file is synchronized with a file of the same name in the folder Pair Item.
If you need to change the list position of a Pair in the Settings File Window, just control-click on the Pair you want to move, and drag it to it's new location in the list. This can be useful for changing the order of synchronization of Pairs when the Synchronize All command is used.
Pairs Menu
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The Pairs menu is used to access settings, and start synchronization for one or all Pairs in a Settings File Window. The Pairs menu is shown below:
Add New Pair lets you use the Standard File dialog to select a Pair of folders/files to add to the Settings File Window. Using Drag-and-Drop is an easier way of adding a Pair to the Settings File Window.
Remove deletes the selected Pair from the Settings File Window. Using the Delete key on the keyboard is an easier way of deleting the selected Pair. Remove is enabled in the Pairs menu when a Pair is selected in a Settings File Window.
Pair and Loner Settings... brings up the Pair and Loner Settings Dialog for the selected Pair. Double-clicking on the Pair in the Settings File Window is an easier way of accessing this dialog. Pair and Loner Settings... is enabled in the Pairs menu when a Pair is selected in a Settings File Window.
Criteria... brings up the Criteria Dialog for the selected Pair. Option-double-clicking on the Pair in the Settings File Window is an easier way of accessing this dialog. Criteria... is enabled in the Pairs menu when a Pair is selected in a Settings File Window.
Synchronization Settings... brings up the Synchronization Settings Dialog for the Settings File Window.
Preview will show you a graphical Preview of your next synchronization. Preview is enabled in the Pairs menu when a Pair is selected in a Settings File Window. If you hold down the option key while clicking in the Pairs menu, the Preview command changes to the Compare command. The difference is that Preview takes into account Criteria and Pair and Loner Settings, whereas Compare does a "raw Compare" of the Pair of folders, without regard to Criteria or Pair and Loner Settings. Compare is the same as Preview if Ignore Loners is set up for both Pair Items, and no Criteria is used.
Out-of-date files are indicated by a "yellowed" background in the Preview/Compare Window (Yellow to indicate "aging paper"). Loners to be created are indicated as "grayed out" (it looks like they are "half-there"), and Loners to be deleted are indicated by a red line through the icon and name. If you are using one of the "Ask" Loner modes, question marks will appear over the items in the Preview Window that you will be asked about. A typical Preview Window is shown below:
It's usually a good idea to do a Preview before Synchronizing a Pair, especially if you are using one of the Delete Loners options or Criteria. This helps to make sure everything is set up the way you intended. Sometimes, it might make sense to do a "before-and-after" Comparison, to verify that MacUpdate processed files the way you intended.
Synchronize begins synchronization of the selected Pair in the Settings File Window.
Synchronize All begins synchronization of all Pairs in the front-most Settings File Window.
Status Window
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When Synchronizing, the Status Window is displayed. Shown below are four common states of the Status Window:
The first thing MacUpdate does is to check which files and folders need to be processed (updated, created, or deleted). While doing this, MacUpdate does not know how many items there are, so no progress bar is displayed (A).
After MacUpdate knows which files and folders need to be processed, it displays a progress bar to indicate the progress of processing those files and folders (B).
If MacUpdate encounters a Loner folder that needs to be created in the Destination, a second progress bar is displayed to indicate the progress of creating the folder in the Destination (C).
If MacUpdate encounters a Loner folder that needs to be deleted from the Destination, a second progress bar is displayed to indicate the progress of deleting the folder from the Destination (D).
You can click on the Stop button at any time to stop the Synchronization process. Additionally, if you shift-click on the Stop button, Synchronization is paused. You must shift-click on the Stop button a second time to resume Synchronization after it has been paused. If you click on the Stop button (without holding down the shift key) while Synchronization is paused, Synchronization will be stopped.
Synchronization Settings
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Each Settings File Window has it's own Synchronization Settings associated with it. To access these settings, choose "Synchronization Settings..." from the Pairs menu. The Synchronization Settings dialog is shown below:
The first settings, Synchronize "Special" Folders lets you tell MacUpdate whether or not to allow synchronizing the Desktop, Trash, and Temporary Items folders. A few words about this: These three folders are technically hidden -- you can't see them as folders from the Finder. The Desktop Folder is where all the icons (except for the disks) on your desktop reside within the disk's directory structure. The Trash Folder is where the items you drag into the trash physically reside within the disk's directory structure. The Temporary Folder is where temporary items are stored by applications. These folders are located at the root directory of each disk. So, if you are synchronizing 2 disks (as opposed to 2 sub-folders), you have to decide whether or not you want the items on the Desktops of those two disks, and the items in the Trash of those two disks, synchronized. I can't imagine why anyone would want to synchronize the Temporary Items folder, but it is included here for completeness. Note that if you synchronize the Desktop Folder of 2 disks, you will have 2 icons for each item on your Mac's desktop. This is because the items (after synchronization) will exist in the Desktop Folders of BOTH disks. Also note that if you synchronize the Desktop Folder of a disk to a folder within some other disk, the Desktop Folder will be visible within the destination folder. This is similar to how AppleShare works: If you are connected to someone's hard disk over AppleShare, you can see their Desktop and Trash folders as normal, visible folder icons on your Mac's screen. Trash behaves the same way. Each disk has it's own Trash, so when you synchronize the Trash, if you open up your Trashcan, you'll see 2 copies of each icon. The Finder "integrates" the Desktops and Trashes of all disks into one "virtual" Desktop, and one "virtual" Trash.
The next setting, Synchronize Folder Information, is used to synchronize the custom folder icons that MacUpdate encounters, or, additionally, to synchronize all of the folder information. This includes the folder's label color, it's icon position within it's Finder window, the size and location of the folder's Finder window (when you double-click on the folder, and it "opens up"), any attribute flags, such as nameLocked, and isInited, and the scrollbar positions. Note that if you use this option and synchronize two folders within the same parent folder, the two synchronized folders' icons will be one-atop the other in the window. This is because the "icon location" information for the folder was synchronized, and now the icons occupy the same position within the parent folder's window.
Synchronize All when Opened will cause MacUpdate to synchronize all Pairs in the Settings File when the Settings File is opened. If you use this setting, you may also check one or more of the checkboxes below it, to specify what to do when finished auto-synchronizing. Close Window simply closes the Settings File Window. Quit causes MacUpdate to quit. Shutdown sends the Finder the Shutdown command. Open lets you specify a file, program, or desk accessory to open. With the Open command, you can essentially "chain" Settings Files together. The open command can also be used to open other application's files, but the application will be launched first. For example, if you specify a MS Word document, MacUpdate will launch MS Word, and tell it to open the document. MacUpdate itself will only open Settings Files. You can bypass the "Finished" options by holding down the mouse button before the Synchronize All command is finished, and continuing to hold down the button until the status dialog goes away. When you do this, the Settings File Window will remain open, and MacUpdate will not perform any of the additional actions. Additionally, if you cancel an auto-synchronization, MacUpdate will not perform these actions. Be sure to check out the documentation titled "Automation Users Manual" if you are interested in automating MacUpdate even further.
Save Log File enables maintaining a history file of what actions MacUpdate performed. The Log File is a SimpleText document. You can specify whether to maintain a single Log File (Overwrite Existing, and Append to Existing), which will generate a Log File whose name is the same as the Settings File, but with the word " Log" at the end. The other option, Unique Name (timestamp) will create a new Log File each time a synchronization occurs. The name of the Log File will be of the form "11/09/96 1.25 PM Log", which indicates when the synchronization started. Note that Log Files are saved in the same folder as the Settings File that the Log was generated for.
There are 4 kinds of activities the Log File can track: 1) Errors and Exceptions, 2) Files and Folders that are Created, Updated, or Deleted, 3) Files that are checked, but don't need to be updated, and 4) Files and Folders that are skipped due to criteria settings.
Note that MacUpdate compares first, and gathers a "list" of all items that need to be updated, created, and deleted. The Log File, then, is broken into two sections: Comparison, and Updating.
