Automatic synchronization

It would be nice to have automatic synchronization. Once a file is changed locally, WinSCP might update it remotely. I was working on a remote website when this option came to mind.

If implemented, the only thing you would have to do would be saving the file locally and refreshing the browser. Nice if working with PHP.

Anonymous wrote:

It would be nice to have automatic synchronization. Once a file is changed locally, WinSCP might update it remotely. I was working on a remote website when this option came to mind.

That is what function "Keep remote directory up to date" is for.

martin wrote:

That is what function "Keep remote directory up to date" is for.

What about the opposite way? Keep local directory up to date

I have log files on a server which need to copied to a local machine every day?

thanks

What about the opposite way? Keep local directory up to date

I have log files on a server which need to copied to a local machine every day?

The function is intended rather for an interactive usage. It is not your case. For regular downloads once a day, I believe that it is much better to use some automatable (command line?) SCP/SFTP client and setup scheduling.

When you are copying / transferring files from one location to another and it detects that a file of the same name exists, the program currently pops up a box saying:

File 'xxxx' already exits. Overwrite?

New: xxxx size, sxxx modification date and time
Existing: xxxx size, xxxx modification date and time

Yes , No, Abort, Append, No to All, Yes to All

Why not add a new option:

Only overwrite older files
or
Yes to All when Existing is Older

Clearly, this is possible, since "Yes to All" exists, and the program knows (and displays in the choice) the date and time stamps of source and destination files. This would be a very handy feature, and likely not difficult to implement!

Thanks -- Paul

macklin01 wrote:

Why not add a new option:

Only overwrite older files
or
Yes to All when Existing is Older

OK, I consider it.

Oh yes, please! This feature would be of great help!

I want this hint ("file exists") while doing normal operations for my own security, but when synchronizing it's annoying.

Keep on the good work.

Firstly I've got to say WinSCP is the best. Hands down. Well done!

I've noticed posts about "synchronize", and "keep remote directory up to date". What would be really cool, within the "keep remote directory up to date" function is to include subfolders in the scanning. This way I can work on my web site, move into my includes subfolder, make some changes, and then those changes will be uploaded once I save.

Its just a little anoyance, as I have to close the remote dir window, upload the file within the subdir, and then start remote dir again.

Thx
Ben

Hi. I am interested in finding an ftp (or multi-purpose file backup/sync) program that supports Secure FTP (e.g., SyncBack looks good but does not support SFTP -- https://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbpro.html - Filezilla looks good but does not yet have a sync ability -- https://sourceforge.net/projects/filezilla/). My University is discontinuing insecure connections to its servers. No more plain text passwords of any kind. This means telnet and all simple FTP connections will be blocked. They have long distributed Secure Shell SSH and SFTP but the FTP program does not have a sync/compare/mirror capacity.

As they're not allowing simple FTP connections, I can no longer use Frontpage for my website publishing (it doesn't support SFTP and they do not support FP server extentions). I want to continue using Frontpage, so I need to "publish" to my PC and then upload the files via a Secure FTP connection. I can do that with Secure Shell FTP, but it doesn't sync.

What I want to AVOID is having to upload EVERY file each time I publish to update those files that I've changed :roll: Frontpage does this as a matter of course by keeping track of the files that have changed and only uploading/publishing them to the server but I've yet to find a Secure (or even insecure) FTP program (dedicated or otherwise) that will upload only the CHANGED files when comparing my website directory (as published locally on my computer) and the remote website (on the University's server).

Any thoughts are helpful. TIA :)

The threads linked below suggest that there IS an ability to do this "keep remote directory up to date," but the conversations always seem to end with the thought that the feature to keep the remote directory mirroring the local directory (and all sub-directories and files)by comparing and upload ONLY modified files (and/or as otherwise specified by user via a dialogue box, for example)is *not* yet available. Partly I'm hung up on the jargon, but I'm reading that true one/two way snyc/mirror/copy only new local/remote sftp is not yet a feature. Am I wrong here :?:

This is a very promising program and I salute your good work.

Best,

Werdhi



Related Threads (partial list - most current):

"Copy only changed files"
https://winscp.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1032

"full synchronization feature"
https://winscp.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=664

"Automatic synchronization" (this topic)
https://winscp.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1095

Werdhi wrote:

The threads linked below suggest that there IS an ability to do this "keep remote directory up to date," but the conversations always seem to end with the thought that the feature to keep the remote directory mirroring the local directory (and all sub-directories and files)by comparing and upload ONLY modified files (and/or as otherwise specified by user via a dialogue box, for example)is *not* yet available.

The feature is available, but it currently works only for one directory (no subdirectories).

Thank you for your reply. I understand now that there is the ability to update a single directory at a time. Clearly the ability to choose a directory at the top of a hierarchy and have all its nested sub-directories updated for new files would be a welcome addition.

Presumably one can define whether to simply update a remote directory (one way) or actually snyc (two way)local and remote directories so that they are identitical.

Again, salutations on your good work.

Best,

Werdhi

My primary interests were to have SFTP protection and file sync ability. I needed to be able to update a website on the server (something I would normally do by publishing from MS Frontpage but could not longer do as it is plain FTP). I used WinSCP to do so yesterday. Using the SYNC option (for one-way upload to remote server only) the program deftly uploaded ONLY changed files without intervention from me and did so for all folders in the directory (several layers). I was under the impression that WinSCP couldn't do this. I'm still confused but pleased that it IS doing what I need it to do :?

It certainly APPEARS to do what I need. Confused, but pleased.

ALSO: I'd certainly hope for a filter of some kind (e.g., file type) to help avoid upload the rubbish that Frontpage needs to keep track of a website (locally for editing purposes) but does not need to be upload to the server for the website to be accessed. Others have posted on this desire (and specifically the practicality for those using Frontpage and WinSCP). I did see that the request was not high on the User Poll, but I find that difficult to understand.

Related Post: https://winscp.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=264

Werdhi wrote:

It certainly APPEARS to do what I need. Confused, but pleased.

Synchronisation can work- with sub-directories. But the function "Keep remote directory up to date" does not.