Automatic synchronizing External Resources

[DocuWil]

External Resources was a great improvement!

Now the next step ...
Does anyone know if it is possible to
- automatically synchronize the External Resources when opening a project
- automatically synchronize the External Resources when closing a project

Currently I have always to do it manually and if I forget it (yes, that happens) I loose some entries.

If there is not a solution, I intend to send a request to make this an option.

[rlauriston]

What? You're kidding me. You have to manually synchronize the external resources every time they change?

What does "Keep folder synchronized" mean if not that?

My main need is for the external resources to be updated to the latest version when I build a target, just like imports.

[DocuWil]

I am not kidding.

From theFlareGettingStartedGuide:

External resources can be virtually any local or network files that you have access to (e.g., images,
PDF files, Flare project files). From the External Resources window pane, you can easily bring external
files into a project (i.e., a copy of the file is added to your Flare project) and keep them synchronized
with the source files through mappings.

Also read page 137.

But ..... I am talking about the 2-way direction:
Example:
I use an Auto Suggestion file in project X as well in project Y.
The Auto Suggestion file is located somewhere on my hard drive.
When I start working in project X I want to have the newest updates available.
And when I work in project X and have new Auto Suggestions I want them to have available in project Y!
For project Y it is the same.

This is absolutely not the same as having an external file, e.g. a PDF file, you always want to have updated in your project!
That is the Keep file synchronized option (By the way I am not aware of Keep folder synchronized).

So, I hope I did not upset you.

[rlauriston]

"Keep folder synchronized" appears in the Copy to Project dialog if you copy a folder rather than individual files.

I've read all the relevant help topics. I still don't understand what the "Keep file/folder synchronized" option is supposed to do. I guess it just does a one-time manual copy without creating a mapping?

("Page 137"? There's a PDF of the Flare help somewhere?)

The feature I'm looking for is what we're used to from FrameMaker, shared files (e.g. for company stylesheets, copyright boilerplate, and logos) that can be updated in one location and be automatically updated in all linked projects. It's mind-boggling to me that Flare now offers two different ways to reference external files, but both require manual updates.

[lacastle]

but both require manual updates.

i use global project linking, and it automatically updates whenever i build my project. if i want to manually update to apply a change i made to my styles, for example, i have to go into Imports and re-import. there has to be some sort of trigger for Flare to know to look for new files.

[rlauriston]

but both require manual updates.

i use global project linking, and it automatically updates whenever i build my project.

My one issue with Global Project Linking is that whenever we add a new file to the shared project every writer has to manually copy the modified .flimpfl to every project.

http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... =5&t=13147

[LTinker68]

My one issue with Global Project Linking is that whenever we add a new file to the shared project every writer has to manually copy the modified .flimpfl to every project.

Wouldn't you have to do that with an External Resource, too? If you put a resource on the network somewhere, each author would have to pull that resource into their local project or update their local source control, if used, to show that resource.

[rlauriston]

My one issue with Global Project Linking is that whenever we add a new file to the shared project every writer has to manually copy the modified .flimpfl to every project.

Wouldn't you have to do that with an External Resource, too? If you put a resource on the network somewhere, each author would have to pull that resource into their local project or update their local source control, if used, to show that resource.

An External Resource can be a folder, so if there were an automatic update as there is for Global Project Linking, new files would be added automatically. Whether additional work would be required by the writer would depend on what type of file was added.

I don't like having writers manually copy over control files (such as .flimpfl import files), it's too easy for something to go wrong. In the past, with FrameMaker, I've set things up so that writers didn't have to do anything except get the latest files from source control.

Or not even that, when using automated builds, but that's a whole other discussion. I haven't yet investigated Flare's command line build options.

[DocuWil]

("Page 137"? There's a PDF of the Flare help somewhere?)

Oh yes, a whole buch in your installation directory: ..\MadCap Flare V7\Flare.app\Resources\Guides

And I can tell you that I use Global Project linking a lot, but that is the one way direction I was not looking for in the example.

I've read all the relevant help topics. I still don't understand what the "Keep file/folder synchronized" option is supposed to do. I guess it just does a one-time manual copy without creating a mapping?

Using this option automatically updates that file; if that file is changed at the location from where you copied it into your project and you rebuild your project then your existing copy will be renewed automatically.

[rlauriston]

I've read all the relevant help topics. I still don't understand what the "Keep file/folder synchronized" option is supposed to do. I guess it just does a one-time manual copy without creating a mapping?

Using this option automatically updates that file; if that file is changed at the location from where you copied it into your project and you rebuild your project then your existing copy will be renewed automatically.

Doesn't work that way for me. If I don't synchronize manually before building, build proceeds using out-of-date external resources.

[rlauriston]

I just tested. If "Keep file/folder synchronized" is not checked, it's a one-time copy. If it's checked, Flare creates a mapping.

[DocuWil]

Point is, I want to keep the files English Dictionary and ProtocolList (an Auto Suggestion file) synchronized.
These two files are always located in the map Project\Advanced in the Project Organizer.
However, you cannot copy an external source into this map following Flare's procedure. It will be copied to the map Advanced in the root of your project and if the map is not there it will be created.
In the Project\Advanced there is no way to set an option Keep Synchronized.
That is the reason that I have to this manually (Tools --> Synchronize Mapped Files)

[lauraj]

When I come into these forums to ask a question, there's nearly always a similar question I can tag onto...

But as often happens, this thread is old. I came in here looking for a way to synchronize External Resources ... automatic sync on build would be nice (though raises the question of what happens when you build a project whose topic files aren't writable), but I'll settle for a madbuild command to sync a project. Is there such a command?

I have my several Flare projects, and my folder of External Resources, all checked in to TFS source control. My outputs (HTML Help) are not checked in, but are built nightly as part of the product build. External Resources have been a blessing to me, because my projects share a number of files, but I still have to check out the project copies of those shared resources, open the Flare project, synchronize External Resources, and check everything back in for it to be current. Looking for a better way!

(OK, I could have the build script just copy the external resource files to the projects. That ... lack finesse, I guess, and would require me to go back and make sure that the structure of my projects' "ExternalResourceCopies" directories is the same as the structure of the External Resources directory itself, which I think it isn't now. But it would be better than needing to manually sync.)

[DocuWil]

Thanks Laura,

I still would have an option (in Flare) to decide to put it on automatically or not.
I use the export option now for some years and it became a sort of habit to check the synchronization.
But sometimes I forget it when I jump to another project and then I have often to 'resolve' some items.