Sync remaining files in a "selective sync" subtree

[rstarkov]

I've been using selective sync quite a bit and I've found a really puzzling shortcoming that has proved very difficult to work around.

Suppose I have selective sync enabled for MyAdvancedFolder. Inside it I have several dozen subdirectories, one of which is named FooSubfolder.

Scenario #1: I start by syncing a bunch of specific files and subdirectories manually and individually, most of them from FooSubfolder. Some time later I realise I should just sync the entire FooSubfolder from MyAdvancedFolder. But I can't: the "Sync" link is gone because I've synced something from inside it.

My two options are: a) go inside MyAdvancedFolder and comb through every subfolder, clicking "Sync" several hundred times. b) remove the entire FooSubfolder from this device, and then sync it wholesale, thus re-syncing those files I already have. Incidentally, option b) is not viable if I have made some local changes inside MyAdvancedFolder that are still uploading.

Scenario #2: I sync FooSubfolder wholesale. Time goes on and new files are added on the remote device under FooSubfolder. They won't appear on my device because I have selective sync enabled. How do I ever get them? My options are the same as before: a) comb through FooSubfolder, looking for additions (entirely impractical due to the amount of stuff in this subfolder), b) remove entire subfolder from current device and re-sync (which is even dumber for this scenario than it was for scenario #1).

Suggestion: don't hide the "Sync" link on FooSubfolder just because I've synced some of the files inside it. Leave it there, and make it sync whatever isn't synced yet. Otherwise selective sync is completely impractical for every use case I have for it.

[Helen]

@rstarkov

Are you checking this on WebUI? Yes, there is such a problem. We'll see into it. Thanks for reporting! 

[TheSeven]

Actually the "Scenario 2" problem exists even in Windows Explorer. It isn't quite as bad because you can just click "sync folder to this device" on FooSubfolder to get all newly-created files, but it's annoying that I have to do that all the time, especially if I only realize that something is missing while I have no (or bad) internet connectivity.

The reason why I have selective sync enabled is that I only want to sync some subtrees to that device. However I want these subtrees to be complete.

It would be vastly preferable if any newly created files inside a fully-synced subtree (of a selective sync top-level folder) would automatically be downloaded as well.

I could also live with an option to disable selective sync on certain subdirectories of a synced folder.

[Helen]

What Sync version you have? Do you use is as service (WebUI) on not?

[TheSeven]

I'm running Sync 2.4.4 (732) on Windows, not installed as a service.
I also have another instance on Linux which I'm using through the WebUI, but I'm not using Selective Sync on that (i'm using it as the always-on "master server" for all my synced folders).

I have a synced folder D:\Projects with Selective Sync enabled (on multiple Windows systems), and synced a different subset of subfolders (but having several in common) to these systems.
Now assume that I have a folder D:\Projects\ProjectA synced to all of them, and I create a new file D:\Projects\ProjectA\Testfile.txt on one system. It will get synced to the "master server" (without Selective Sync) just fine, but on the other Windows systems (with Selective Sync), only a D:\Projects\ProjectA\Testfile.txt.rsls file will be created.
As these folders contain source code where files are added regularly, and I want to be able to build from that subtree on any of the systems it's synced to, I have to right click the folder and select "sync to this PC" (or the translation of that in my OS language) every time I have added a file somewhere else, or the builds will fail due to missing files.

[Helen]

thank you for the details. I've just checked in the lab, and it worked correctly - the new file synced to other Selective Sync PCs all right. All the PCs are running v2.4.4, right? 

So in your case there is something that prevents Sync from finishing download. Can you please reproduce that once again, collect the logs from at least two PCs: the one where you put the file, and the one where it remains a placeholder, submit them to support (instruction). And please do mention this forum post and the file which you were testing with. Thank you! 

[TheSeven]

I just had another look and couldn't reproduce it with a simple test case either.

However, it seems like the the PC that you create a folder on doesn't set that to fully synced automatically, which might have confused me, because there was basically a full copy of everything created before a certain date on that one.

I'll try to observe this closer if it hits me again. Is there a way to check what Sync considers to be a fully synced subtree (that new files will automatically be pulled into) and what it doesn't?

[Helen]

8 hours ago, TheSeven said:

Is there a way to check what Sync considers to be a fully synced subtree (that new files will automatically be pulled into) and what it doesn't?

there is no a special place in Sync to report that a subfolder has some placeholders yet. 

yes, please do send the debug logs if it occurs again.