[Joeke]

I am fairly new to Mobilesheets and have to say I am loving it. 
Now I have set upa sync through a google drive. My idea was that I can organise my sheet music on my phone from anywhere, sync it to a google drive and then sync it back on my rablet when I am going to a rehearsal or gig. 
Part of the organising I am doing it renaming many of the files. Unfortunately the sync functionality seems to use the title as identifier. Causing the file sto be duplicated after a sync once with the old name and with the new one. 

I was wondering if the people working on this app could use the hash from the content of the original file instead. Link that to the metadata of the file and use it as an identifier for that file. That way I should be able to adapt the file in any way possible and Mobilesheets will still be able to recognize it.

By using the hash of the original content you also make sure that a reimport of the same file will also be recognised.

This would make this app even better

[Zubersoft]

Songs are matched by database ID and/or title (depending on how well the databases match), and the file used by the song is matched by name. If you let MobileSheets manages your files and you don't create a subdirectory per song (these are settings under Settings->Storage), then usually most libray synchronizations are handled smoothly. I detect file differences already by using a hash, as that hash is cached in the database to make it easier to determine when files have actually changed and need to be transferred.

I don't really think it needs to be any more complex than this - just keep the file names the same and the sync should match things up properly. I know you are saying you are renaming the files - that's not going to work well if you are using a two-way sync. If you want to rename the files, go through every song in MobileSheets that you want to modify, edit in the song editor, go to the Files tab, tap the three dots next to the file, select "Rename file", and once you've renamed all the files, when you sync, you must use a one-way sync. Do not use a two-way sync or this will create havoc. Now push the changes from one device to the cloud (set the sync type to "Update Folder") When it completes, go to the other device, set the sync type to "Update Device" and pull the changes from the cloud. This will force both devices to match perfectly and there won't be any conflicts, and all the renamed files will be handled appropriately. 

Mike

[Swiss1000]

We stopped synchronizing; it was too much hassle and too risky. We use "Backup - Restore," which guarantees an identical library for all musicians. 

If a minor modification occurs, with well-established and defined file names, we send the PDF, and the import will replace the correct piece. The only problem still being encountered is that the libraries aren't watertight. If one manager manages Library A and another manages Library B, both must agree before naming a file. This is very dangerous because, rarely, the two names can be identical. And then it's a disaster: the user doesn't know they've updated a file in two libraries. And even if they did, what could they do? 

We're eagerly awaiting a separate directory for each librairy and a easy and non confusing librairy change, and display. 

MS seems to be more specialized in creating huge books for geeks? This is not how teaching or transmitting scores for rehearsals and the evolution of a work in preparation works. We'd like it to become more efficient for sharing music between different musicians and groups. I'm surprised that everyone seems comfortable with these risks. Perhaps MS isn't widely used for sharing sheet music, except among geeks? 

When you go to a (real) bookstore you ask for a title, not a content analysis. Happy you decide not to open the Pandora Box with the concept of " the hash of the original content" witch is another "geek" concept not useful for people spending time in... music ( , for Itsme)

[Cerio]

I also wish the sync process was more straightforward and intuitive. I use three different devices, and I mainly do just one - way sync from PC to my 2 Android devices (making 2 way syncs was too risky). Even so, I keep finding all kind of issues (some of them I have reported here) that I don't really have the time to troubleshoot or report. 

Probably I'm too simplistic, but a one -way sync from device A to B should result in an identical copy of the databases in both devices, period. No questions in the process should be done, no files should be resent over and over again, no "Select wich song to use" dialog should appear, the number of the songs in both devices should be the same after the process... Unfortunately, none of this is the case. 

I agree, Backup > Restore is much slower, but much better.

PS: As an exmple of how confusing and counterintuitive the sync feature can be, I've just made a backup on the PC, imported that backup file on the android device and INMEDIATELY AFTER, made a One-way sync  PC > Android. Of course, I would expect that MS would find no differences between both databses, however the program insistend on re-sending a file that was already there:

   

[Swiss1000]

I also wish the sync process was more straightforward and intuitive. I use three different devices, and I mainly do just one - way sync from PC to my 2 Android devices (making 2 way syncs was too risky). Even so, I keep finding all kind of issues (some of them I have reported here) that I don't really have the time to troubleshoot or report. 

Maybe I'm too simplistic, but a one -way sync from device A to B should result in an identical copy of the databases in both devices, period. No questions in the process should be done, no files should be resent over and over again, no "Select wich song to use" dialog should appear, the number of the songs in both devices should be the same after the process... Unfortunately, none of this is the case. 

I agree, Backup > Restore is much slower, but much better.

YES

Most musicians, part of one or more bands, need to download a setlist for a project (usually a concert). Then they rehearse, make annotations, and the master score evolves. Along the way, they receive updates, and it's always in the "Server -> Client" direction. This makes sense; music isn't a dreamlike democracy; it's a place of discipline and structures with codes, even in jazz. 

This organization isn't yet very well established with MS. I hope that synchronization by library or by setlist (I have a Dream ) will soon be effective. As you say, no questions asked; the file name is crucial, just like in real life. Even versioning is superfluous; it only serves to complicate matters.

Setlist is usually for a concert
Librairy is for a Band (band could have same song, same name, usually NOT the same director)

[Bertrand 67]

Yes, j'approuve

[Zubersoft]

I was trying to merge Bertrand's multiple posts and caused an error in the forum software, and I seem to be unable to revert the change, so a few posts have been accidentally removed. Feel free to post them again (Danielle and Bertrand).

Mike