What is synchronization?
In general, synchronization means arranging the items in a master set and a target set so that the items in each set exist in parallel, occur simultaneously, or operate in unison.
For developers of non-Java- and non-Web-based applications, synchronization means keeping your users' application files (the target set) up to date by giving your application the ability to automatically refresh itself with the latest files (the master set). Having the ability to synchronize applications means you don't need to deploy maintenance releases. When users run the target application, updated master files are copied to the appropriate locations.
Synchronizer description
The Synchronizer (Sync for short) is not a single tool. Sync is functionality with a runtime environment (an EXE and an ActiveX) and a development environment. When Sync runs, it:
- Looks immediately for a command-line instruction or a reference to a Sync data file containing instructions.
- Looks at the master files in the locations you specify.
- Compares the master files to the target files in the locations you specify by checking date/time stamps, sizes, and version information embedded in EXEs and DLLs.
- Copies or downloads the changed or nonexistent master files to the specified locations.
- (Optional) Runs a program if such instruction is provided in the Sync data file.
Sync can synchronize files from these sources:
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Source
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Example
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FTP
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FTP://FTP.POWERSOFT.COM
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Local drive
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C:\DIRECTORY\FILENAME
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Server on the network
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\\GUTTENBERG\COMMON\FILENAME
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Sync's Components
Sync has three components:
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Sync component
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Filename
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What you do
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Sync runtime executable
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SYNCRT.EXE
SYNCRT16.EXE
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Run the Sync runtime executable with one synchronization command
or
with a reference to a Sync data file
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Sync Builder
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SYNC.EXE
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Run Sync Builder and use it to:
- Create a Sync data file
- Execute the instructions in the file
- Run an application automatically after synchronization is completed
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Sync ActiveX
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SYNC.OCX
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Add the Sync ActiveX to a PowerBuilder window (or a window built with another development tool) to synchronize from the application
or
Insert the Sync ActiveX in an HTML page to synchronize from a Web page
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