Tags problem, sharing across a network

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mmp997
Posts: 55
Joined: 14 Apr 2020 19:27

Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by mmp997 »

I have to conclude that the problem MAY be a bug (I stress MAY because I don't really have the experience to know). I suspect that weird interactions between XYplorer and Windows Network may be causing the issue.

Anyway I am stuck. I joined XYplorer in order to share tags across a network. No other file management program that I know does it in the way I want, which XYplorer does.

However I can't get it to work, despite putting in 3 days of effort.

I have followed the Help instructions closely, deviating only when a deviation was suggested by
(a) a moderator/adviser (who I interpreted, in retrospect mistakenly, as suggesting that the script on the PC acting as 'tag server' should be different from that on the client), and later,
(b) when I experimented with other commands, thinking they might make sharing work (which they did, but the deviation from orthodoxy worries me).

My struggle is displayed in this unfortunately long thread:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21656
There are linked-to images, which will show (I believe) that I followed instructions.
Last edited by mmp997 on 22 Apr 2020 11:37, edited 1 time in total.

mmp997
Posts: 55
Joined: 14 Apr 2020 19:27

Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by mmp997 »

Now for some remarks on my experience here.
I recognise and admire quality when I see it. I also recognise that those who are helping the forum are doing so for free.
This is a system of unique quality. That is obvious from the high level of satisfaction expressed by hundreds of users.
However all these users seem to have a high level of skills.
Even if they are not coders, they have an interest in code.
But I am just a professional in another field, so I don't have that interest. I am sticking around because of the extraordinary functionality. If my questions frustrate the admins, I am really sorry, I am trying my hardest, they are genuine questions. I will never be critical of you or rude. What I ask may not be good enough for you, but it is all that I have, I am asking in order to understand, and if I am slow, please try to treat me as I believe you would expect a teacher to treat a slow child, with some understanding that this person is trying his hardest.

admin
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by admin »

This explains it in a neat way:
https://www.xyplorer.com/release_19.80.php#MUT

mmp997
Posts: 55
Joined: 14 Apr 2020 19:27

Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by mmp997 »

Thank you!
I have read that text, and re-read it, many times over the past few days.
I have uninstalled XYplorer on all machines and re-installed, in order to carefully go through the process EXACTLY as written there.
I suspect that it would work - for sure it must do, because obviously you have tested it - but that somehow an underlying Windows Network problem is interfering.

It is frustrating because tagging would help my journalism research.

One puzzle is that although on all 3 PCs (server and 2 clients) I have written:
Tags | Load Tags Database
\\MATTHEW-PC\Users\Matthew\NewOne\SharedTags.dat
when I check I see this:
C:\MATTHEW-PC\Users\Matthew\NewOne\SharedTags.dat
I go back and put it back to \\
but it reverts to C:\
(On ALL PCs)

Another puzzle is that sometimes (but not just now!) when I exit one client I get:

(quote):
"Some settings (Tags) might not have been saved to disk
Application data folder: c:\Users\Owner\AppData\Roaming\XYplorer\
Click OK to exit XYplorer anyway"

Now where the system got that line of code from I have no idea....I didn't enter it at any stage.

Although both clients can see and access the server and I can 'seize' the file name SharedTags.dat on the client from the server via "Load Tags Database | Browse", I still suspect Windows Network issues. Why? Because such issues are widely reported, and because I have weird problems when sharing the folder 'NewOne' in Windows on the server. I can enter 'Everyone' which is an option under 'Give Access to Specific People' and it seems OK but when I go back to check, the word 'Everyone' has disappeared. And giving access to that server folder by naming the client laptops produces 'Windows was unable to find NAME'. Nevertheless as I mentioned, the server folder NewOne IS accessible to the clients.

admin
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by admin »

I assume C:\MATTHEW-PC\Users\Matthew\NewOne\SharedTags.dat does not exist?

mmp997
Posts: 55
Joined: 14 Apr 2020 19:27

Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by mmp997 »

What the ?
If DOES exist on the server.
And - heavens - on the clients!
What is it doing there?
I suppose I made a mistake in the process of an earlier setup attempt - and it got created by Tags | Load Tags Database

What to do?
1. I reset all 3 instances of Tags | Load Tags Database to \\MATTHEW-PC\Users\Matthew\NewOne\SharedTags.dat
2. I deleted the folders implied by C\MATTHEW-PC\Users\Matthew\NewOne\SharedTags.dat on all 3 machines.

But closing and re-opening XYplorer brings back C\MATTHEW-PC and all sub-folders (on all PCs).
And on all 3 PCs in Tags | Load Tags Database I still see both
\\MATTHEW-PC\Users\Matthew\NewOne\SharedTags.dat
C\MATTHEW-PC\Users\Matthew\NewOne\SharedTags.dat
XYplorer automatically reverts to C\

admin
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by admin »

What is XYplorer's app data path? (You can use Go | Go to Application Data Folder to go there)

mmp997
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by mmp997 »

C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Roaming\XYplorer

admin
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by admin »

Wow, you discovered a bug there! :bug: :tup: :cup:

I'll fix it and upload a new beta version soon.

Filehero
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by Filehero »

:tup:

admin
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by admin »

The beta version is there now, please test it: viewtopic.php?p=177838#p177838

mmp997
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by mmp997 »

That seems to have cured that bug.

However I personally continue to experience problems.

A]
I went through all the steps, used Load Tags Database, then Tools | Configuration | check Auto-refresh Tags, checked that the path was the same, and that the folder and file was visible from the client, but couldn't get the tags to replicate. The Tags column and the Extra 1 column were used to test the tags. All details used were as in the earlier thread.

B]
So I looked around
I noticed that while the server folder I had shared (and in which SharedTags.dat was located) was on the server's C: drive0
the folders whose tags I wanted to replicate were on the server's E: drive, in a folder called Dropbox, and not visible to the client.
Maybe I thought (remember I am not a coder) that had something to do with it?
So:
> I shared the entire Dropbox folder to the network
> I checked that it its contents were accessible to the client via the Network
> I created a folder called XYplorer on the server
> Via Load | Tags | Database I created MATTHEW-PC\Dropbox\1 Ongoing work\XYplorer\SharedTags.dat and did the same on the client.

But the tags STILL will not replicate.
ALSO when I try to exit XYplorer on the client, I get:

"Save setttings failed
Access is denied
\\MATTHEW-PC\Dropbox\1 Ongoing work\XYplorer\SharedTags.dat "

which didn't happen in iteration A]

I suspect sharing my entire Dropbox folder was totally unnecessary! :titter:
But I wanted to try everything I could think of.

admin
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by admin »

You obviously need read access from every client, and write access from at least one client. Once you have established this, are there still issues?

mmp997
Posts: 55
Joined: 14 Apr 2020 19:27

Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by mmp997 »

Correct. There was a network permissions issue, which I have fixed. I now have read + write from client to server.

However I still have problems. They seem to occur because the files I am trying to tag are held within different drives on the different PCs. The server uses drive E, the client drive C.
So if you open SharedTags.dat you see:


Data:
C:\Users\Owner\Dropbox\1 Ongoing work\1 Architecture\1 My Writing and Research Notes\Books and Long Reports\Thomas Dekccer ed The modern city revisited.pdf|0|2|||||||||||||||||
C:\Users\Owner\Dropbox\1 Ongoing work\1 Architecture\1 My Writing and Research Notes\Books and Long Reports\Thomas H Russ - Site planning and design handbook.pdf|0|1|||||||||||||||||
E:\Dropbox\1 Ongoing work\1 Architecture\1 My Writing and Research Notes\Books and Long Reports\City Transformations Conference, Rio (articles on cities by famous urbanists).pdf|0|6|||||||||||||||||
E:\Dropbox\1 Ongoing work\1 Architecture\1 My Writing and Research Notes\Books and Long Reports\Cliff Moughtin - Urban Design - method and techniques.pdf|0|7|||||||||||||||||

Drive C: on the server is an SSD holding the programs, but too small for Dropbox.
Is there a fix?

admin
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Re: Tags problem, sharing across a network

Post by admin »

There is a way to handle that issue near the bottom of this page: https://www.xyplorer.com/faq-topic.php?id=MUT
Look for UniversalLocalMapping. This is still kind of an undocumented feature ATM.

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