Double Commander

2.7. Synchronize directories

Content

1. Introduction
2. Directory synchronization tool window
3. Commands
4. Additional settings

1. Introduction

The directory synchronization tool scans the directories of the left and right file panels, displays differences in their contents and allows to make them the same.

We can synchronize two local directories or a local directory and a directory on a virtual file system (an open archive or a directory in a file system plugin).

By default, the synchronization tool compares files by name, size and modification date.

The method of deleting files (to trash (recycle bin) or permanently) depends on the state of the Delete to recycle bin (Shift key reverses this setting) option.

Note: Empty directories will be ignored.

2. Directory synchronization tool window

Directory synchronization tool

In the top of the window there are fields with the current directories of the left and right file panels. We can change them manually or by using the button to choose a directory.

Between them there is a field for filtering files by mask (symbol "*" means match any number of characters, symbol "?" means any one character). Files that do not match the mask will be ignored. We may put multiple file types here using a semicolon ";" without spaces between them. Also we can use search templates (Template...), including search with content plugins. The default value is "*" (all files).

The button with an arrow opens the list of the used file masks (keep in mind that Double Commander saves a general history of file masks for several tools: find files, directory synchronization, archive unpacking, commands for selecting a group of files). By default, Double Commander saves (regardless of the state of the File mask history option) the last used file mask as the default mask for the next run of the synchronization tool (if it is not a search template), see Additional settings.

Compare – starts comparing the chosen directories. The progress of the compare operation is displayed in the status bar. If necessary, the operation can be interrupted with the Esc key.

Parameters:

After changing these options, we must run the comparison again.

Show: – A group of buttons that enables or disables the display of various groups of files in the list:

Below is an area divided into three parts:

The status bar displays the overall result of the comparison.

After the comparison is finished, the synchronization tool will display the contents of the directories using several colors:

Synchronization tool: comparison

We can change them in the Colors settings section (the Synchronize Directories category).

Designations in the "<=>" column:

Using the mouse or the Space key, we can uncheck the action and exclude files from the synchronization operation.

Double mouse clicking on a file name calls the Compare by Contents command.

Using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C, we can copy the contents of all columns to the clipboard.

Close – closes the synchronization tool.

Synchronize – opens a dialog window for confirming the synchronization, the window displays some details about the upcoming actions:

Synchronization tool: confirmation

Here we can exclude the scheduled operations by type (copying or deleting) or direction.

Confirm overwrites – In case of a name collision, Double Commander will use the same dialog box with a choice of actions (skip, rename and others) as for usual copying/moving files.

3. Commands

Commands are applied to the file under the cursor or to selected files. All commands available in the synchronization tool have been added to the right mouse button menu. We can assign or change hotkeys for this commands in the Keys > Hot Keys settings section (switch to the Synchronize Directories category).

The last three commands delete the selected files immediately, before the synchronization operation. In this case, Double Commander will show a confirmation request.

Note: The hotkeys for the commands View left, View right and Compare are set in the source code of Double Commander and cannot be changed.

4. Additional settings

There are several parameters available that can only be changed manually in the doublecmd.xml configuration file: <Asymmetric>, <DateTimeFormat>, <FileMask>, <NtfsHourTimeDelay>.


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