Sync option "from mobile to desktop" ?

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Carsten
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2013 3:09 pm

Sync option "from mobile to desktop" ?

Post by Carsten »

Hi all,

I just found BirdieSync and plan to use it with my iPhone, and am exploring it now. It looks very impressive, many thanks for developing it! :D

I use Thunderbird on 3 different PCs (six, if you count Windows and Linux multi-boot separately), the address books in the Thunderbird installations are unfortunately not in sync, and some of these address books are not in a very well maintained shape (e.g. consisting of only few contacts, having contacts that only consist of name and email, contacts with outdated emails, entirely outdated contacts, etc.).
In contrast, the contacts on my iPhone are newer and much better maintained.

Therefore, I'm a bit reluctant to start BirdieSync, also because I didn't understand some details in the manual:

There is an option to sync "BOTH WAYS" (Combine items on mobile device with desktop ones), and there is an option to sync "FROM DESKTOP TO MOBILE DEVICE" (Replace items on mobile device with desktop ones).

1) Why is there no option "FROM MOBILE DEVICE TO DESKTOP" ?

2) Why does "FROM DESKTOP TO MOBILE DEVICE" replace rather than augment the items on the mobile device?

3) When "BOTH WAYS" is used, is there a way to see in advance the contacts that BirdieSync found on the mobile device and on the desktop, how BirdieSync aligns them to each other, and what will be written to each?
If I understand the manual correctly, there is no way to preview what BS will write to each side. Is that right?

Best regards,
Carsten

Birdy
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Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:43 am
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Re: Sync option "from mobile to desktop" ?

Post by Birdy »

Hi Carsten,

Glad you like BirdieSync ! :D
1) Why is there no option "FROM MOBILE DEVICE TO DESKTOP" ?
This option was not offered at the right beginning of BirdieSync. The thunderbird database was supposed to be the reference most of the time. But the situation has evolved and this option is more interesting now with the importance taken by mobile devices. But introducing this option in the current version of the synchronization engine would be complex and may cause some problems. Actually offering this option is in the pipe and should be present in a next version of BirdieSync with other important core evolutions.
2) Why does "FROM DESKTOP TO MOBILE DEVICE" replace rather than augment the items on the mobile device?
This option consider that the mobile device should be a mirror of the PC. It means that all the modifications performed on the mobile device are reverted.
It may be possible to imagine a new mode that would leave untouched the contacts already present on the mobile device and add the contacts synchronized from Thunderbird. But in theory, the same behavior could be achieved by separating contacts in 2 different groups on the mobile device, with only one being synchronized with Thunderbird.

So if you want have an "increasing" behavior, the best might be to separate your contacts on your iPhone into 2 groups. The one synchronized from Thunderbird and the other ones.
You might check these 2 BirdieSync options in Thunderbird:
"Link address book to contact group"
"Don't synchronize contacts on the mobile with groups matching no address book"

As usual, before any operation, I suggest you to backup your data as mentioned in this FAQ topic.
3) When "BOTH WAYS" is used, is there a way to see in advance the contacts that BirdieSync found on the mobile device and on the desktop, how BirdieSync aligns them to each other, and what will be written to each?
If I understand the manual correctly, there is no way to preview what BS will write to each side. Is that right?
At the moment it is not possible. But in next evolutions of BirdieSync, it should be possible to have a better view of what should be performed during the synchronization...
Birdy

Carsten
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2013 3:09 pm

Re: Sync option "from mobile to desktop" ?

Post by Carsten »

Hi Birdy,

thank you very much for your quick and detailed reply! :D

I found that I can bring the address books among my various Thunderbird instances into a better (unified) shape with the ThunderSync extension. All the work is still ahead of me though, but while doing that, the perspective on a BirdySync with sync preview makes me very happy! I'm very much looking forward to it!

Many thanks and best regards,
Carsten

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