Trying to understand the "dwsync.xml" files in the "_notes" folders – "Dst=1|2|-1" and the timestamp

[Guest]

I'm using Dreamweaver 21.2 (latest version) and I use the FTP sync feature (I activated the "keep sync information" setting in the site definition) and currently I'm trying to analyze a problem where DW want's to sync although there has nothing changed on both sides (remote and local), especially after the daylight saving time started or ended.

In the "_notes" folders there are the "dwsync.xml" files with the sync information. There are lines like this in them:

<file name="file.js" server="example.com" local="132883841423432900" remote="132883842000000000" Dst="1" />

 Now I'm wondering what the "Dst=" means. Sometimes it's 1, sometimes 2 and sometimes -1. And how to read those timestamps? They are obviously no UNIX timestamps.

I could not find anything on the web concerning this. Do you have an idea?

[Nancy OShea]

I have no idea.  I never sync local & remote files.  It would be catastrophic to workflow if I did. 

Standard GET and PUT arrows do all I need without file syncing.

I'm guessing DST is a response code sent by the server.   But why does it matter?

[Nancy OShea]

In follow-up,  right-click on Local Files in your Files Panel.  Select Modified.  See screenshots.

Expand Files Panel.  Connect to server to show Remote and Local files side-by-side. Compare date & time stamps to ensure they match.

Maybe that's what you're looking for?

[Guest]

Thanks. Although this is not exactly what I was looking for, I did not know about extra columns in the file browser and now I can see that the remote modified times DW shows are almost completely wrong. And that is on two completely different servers. So maybe/obviously that's the reason for DW wanting to sync in a wrong way.

And now I think that DST means "daylight saving time" or at least it has to do with the time zone. Because when it shows "2", the time in DW (locally!) is identical to the real time of the file. If it's "1", it's one hour behind and if it's "-1" it's 24 hours behind. I'm in time zone GMT+2, without daylight saving time +1.

I think I will report this as a bug, although it's there since Macromedia Dreamweaver (at lest on my computer) and probably will not be fixed.

But why would syncing be catastrophic to workflow? If you update several files, how do you upload them later? Find out which have changed with an external file explorer and then upload one by one? Because sometimes it's not possible to directly upload a modified file, because you have to finish other files and upload them all together. If this takes days, you probably will not know which files you modified. At least this is the case in my projects. For me, the sync feature is very important.

[Nancy OShea]

But why would syncing be catastrophic to workflow?

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I keep server-generated files on remote site that must never be in my local folder and vice versa.  Also I have local files I'm working on that are not ready to be deployed yet.  Automatic file sync could potentially wipe out content on both sides which would leave me up the creek without a paddle.  No thanks. 

I think I will report this as a bug,

=========

Dreamweaver is only minimally maintained now.  Apart from security updates, no new features or bug fixes are planned for it.

As I said above, the date & time stamps are generated by your local computer's clock and the remote server's clock. Problems ensue when they don't mesh. 

Changing Date & Timezone on Linux Servers

https://docs.rackspace.com/support/how-to/set-the-date-and-time-timezone-on-a-linux-server/

[B i r n o u]

I keep server-generated files on remote site that must never be in my local folder and vice versa. 

By @Nancy OShea

why don't you use cloaking feature for that purpose... ??? you can easly split what have, and don't have to be local, or remote, only on the opposite place... it works as expected...

and

I always use autosync since so many years that I don't remember when I started, I use an agile approach since then so... and I never... never had any trouble with auto-sync... on the contrary... what a gain in flexibility

[Nancy OShea]

I use file cloaking, too for some things.  But I don't trust auto sync with MySQL database-driven sites.  I have my reasons and I don't think I'm alone.

[B i r n o u]

I don't want to argue, but an example will plainly illustrate your purpose,...

I don't know.. a case that could broke the app !

all the web site I handle are data driven... (except some specific case of web site that must be run directly by copy paste on USB key (medical app for emergency cataclism)... you know the one of 10 000 + page build using DWT 😉 ). and all are made on an agile build method... so as I said, I never faced any trouble by a file awkwardly updated... so an example will be great

x (x)

[Nancy OShea]

I don't know.. a case that could broke the app !

By @B i r n o u

=========

Until it happens to you. 😏   A fait accompli.

[B i r n o u]

Until it happens to you. 😏   A fait accompli.

By @Nancy OShea

18x18 (0x0)

349 B

the art and the way of kicking the ball into touch, with a nonsense which does not explain anything... 😉

[Nancy OShea]

I don't discuss my work much in public forums because I have NDAs to consider.  If you think that's nonsense, then fine. 

[B i r n o u]

first part of the equation => Autosync... cloaking... data driven... broken app

second part of the equation => NDA...

conclusion => hmmmm...

[Paul-M]

Personally I've never used that feature & I would urge caution to anyone allowing a program to auto sync between local files & live remote site.

[Guest]

It's no auto-sync, you always get an overview of files which DW wants to sync (like in any sync software, no matter whether it's for local or remote files).

How do you know which files you have to upload if there are hundreds of them and dozens of edited ones?

[Nancy OShea]

How do you know which files you have to upload if there are hundreds of them and dozens of edited ones?

============

In Files Panel, right-click on local site folder name and choose SELECT > Recently Modified.  Select a date range. 

Recently modified files will be highlighted.  Upload them by hitting the UP arrow.

Check your remote server's clock to ensure it is set correctly.  Put this code into a new PHP file.  Save as Time.php and upload it to your server.

<p><?php echo date("D M d, Y G:i a"); ?></p>

If your server's date & time are wildly different from your computer's date & time, you will have problems with file sync. That's not a Dreamweaver problem.  Contact your hosting provider.

[Guest]

Thanks, the "Recently Modified" feature is a good alternative for the sync feature. I also did not know about that.

But date and time on the local or remote side was never the problem, by the way. It's just the crappy sync feature.

[Nancy OShea]

You don't need file Sync.

1. Sort files in Files Panel by tapping the MODIFIED DATE column, ↓ descending order.
2. Select most recent files with Ctrl or Shift + click and hit the UP ARROW icon. 

[B i r n o u]

@Deleted User , or any modertors around here... who marked this two answers as correct...

the question was

In the "_notes" folders there are the "dwsync.xml" files with the sync information. There are lines like this in them:

<file name="file.js" server="example.com" local="132883841423432900" remote="132883842000000000" Dst="1" />

 Now I'm wondering what the "Dst=" means. Sometimes it's 1, sometimes 2 and sometimes -1. And how to read those timestamps? They are obviously no UNIX timestamps.

I could not find anything on the web concerning this. Do you have an idea?

By @Deleted User

and none of the answer marked as correct answer to the asked question... ?...

@Nancy OShea , @BenPleysier , @Others Moderator ... Shouldn't this question remain open?

[BenPleysier]

You are correct @B i r n o u . I have unmarked the so-called correct answers.

[Guest]

I marked both as correct answers, because they both help me to avoid the sync feature (which does not work as expected). They did not exactly answer my question, but obviously the question is not answerable.

[Nancy OShea]

@B i r n o u,

Since you seem so keen to moderate, read the moderators guidelines and ask Silvia to give you moderator permissions when she returns from her wedding.

[B i r n o u]

@B i r n o u,

Since you seem so keen to moderate, read the moderators guidelines and ask Silvia to give you moderator permissions when she returns from her wedding.

By @Nancy OShea

maybe it's a language problem, but I seem to feel once again a bit of bitterness in your comment...

by posting my contrary opinion to this qualification of correct answer, which I reiterate in spite of the contrary opinion of @Deleted User , I do not wish to make any derogatory remark on the moderation... and even less to become moderator...

on several occasions Tricia had asked me, as an Adobe influencer, to become a moderator, but each time I replied that I had neither the skills, nor the qualifications... which does not prevent me from having an opinion and defending it

Why do I disagree with the correct answer, because even if the OP feels he has received the light... the question remains what does the DST argument in the dwsync.xml XML file mean... and the answer says how to synchronize the local folder with the remote folder... ?... look for the error !

Don't see any offense in the following line, I'm just trying to caricature to help better understand my perception...

Question
"... I want to use an acrylic paint, but what does the term PMMA mean, and what does it correspond to in an Acrylic composition... ? "...

Answer
Why don't you simply just use brushes?

Ah well thank you, that's a good answer, it answers my questioning concerning Acrylics and PMMA which is no longer relevant...

[Guest]

Question
"... I want to use an acrylic paint, but what does the term PMMA mean, and what does it correspond to in an Acrylic composition... ? "...

Answer
Why don't you simply just use brushes?

I think that's the way forums work today, unfortunately. Especially in this DW community (at least from my experience).

[B i r n o u]

Yes @Deleted User I share your vision, and I agree with you, precisely it is there the richness of the forums... to be able to mutually enrich its own knowledge and approaches, to be able to question itself, to widen its own field of vision... but all these remarks do not make any answers which answer beside the original question as being good answers to the question asked...

The point is that if someone is looking for information about the dwsync.xml file .. search in the forum and sees that a correct answer is attached to the question...  so far so good... (s)he goes straight ... youps ... to a dead end that does not answer the original question

[Nancy OShea]

Some questions, indeed many, have no direct answers because what the poster asks is not the basis of their problem.

We frequently cut to the chase and drive a direct line from what you want to have happen to this is how to achieve it.  It saves everyone's time and in my experience, that's how most technical forums work.