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[Managing]Support for offline copies of the notes database

Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:48 pm
by idefix2
I would like to be able to syncronize a database with an offine copy

Suppose you have several PCs connected to a lan, every user having access to a common notes database. Now a user copies this database to his notebook and leaves.
While he is away, he makes some new notes and edits some existing notes, the person working on the LAN do the same.
When he returns, it should be possilbe to sync the two versions of the database:

New notes should be copied to the other database
Notes that have been edited on one database should be updated on the other database
Notes that have been deleted in one database should be deleted in the other database, except if they have been updated there - in that case the updated note should be copied to the database where the original note has been deleted
notes that have been edited on both databases should be, according to sync configuration:
merged in both databases or copied in both versions to both databases, and tagged with a special tag (like "duplicate" or "merged"), so the user can mnually resolve the sync conflict
or
either the LAN database or the local database takes precedence and the other copy is overwritten and maybe copied to a sync conflict logfile, which could even have the same format as a notes database.

Re: [Managing]Support for offline copies of the notes database

Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 5:57 pm
by littlebigman
An easy solution to this would be to write a front-end to the SQLite library. I actually did this once, and used the HTTP protocol to let multiple clients work with a shared SQLite database on a server on the LAN.

Actually, could be selling a single EXE, cross-platform SQLite server. There seems to be only one that is not deadware, and the one that is actually supported is only available as a GUI server application in RealBasic.

Re: [Managing]Support for offline copies of the notes database

Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2010 9:42 am
by CintaNotes Developer
Thanks for the idea. Could you describe the enclosing use case, why would several users want to use single CintaNotes database?

I think the idea contradicts a bit to the "organic" principle of the software.
If there's a huge demand for this and this will be developed, then only as an optional extension.

Implementing this would require really big changes in the architecture.
For example, it would require using GUIDs as note ID instead of integer numbers.

Re: [Managing]Support for offline copies of the notes database

Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:52 pm
by idefix2
I have several customers with rather small companies, with up to 10 employees, up to 5 or 6 having their own desk and computer in the office. Cinta Notes would be an ideal place to centralize all kind of informations, policies, and general guidelines, checklists for special situations, maybe price lists etc., that they need to look at from time to time and usually dont find when they need it, but also with a summary of the most important up to date info about the status of current projects.

Some information can be updated by the executive secretary, other notes are updated by the manager himself, and he may wish to work on his hotebook on some of the notes while he is away from the office, meanwhile in the office other updates may have occurred to the database.

I must admit that I have not yet checked if is possible to use CintaNotes with the database residing on some other computer somewhere on the LAN, concurrently with other users. In this scenario the risk of database corruption would be very low, even without true multiuser capabilities, as modifications to the data would not happen often and most users would not be allowed to modify data -
btw: it would be great
1. if Cinta Notes could be started in a read only mode (on certain computers), and
2. if individual notes could be flagged readonly to prevent inadvertently changing them, or even better:
3. if there was a way to configure Cinta Notes to generally open existing notes in readonly mode and to enter edit mode explicitly if you want to change them.

Of course, if a concurrent access is not possible at all, the program cannot be used for this purpose.

it would require using GUIDs as note ID instead of integer numbers

I dont think so - if there is a conflict when synchronizing, notes could be renumbered when they are copied to the main database. Synchronization could be asymetric, and the entire main database copied back to the notebook after the synchronization.

the idea contradicts a bit to the "organic" principle of the software

I dont understand the meaning of the term "organic" principle in this context?

Of course, this feature could be reserved for a commercial version of the software, as private users generally won't need it. I think it could be a motivation for companies to pay for the product, at least most of my customers would be glad to have a software with this capability.

Re: [Managing]Support for offline copies of the notes database

Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2010 12:48 pm
by syropcio
CintaNotes is great, but I'm using three database copy : on my notebook, PC at home and PC at work - sometimes when I'am offline, I must have access to my notes - and database sync could will be super cool feature (in commercial edition). Sometihing like KeePass sync addon.

I try sync database via Unison http://www.pps.jussieu.fr/~vouillon/unison/ and openvpn. It works, but have one disadvantage - I must remember to close CintaNotes application in my online allways PC's.