Sync and other issues

[Marty]

If I edit a local copy and sync, it syncs with Google OK but the color
stays purple until I exit the main Documents screen (either to go into
a subscreen or exit the app and re-enter).

If I edit the remote copy I get no notice on startup or upon manual
sync that the remote copy is out of sync with the local copy. Seems
to me it should point that out so I can decide what to do. As it
stands, the sync doesn't download anything new (it appears sync only
uploads changes and never downloads them...)

If a remote document contains "<" or ">" the characters are changed to
"«" or "»" in the downloaded doc. Newly typed "<" and ">" characters
in files *upload* without any conversion, however (but will still
convert the next time you download the file).
Note: this may well be a Google Docs issue - I opened a "bug
report" (or the closest thing to one anyway) at:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Docs/thread?tid=3216bdc25c032d57&hl=en

- Marty

[Art Wild]

On Nov 18, 5:14 am, Marty <martymacgy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> If I edit a local copy and sync, it syncs with Google OK but the color
> stays purple until I exit the main Documents screen (either to go into
> a subscreen or exit the app and re-enter).
>

This is known issue. However, your document should be marked purple,
because after sync local and remote documents are identical, so local
status takes precedence.

> If I edit the remote copy I get no notice on startup or upon manual
> sync that the remote copy is out of sync with the local copy.  Seems
> to me it should point that out so I can decide what to do.  As it
> stands, the sync doesn't download anything new (it appears sync only
> uploads changes and never downloads them...)
>

Yes, right now you have to sync manually. I guess you would like
autosync. ;)

> If a remote document contains "<" or ">" the characters are changed to
> "«" or "»" in the downloaded doc.  Newly typed "<" and ">" characters
> in files *upload* without any conversion, however (but will still
> convert the next time you download the file).
> Note: this may well be a Google Docs issue - I opened a "bug

> report" (or the closest thing to one anyway) at:http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Docs/thread?tid=3216bdc2...
>
>  - Marty

[Marty]

> > If I edit a local copy and sync, it syncs with Google OK but the color
> > stays purple until I exit the main Documents screen (either to go into
> > a subscreen or exit the app and re-enter).
>
> This is known issue. However, your document should be marked purple,
> because after sync local and remote documents are identical, so local
> status takes precedence.

Either the fact that it remains purple is as-designed or this is an
"issue". I'd expect the color to turn green to signify the sync
successful completed *without* having to exit and re-start the app.
Purple indicates the local and remote docs are out of sync, and
remaining so suggests the sync failed or has yet to complete (when in
fact it finished ok).

> > If I edit the remote copy I get no notice on startup or upon manual
> > sync that the remote copy is out of sync with the local copy.  Seems
> > to me it should point that out so I can decide what to do.  As it
> > stands, the sync doesn't download anything new (it appears sync only
> > uploads changes and never downloads them...)
>
> Yes, right now you have to sync manually. I guess you would like
> autosync. ;)

That's not my point at all. As stated, the present sync function
never *downloads* changes, thus the sync is effectively one-way.
Automation or lack thereof has nothing to do with it.

In further tests I see that if you make a change to the remote doc and
the local doc, and then sync, neither the remote nor local one
change! The link is effectively broken. Once I trashed the remote
file and restarted the app I saw the doc disappear on the phone. Then
I un-trashed the remote doc and restarted the app, which displayed the
local version of the doc again. Finally, I made a small change to the
local doc and synced, and the remote doc updated correctly.
Apparently docs deleted remotely stay cached on the local device
indefinitely.

One other note: it certainly takes a long time for the app to start up
(I wonder what it does if there's no service? Can you even access
your local docs?)

In all this I realize this app is marked as "beta"... I'm hopeful
these issues will be addressed as the app matures.

[Benjamin Crist]

I found that if there is no service the app will not work. I went into
a building that blocked signal and I couldn't start the program. I
also tested this by turning on "airplane mode" and gdocs would not
start. I'm confused why this app would "sync" if there's no way to
view documents locally.

[Benjamin Crist]

Actually, I thought about this and tested it again and it did work. I
could view the local documents. I was confused because I am having
some issues with sync, but I put them in a different thread to be more
clear.