Feature Request: Pause sync while specified app(s) are open

[IgnoranceIsNot Bliss]

Hello,

I found DropSync after I finally upgraded to Sierra and discovered Synk Pro doesn't work and was discontinued by its developer (their site doesn't even exist anymore).  So, off the bat, thank you for creating and maintaining DropSync!  (All your competitors' products suck in comparison.)

Thus far DropSync is doing what I need -- real-time one-way sync to an attached local drive -- so I purchased a copy via the Mac App Store.

However, there is one feature that SynkPro had that is immensely helpful that DropSync (and from what I can tell, every other sync tool) lacks:  The ability to automatically pause a given sync config if specified apps are open.

I've found, regardless of sync program I've tried, real-time one-way sync often causes noticeable slowdowns / performance degradation if a database-driven app (like iPhoto, iTunes, DevonThink, etc) is open and accessing its files, which triggers the sync program to start scanning for changes, which causes both to slow down as they compete to read from the same file(s).

Right now I can workaround it by just quitting DropSync before I launch those apps and reopen it when I'm done (at which point DropSync goes about scanning & syncing the changes), but if I forget to reopen it it's obviously not syncing changes anymore.

Synk Pro had an option for each folder pair configuration where you could specify as many programs as you wanted that would pause that particular configuration's syncing (and monitoring of changes) until the "offending" applications were quit, and I used that particularly for:

• iPhoto & Photos (for pausing the syncing of the "Pictures" directory)
  
• iTunes (for pausing the syncing of the "Music" directory)
  
• Any game or game client (for pausing the syncing of "Library/Application Support" and "Users/Shared")

The beauty of this is that it allows you to keep DropSync running so other syncs still continue, just not those that would be negatively impacted when their relevant apps are open.

Hopefully this isn't that tricky to implement as a General setting for each sync config...?

Thank you for your time & consideration.

[ira cooke]

Hi, 

Thanks for this idea, and for your kind words about DropSync.  

I haven't thought of this at all before but you make a good case as to why it's a nice feature.  I would need to do some investigations to see whether it was difficult or not before I would consider adding it though.

Lastly I should also say that I am not sure I deserve your praise for maintaining DropSync.  As you can tell from my slow reply to your email my support has dropped off a little lately as I have found it hard to find time to work on the app or support.  An app like DropSync doesn't make enough money (not even close) to be a full time project, so my other work commitments have tended to take over lately.  I still love the app, and use it every day myself which is why I continue to sell it (I think others should hopefully find it useful also) but it's not often I get time to work on new features I'm afraid.

Best wishes

Ira