Firezilla's YES prompts

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ZillaFox
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Firezilla's YES prompts

#1 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-08-18 01:26

I'm sorry, I know there was already a discussion about the file transfer prompts but I was just wondering if anything had changed since. I am a FireZilla Newbie and have recently left my W7 roots and come over to the dark side (Linux) :)
I have read the info given out by botg and fully understand the problem. Just as so many others, I've used Winscp for years, but I can't say that I have ever noticed any data loss, sometimes I would refresh Firefox before the newly saved file returned to the server, so my page refresh wouldn't work, but that's all. Mind you, I was always dealing with tiny little files so maybe that's why I had no issues, unless it's something to do with the way Winscp transfers files to and from the server, also, that was before fibre broadband so maybe the upload speeds are fast enough these days to not cause these problems, but what do I know :oops: (NOT A LOT)

I tend to make tiny alterations using GVim and then save and refresh the browser, over and over and over and over, Etc. Etc. Etc...... That's a lot of YES button clicking but then, if I could design a page properly, I wouldn't need to do this :?
If there is any solution to all the YES clicking, I'd like to know, thank'yee kindly !!

I know some have abandoned FZ but personally, I shall continue to use FZ, it's a great program, hats off to the developer/s.

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botg
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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#2 Post by botg » 2021-08-18 08:08

Edit and test locally. Only deploy to production once done.

ZillaFox
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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#3 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-08-18 11:38

I create most of my content with PHP, 5 minutes to create a script and 4 hours trial and error to get it working properly :(

Creating the whole thing locally and then uploading it would be great, but I'm not sure I can do this as my PC would have to be geared up as a server, I think :? :?

Hence all the saving and uploading, BAD BAD policy I know, but that's the way I do things and it's always worked just fine :)

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boco
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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#4 Post by boco » 2021-08-19 01:47

Running a server locally is not a big deal.

Example:

Code: Select all

https://www.apachefriends.org/
### BEGIN SIGNATURE BLOCK ###
No support requests per PM! You will NOT get any reply!!!
FTP connection problems? Please do yourself a favor and read Network Configuration.
FileZilla connection test: https://filezilla-project.org/conntest.php
### END SIGNATURE BLOCK ###

ZillaFox
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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#5 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-08-19 14:57

AWESOME!!

I'll look into this. Many thanks :D

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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#6 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-08-31 22:38

Well.... I looked into it alright, but I'm too old and daft to work it out, I'll probably die before I get it configured :cry:

Hopefully, you/Filezilla developers won't take offence to a couple of queries...

Firstly, when I click on a server-side file to edit in Geany or Gvim, do the edit, then click save, the upload file prompt sits behind my full screen editor and being the bone-head that I am, I forget about it, is there a way to bring the prompt into focus as in Windows with the "Stay on top" checkbox ?

Secondly, while on the subject of the prompts (sorry, I know members have already wound you up about this), please accept my apologies :)

When I click save file, the prompt pops up within one second. During my Delphi/Pascal days there were at least two ways of knowing when a file had changed, polling the file a couple of times a second to see if the modified date had changed, or using windows internal messaging (I can't remember what it was called), but could tell you a lot of what was going on, ctl-alt-delete being pressed, window resizing, programs running, files changing, etc. etc. etc....

So if Filezilla uses one of these or some other method to know that the edited file had been saved and to inform the user that the file had changed, if someone is editing a server-side file, they are most probably wanting their altered file back on the server ASAP, now, you know why the file might get corrupted, but here I am wondering why it might ?

I'm thinking, (and yes it does hurt!), if a file's modification date is changed before the file's content is written, (this would be a very bad policy me thinks!!), then file corruption is a given, but if the file is written before it's mod date is changed then once FZ finds the new mod date, wouldn't that mean that the file was complete and good to go, without any questions, or am I just "Peeing in the wind" :)

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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#7 Post by botg » 2021-09-01 09:32

The problem is that it is impossible to tell when writing to file has finished. Uploading at the wrong moment will result in an incomplete file on the server, and due to the way Windows file locking works, there are scenarios in which the local file will remain damaged as well. Both copies are now garbage without any user-interaction involved. This is why the user has to tell FileZilla when it is safe to upload the file.

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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#8 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-09-01 13:27

Ah, I see...

I'll try and put my pea brain into gear and have a think :(

Thank you botg 8)

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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#9 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-09-01 15:04

I think this needs a two pronged attack, a little collaboration with the developers of lets say, Geany.

Here's my thinking...

User opens FZ and connects to their server.
User opens, lets say, index.php, index.css and page3.html for editing with Geany.
FZ downloads the files and places them in a temporary folder somewhere.
Geany opens the files for editing, (so far we're rocking :D )

User edits and saves index.php without closing the file, so no file locks can be used, (Ah, now we've got trouble :( )
Okay, Geany writes a dummy file (maybe containing a timestamp+millisecs), lets say, index.php.fz immediately after writing it's open file.
I presume Linux would have to write these files one after the other so it can allocate it's disk space.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, FZ is busy checking the temp folder for any *.*.fz files
When it finds one, it can read it for the timestamp if one was needed (or maybe some other info), then delete it and
upload the edited file safe in the knowledge that it has to have been fully written for the dummy file to exist.

What do you think, would this be workable or am I just Peeing in the wind again...

I realise there would still be issues, multiple index.php files open from different directories, for example,
but maybe the dummy files could some how sort this, maybe something to do with directory paths, and/or the timestamp ??

It looks like it could work, here on text, but in reality, maybe not, only you developers would know,
the only thing I've ever developed is a hernia :lol:

My 1st thought was to use a shared database for the data locking, but then I thought, that's going to give the same problem as
the database cell will be locked, written to and unlocked whilst Linux was getting the files written!!

I know most Linux software is free to use, but I'd certainly pay $20 for the prompts to go, maybe a lot of other FZ users would too.
Oh, and maybe coloured file lists with different colours for .php, .html, .css, .png, etc. etc. etc.... This helps oldies like myself
see what's what in a long list of otherwise plain white files. :P

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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#10 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-09-05 11:47

You haven't said good, bad or ugly!! So I presume my suggestions are duff, sorry about that :( :(

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boco
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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#11 Post by boco » 2021-09-05 16:58

Hey, it's weeekend, please have a bit of patience. Good weather in Germany, here, after a long time. :P
### BEGIN SIGNATURE BLOCK ###
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FTP connection problems? Please do yourself a favor and read Network Configuration.
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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#12 Post by botg » 2021-09-06 07:55

ZillaFox wrote:
2021-09-01 15:04
Oh, and maybe coloured file lists with different colours for .php, .html, .css, .png, etc. etc. etc.... This helps oldies like myself
see what's what in a long list of otherwise plain white files. :P
Not a bad idea, certainly doable. The hard part would be the user interface to set this all up.

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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#13 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-09-06 11:21

COOL !!

I guess some of the text editor developers would be happy to add an additional check box for the writing of a timestamp file and to write the file if required,
maybe 100ms or so after writing the main file, plus a mention in their help file.

Not so easy your end :( BUT FUN :D

As for the coloured files, that would be nice, better than ordering by file type :wink:

.htaccess
.private
bad-ass
fire.html
hello.html
index.css
index.php
new.css
new.java
soapy
roses.php
stop.html
stop.java
zilla.html

Happy Days 8) :D

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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#14 Post by boco » 2021-09-06 12:03

The colors need to be harmonized with the settable background, of course. Using pastel colors for backgrounds was a wise choice.
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Re: Firezilla's YES prompts

#15 Post by ZillaFox » 2021-09-06 13:03

Those colours were, Ehhhh... {random} just as an example, glad you like them :D

I guess the easiest way for the added colours would be an additional tick box in the Behaviour section, for "File list colors" to change the list from white to a set colour theme. Nice :)

Then, maybe later on, a text box for entering a file type and a pop up colour chart to select personal colours, with the config file being updated each time. Nicer :) :)

As for the auto file uploads, that would be super nice :D :D :D 10/10, 5stars, hats off and a badge of honour. Maybe one day :wink:

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