Shell context menu and folder sync

I'm really liking the new SmartFTP.

It seems fast for me and the interface is great, very flexible.

However I miss 2 features that is important to me, that Ican't live without them:

1) Better shell integration (Explorer context menu): it'd be nice to have all Quick Connect addresses listed in context menu even if SmartFTP is closed. If SmartFTP is not started (or started but without any FTP tab) it seems too much work to use shell integration.

2) Easy way to synchronize remote to local folder: another feature I was hoping to use is folder synchronization; I had to print article 0190 in order to try the suggested method (I don't remember last time I had to do that in order to understand an application feature) and I'm still trying to make it right! If you keep the Favorite approach for that at least SmartFTP could have a job item or something making Synchronization an one step: once the favorite item is started then connect and start synching. Right now I have to make several favorite editions, then start the favorite item, then connect it, then look for a button or command to "download".

Before trying SmartFTP I was just hoping to find a "Synchronization" button that would guide me to the process and even save the job (as another Favorite item) for later use. It's just a simple interface approach that would lead to what you have to do in an advanced and complicated way (no ofense here in any way).

In resume, folder synchronization is a hidden SmartFTP feature, it's not clear how to set and after set it's not clear how to properly run.


I really, really hope my two requests/suggestions are not too complicated to implement.

I'm not sure what you understand with synchronization but it (one-way synchronization) is done by default. You don't need to setup anything. Drag&drop the files/folders and they will be synchronized with the destination.

Regards,
Mat

Thank you for your reply Mat!

If I drag & drop a remote folder it'll show some options (synchronization is not an explicit option here) : merge, don't merge... The one-way synchronization is not there but it seems the last option may do the synchronization ("Use automatic rules").

However, that's the problem we're talking about synchronization but this word is not part of SmartFTP interface; SmartFTP can synchronize but it's hidden under "Use automatic rules" and/or Favorite settings.

My suggestion is to make this feature transparent, clear, easier to set and use.

I may learn after some time but another user may not even try all steps required to understand SmartFTP synchronization... Or one might think synchronization is not a SmartFTP feature...

By the way, can you implement a better shell integration or it's not planned at all?

Yes "Use automatic rules" is what you want for synchronization. I have rename the text from "Use automatic rules" to "Synchronize using automatic rules".

Shell integration. I'm not sure what do you mean. You just want the favorites in the quick connect folder to appear in the shell context menu? And what folder should SmartFTP use in this case for the uploads?

Regards,
Mat

Thank you again for the reply.

Let me try to explain the context menu suggestion:

When I open SmartFTP Favorites I see a Quick Connect folder (which was already there when I installed SmartFTP). That's why I mentioned it in my first post. But, it could be s folder configured by the user in Settings.

In my Quick Connect folder I created 3 items: same ftp address but each item with a different Remote Path. The item name reflects the remote path (e.g.: Backup, Temp, Images).

What I'd like to see is a list of Quick Connect items in context menu so e.g. if I need to upload an image I would right click the file in Explorer then select SmartFTP item then select one of the items from my Quick Connect ("Images" in my example). The result: SmartFTP would be started (if it's not running yet) then the connection would be established then the file would be uploaded to the remote path set in the Favorite item.

I hope I was clear.

That's a useful context menu feature IMO.

Hello ..

It takes too long (users will copmlain if it takes 3 seconds to open the context menu) to enumerate the quick connect items when SmartFTP is not started. So it would only be possible when SmartFTP is started.

Regards,
Mat

Hi again

Synchronization

I think now I completely understand how it works in SmartFTP.

I just miss (or I didn't find) a way to see what files were copied.

////Edited:

OK. I see there's a way to keep finished files in the Transfer Queue window.

However, if you're synching it says Copy as the Operation (column header) and not Synchronize.

The Status (column header) is "Finished" for all files but could be "Skipped" for those files that were not in fact copied.

This way we could have a better understanding of what really happened in a synchronization task.

Or something like this.


Context menu

Maybe show or not in context menu could be a setting of a Favorite item.

This way SmartFTP could load from a fixed list rather than scan a folder.

Finally, you could let "Show favorites in context menu" as an option so it won't cause any delay for those who doesn't need the feature.

For me, a context menu is a very important feature because I always have small files to upload from time to time.

You can see this functionality in CuteFTP Pro. >>> you can delete this reference to other software if you want to - sometimes a sample is better than a lot of words...

Synchronize:
Personally I do not care to know which file has been skipped or copied. All I care is that SmartFTP did what I expected it to do. It should be a set and forget approach.

Context menu:
Please try the latest version. The favorites from the history are now displayed in the context menu when SmartFTP is started.

Regards,
Mat

Synchronize:

Now that I know how SmartFTP works regarding synchronization it does not seem necessary or important anymore.


Context menu:

Maybe I'm missing something but here in my Vista PC nothing changed.

I see Add to temporary queue, then History (no items there) then just the remote location list that I have in opened tabs (in my case just two). If I close one of them then the context menu will show only one.

I'll test later in my XP PC.

The last version had a bug when there was an unknown item in the history. This has been corrected now in the latest version:
https://www.smartftp.com/download

Please give it another try.

Thanks
Mat

I'm sorry to say but nothing has changed (same issue described above).

Are you running 3.0.2021.1 and do you have any items in the history (Settings->History dialog). Also did you reboot after the installation?

Regards,
Mat

No, my version is 3.0.1021.1

I just downloaded again and the installer displays the same version unless I have to install from the beta link...

I have two items in History.

I set installer to close processes and it didn't ask to reboot but I did it anyway.

I can reproduce the bug on Windows XP now. I will post a fix soon.

Please give the newest version another try.

Regards,
Mat

Now it's working.

It'd be useful that if SmartFTP is not running then right click a file could at least start SmartFTP that would prompt to where upload the file (like a history list or something) just to give a sequence to the action started in Explorer.

Anyway, thank you for the improvement because I'm sure I'll use it a lot.