iData Pro lets you synchronize pairs of datafiles. This makes it easy to have one copy on a desktop machine and another on a laptop, or on a different desktop machine, and keep the two datafiles in sync, even when changes are made to both copies.
NOTE 1: Synchronization can be applied to only two datafiles at a time. This is because each record in a datafile has a Needs Sync flag. When a record is first created, and whenever it is modified, the flag is set to Yes. When a datafile is synchronized, the Needs Sync flags of all records in each copy are set to No. At this point, synchronizing either copy of the datafile to a third datafile that has some modified records will result in those records replacing the records in the previously synchronized datafile, which could lead to the unnoticed loss of changes that were made in the previous sync process.
The synchronization process requires that we
begin with a single datafile, add a unique internal
identifier, the "Sync ID", and then save a copy of it, using Save
As New Sync File... under the File menu.
The original datafile and the copy can then
be synced with each other using Synchronize Datafiles...
under the File menu.
NOTE
2: The field structure of two datafiles must be
identical in order for them to be synced. Once a datafile has a
Sync ID, it is no longer possible to add or delete fields, so be
sure that your datafile has the exact field structure that you
require before creating a sync file for it. (However, you can
always remove the Sync ID if you absolutely must change the
field structure, as explained in the last section of this page.)
Datafiles in iData Pro format can be synced between a Mac and the iData Mobile Plus app on Apple mobile devices, such as the iPhone and iPad.
This can be done via Wifi or via Dropbox.
To learn how to do this using WiFi, go to Synchronizing Datafiles via WiFi.
To learn how to do this using Dropbox, go to Synchronizing Datafiles via Dropbox.
Datafiles in native iData Pro format
(having a .id3 file
name extension) and in iData Mobile format (having a .idm file name extension)
can be synced between two Macs over a local network (or between
two different folders on a single Mac). To learn how to do this,
go to Synchronizing Datafiles
Between Two Macs.
Synchronized datafiles cannot have fields added or deleted. If you have a synchronized datafile that no longer needs to be synchronized, and you want to modify the field structure, you can remove the Sync ID, as follows:
1. Open the datafile that you want to de-synchronize. Make sure that you have the correct datafile.
2. Select Remove Sync ID in the File menu.
3. Click the Remove It button.
This change will become permanent the next time you save changes to the datafile. If you decide that you've made a mistake, close the datafile without saving changes.
If both datafiles still exist, you
will probably want to remove the Sync ID from the other
datafile, as well.
