Sync¶
Sync keeps your collections, items, shared fields, and attached images in step across devices by reconciling them through a shared folder — for example a folder kept in a cloud-drive (Dropbox, OneDrive, a network share, …).
Setting it up¶
In Settings you configure:
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sync location | The folder used as the shared store. Point every device at the same folder. |
| Auto-sync | Whether Collectary syncs automatically on a timer. |
| Auto-sync interval | How often the timer runs (default: every 5 minutes; 0 disables it). |
| Tombstone retention | How long deletions are remembered so they propagate to other devices (default: 30 days). |
You can also trigger a sync manually at any time.
What a sync does¶
Each sync pushes your local changes to the shared folder and pulls changes made elsewhere, reconciling the two using revision numbers and timestamps. Entities are stored in the shared folder as per-revision JSON files (presets, items, shared fields) plus image blobs.
After a sync you'll see how many records were pushed and pulled, and whether any conflicts need your attention.
Resolving conflicts¶
A conflict happens when the same item was changed both locally and remotely since the last sync. Collectary can't know which version you want, so it asks:
- Keep local — your version wins.
- Take remote — the other device's version wins.
Resolve each conflict and the chosen version is written everywhere on the next sync.
Deletions¶
When you delete something, Collectary records a tombstone so the deletion propagates to other devices instead of the item reappearing on the next pull. Tombstones are kept for the retention period you configured, then cleaned up.
A deletion only ever travels as a tombstone. If the shared folder is simply missing an item — say you pointed sync at a fresh or different folder, or restored your database from a backup — Collectary treats that as "nothing to pull here," not as a deletion, so your local collection is never wiped by an empty or unfamiliar folder. An image attached to a deleted item is likewise kept for as long as its tombstone lives, so undoing a deletion (or a device that hasn't caught up yet) still finds the picture intact.
Editing the same collection on two devices¶
Renaming a collection, reordering its fields, or tweaking it on one device never disturbs the items and values you entered on another — those edits are merged field by field rather than replacing the whole collection, so a label change on your phone can't erase the data on your laptop. Only when the same record was changed on both sides since the last sync do you get a conflict to resolve.
Where sync works¶
Sync runs on the desktop app (shared folder, OneDrive, or Google Drive) and on Android (shared folder or OneDrive). The in-browser demo has no persistent filesystem, so sync isn't meaningful there.
Signing in to OneDrive on Android
The first time you choose OneDrive on Android, sign-in opens a secure browser tab and returns to Collectary automatically. Your sign-in is stored in the device's encrypted keystore, so you stay signed in between launches.