Re: [Bitpim-devel] Synchronization algorithms

[Roger B. <ro...@ro...>]

Somerlot, Chris wrote:
>> Thanks for the pointer to the ASPN article.
> 
> This one? http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~nr/pubs/sync-abstract.html

I was actually referring to the article about reading stuff out of
Outlook.

>> Has anyone found any good synchronization algorithms?
>
> The paper listed above talks about synthesizing a record of changes (I
> believe by comparing the new record with the old record) for each replica of
> the record, then using some conflict resolution rules to combine them into 1
> record of changes, which is then applied to all the replicas.
> 
> This would seem to work well if Bitpim were to synthesize with both the
> phone and outlook, mozilla, etc.

(I haven't read the paper in full yet).

There are two parts to synchronization.  The first is talking to a data source
you have never seen before.  In that case you have to try and figure out what
matches what you already have.  That is the code currently in BitPim 0.7 although
it isn't complete.

The second is dealing with a data source you have seen before and dealing
with the changes.  That involves the synthesis of transactions etc.  I do
want to make sure that BitPim works correctly if you sync in multiple
places.  (It is one thing that bugs me that you can only sync with one
machine with Palm devices and two with PocketPC).  It is also an absolute
requirement that the software is not stupid :-)

Roger