I have asked this before, but no one has ever answered it other than say it can be done. If it can be done, and I would think it could, it is sure not obvious how.
We are using DevonTHINK Pro 2.0 for our law firm. There is a file server at our office. On this fileserver are thousands of PDF files. We have created a database with the database file stored on a local computer. We told DevonTHINK Pro 2.0 to import files and folders from the directory that contained the thousands of PDF files on the office server. After an hour or so, all the files were imported and indexed. That worked fine.
However, we now wish to be able to add or delete PDF files to the file server periodically and either have DevonTHINK Pro 2.0 import and index these files automatically or import and index these files manually at periodic times. We have been unable to figure out how to do this. Obviously, We do not want to have to re-import and index the entire directory that contains the thousands of files every time we add a few files to the directory and subdirectories within the main directory on the server.
Can anyone please advise me as to what it is we are doing wrong, or what we can do to solve this problem?
DevonTHINK Pro 2.0 is of little use to us if we have to re-import and re-index the entire server every time we think people have added or updated files on the server. DevonTHINK Pro 2.0 should be able to look at the server, figure out which files have been added/deleted/modified since the last import and import and index only those “new” files.
Maybe I misunderstood your problem, but the solution that jumps to my mind at once is indexing instead of importing the directory with the documents on the server. Use the sync command (manually or by script) to update the changes made on the server.
The obvious question is do you want to import, or index the files on the server share? If you have no need to import the files into the DT Pro database, but simply want to be able to search the files, then indexing is the correct way as Johannes indicates. The sync command could be launched automatically on schedule to sync up the directory. If you need it real time, you could write an automator script to fire the sync command when a new file is added.
If you instead want to IMPORT the files, you would need to write some sort of script to watch for a new file to be added, then fire off the import routine. Any competent Apple Script developer could do this for you.
I’m surprised there is no easy way to do this. It appears that I have to re-index the entire serve every time I do a search because I can’t be sure others have not added a new document since the last index. Does DEVON actually offer any support on this or are we left to fend for ourselves?
If you Index-capture the server’s contents to your database, the Synchronize command can be used to synchronize a group to the corresponding folder on the server.
If the server has a top-level folder that contains all the information that was captured, then each time the Synchronize command is invoked on the corresponding top-level group, all the captured items will then be synchronized.
Alternatively, in the Info panel of a group, apply the Synchronize script. now, each time that group is opened, synchronization wii take place.
For an Iport-captured database, a Folder Action script can be applied so as to trigger automatic capture of new items to a database. See Help for information. This has been made easier to do in the current version 2.0.3.