Could DTTG support Apple’s File Provider and File Provider UI ?
This would allow third party apps to load and save Devon Think files
It also may allow some of DevonThinks features to be available in the
files app for example viewing the database rather than just a bunch
of files in a folder.
Apple’s File Provider is one of many extension apis available.
I have DEVONthink To Go in my Files.app as a provider. In this “folder” (for lack of a better term), I have subfolders for every database, in which I have subfolders for every group in those databases.
I’m not sure what you’re missing, maybe you could elaborate?
This explains a bit about File Provider features StrongSync
macOS 11 Big Sur provides a revolutionary new technology that enables APFS realtime on-demand sync. No kernel extension or reboots needed, and natively support Apple Silicon M1 machines.
What this means for you: files get downloaded and open when you need them. They don’t suck up any free space while not in use. It is fast as if it was local, because it’s all on your SSD - not network drive or kernel extension.
First, I’m not seeing the context between the original question and this marketing blurb.
Which leads me to second: why do you quote the PR stuff of a company verbatim here without even making it clear what it is? Namely marketing blurb.
Wot?
I didn’t know DTTG does have some support. But I don’t think it’s using the latest features I still have to switch to DTTG to download before opening from files app. As @hmurchison has said the features from macOS Big Sur and but also iOS offer a lot more functionallity with on demand services and integrating with APFS.
You are downloading what from where to where? It would really help to understand your request if you’d describe in more detail what you want to do and why you can’t.
And what has APFS to do with it?
As I said: they simply copied and pasted marketing nonsense here. Best to ignore.
I’m actually really trying to understand. But “it’s as fast a though it were local, because it’s on your SSD” is likely to haunt me.
Otherwise, I’m guessing the OP is talking accessing files set to “Download on Demand” in DTTG from the Files app. I can’t test, but guess that DTTG cannot provide files which have not be downloaded from the sync store. Whether there is any mechanism for that to happen, I don’t know. It’s got sweet nothing to do with APFS as far as I can tell, though. But perhaps I’m missing something.
It’s got sweet nothing to do with APFS as far as I can tell,
Apples FileProvider API integrates cloud and I presume networked storage into APFS.
APFS has a series of hooks which call your extension using FileProvider API to download data from your service, sync and purge seamlessly just as if you are using a local APFS volume.
(in the past file app integrations didn’t and some still don’t work this way.)
( Although I am talking only about iOS here, macOS services would have had to use kernel extensions in the past. Now they don’t and use a similar FileProvider API. This is why Dropbox, Google drive and OneDrive had to have major rewrites of client software recently and support Apple Silicon natively.)
It would really help to understand your request if you’d describe in more detail what you want to do and why you can’t.
I use DT3 Bonjour as my method to view data via DTTG. I have to use DTTG’s main interface to download and purge files even when using with file app. I just thought it would be better to be able to access those files over Bonjour (which has nothing to do with storage really, Bonjour is a discovery protocol) as if they are on a local filing system. My DT3 machine has over a hundred thousand digital documents and images I don’t and cannot store everything locally on a iOS/iPadOS device.
I can’t test, but guess that DTTG cannot provide files which have not be downloaded from the sync store
That is correct. Our sync is a bit more complicated than just iCloud which is directly supported by iOS. Therefore it cannot run inside the 30 MB RAM allowed for File Provider extensions.
Thanks for your explanation; now I understand what you are doing and what you were asking for.