I have a database based on an indexed folder in Dropbox. The initial indexing worked fine. I moved my files around and tagged them etc.
A few days later, I added several files to the Dropbox folder. Clicked on “Updated Indexed Items”–and ALL of the files in the Dropbox folder re-indexed. This left me with thousands of duplicates and no easy way to find -just- the files that were new since the last indexing.
I’m sure there is something I’m overlooking. Any help?
I think a key missing element is what you mean by
Moved in the database? In the files system? In Dropbox?
Oops, I’m meaning that everything remains the same in the Dropbox file. (I don’t touch it!)
But I move what’s indexed in DTPO around various ways in DTPO itself.
I’ve had that “unknown file” shadow thing before. I learned my lesson about moving anything around in the source folder.
My databases are all 100% indexed, and I have never had a problem with duplicates after moving indexed items in the database. I can move an item to a different group, select the option to reveal the item in the Finder, and it still appears in its original location. However, I rarely move indexed documents and usually when I do, it is by accident.
The far safer, and reliable, method is to index documents into the database and leave them in their original, indexed group. Then replicate the documents to put them an occurrence of the documents where you want them. The original source will remain linked to the original folder in the Finder.
I agree with Greg, and I’m having a hard time imagining actions that would cause indexed items to be duplicated merely by choosing “Update Indexed Items”. First, the “Update Indexed Items” works only on the selected item(s) and their children (if any). So, if you index a folder and later select the top group in your database which represents that folder, then “Update Indexed Items” will refresh that group and all it’s children. But it does not reindex things that are already indexed. And it does not make duplicates.
I’m sure you have to be doing something else that is causing duplicates. Or, whatever process is putting the things into Dropbox is creating duplicates, or replacing one item with another, etc.
Can you reproduce this – say by using a Dropbox folder that has few things in it (to minimize the damage)?