BUG: Pressing update reverts to old Google Docs version

[doogooroo]

Hi Ernie,

I downloaded a deck from Google Docs, found a mistake when I was doing my reps, edited it in the app, then pressed update in the "Decks to Update" screen, but it reverted back to the original Google Docs version, i.e. the changes I had made in the phone were lost.

I'm running the latest version of Flashcards Deluxe (version 2.8.1) on an iPhone 4.

Be great if the Google Docs deck could be updated if the deck has been changed on the phone and vice versa.

Cheers,

Dougal

[norbert]

I am not the programmer, but I guess that this is not possible at the moment. two-way sync is not easy to be implemented.

For example, what if you change both sides, the google docs and on the phone, in an incompatible way?

It is the users obligation to sync changes made on the iphone back to google docs.

[Ernie]

Hi Dougal,

I think we just have a terminology problem. An "update" is copying from Google Docs to the app. You get to this update screen by tapping "Download". The opposite direction would be "Export" (app to Google Docs). So, I think you can do what you want, you just need to tap the appropriate command (Export in this case).

Give that a try next time you want to export back to Google Docs.

I use "update" rather than "download" in that one screen so you know you are not going to create a new deck, but rather update an existing one in the app. I just hope the "Download" you tapped prior to that gives the user a sense of what is going on.


Ernie

[doogooroo]

Thanks Ernie. Understood. I've tried the export feature and it works.

Must say that, personally, I think the word "Update" in this context is confusing. I assumed this was synonymous with sync.

Speaking of which, are you considering a "sync" feature? Having to remember whether the Google Docs version or the iPhone app version is the most recent and then "update" or "export" accordingly is a bit onerous, particularly when you regularly go through 40 or so decks as I do.

Also, occasionally you might update a few cards in a deck via Google Docs and a few more cards of the same doc via the iPhone app. In this case, "updating" from Google Docs or "exporting" from the iPhone app wouldn't cut the mustard since part of the newer material would be overwritten by older material (which I think is what Norbert was also getting at).

It would be nice to be able to press "sync" once and be done with it, with the most recent edits to a card - irrespective of whether they occurred on the iPhone app or Google Docs - merged into the one deck.

I imagine this is technically a lot more tricky than exporting and importing whole decks at a time. Nevertheless, is it something on your radar?

Thanks again for being so prompt to reply. It's reassuring.

Cheers,

Dougal

[Ernie]

Syncing is not something I'm planning on doing anytime even remotely soon. It's tricky and prone to error, and then I get yelled at for either creating a duplicate of every card or deleting half the cards. Ha. Anyway, it's something I'd like to do eventually, but it's lower on my priority list at the moment.

[doogooroo]

LOL. Yes, I imagine you would get scolded if it stuffed up

Good to know it's on the radar though, even if at the edges. I'll work out a system for keeping things in sync myself till then.

Cheers,

Dougal