Is there any addin for Visual Studio to synchronize files?

Question

I want to know if there is any addin to synchronize files with a remote server (like a file upload (FTP) for deployment). (in a Website)

Something that can identify the files I change and check them for a later upload.

Is there an addin for that?

Answer 1

That sounds remarkably like source control to me... and there are lots of source control add-ins for Visual Studio.

Even if you don't really want the full power of source control, it can be a pretty simple way of syncing with another machine... in fact, that's how I end up "deploying" to csharpindepth.com - I check everything into a repository on the server, and a hook updates the web site directory.

Answer 2

What do you mean by synchronize files? Synchronize with what?

If you mean with a repository, then ankhsvn is one such add-in that works with subversion.

If you mean with the deployment location then clickonce is built-in and manages file versioning on the server whenever you click 'publish'.

edit> ClickOnce calculates all necessary dependencies for the project. Additionally, you can click the 'application files' button in the publish tab of project config and select 'show all files'. For each file you can mark them as:

• include: They'll be deployed with the project
• Pre-requisites: they must be on the system at the time of installation/deployment
• Exclude: Don't deploy them

Likewise, the pre-requisites button allows you to ensure that certain application dependencies are present (framework version, sql server is installed, etc.).

Answer 3

AnkhSVN http://ankhsvn.open.collab.net/ is an integrated Subversion interface and as with all version control systems you can check in code (and other files as well). I would recommend something of that nature unless you synchronization files are not project related, in which case I recommend pretty much any of the file synchronization utilities that are available out there. I'm partial to Delta Copy http://www.aboutmyip.com/AboutMyXApp/DeltaCopy.jsp for general purpose file copies.

Answer 4

If you are talking about just file syncing and not source control, then Microsoft's Live Mesh is the tool for you. It will sync files across whatever devices you want - quite handy if you need to take work home with you but don't have remote access to your source control (or you do but don't want to be checking in stuff that is still WIP).

Note that it isn't a VS plugin, it operates separately and watches for file system changes.

Answer 5

You are probably looking for something like this. Dispatch is pretty good indeed, but it´s not a free alternative.