Multiple problems with sync and archive func.

[sinsic]

Hello,
since the program overhaul, I have been having multiple problems with the new sync and archive functions. Before getting into detail, thanks for the work, been using the app happly for quite some time.

I'm currently using the windows 11 store app on my pc and android app on my phone and trying to sync books from pc to phone and bookmarks both ways. (I'm saying sync but I'm using the archive function because it is similar to the sync'ing procedure before the update)

I came across a few problems:

  1. One Drive connection seems logged out when probably it is not. (Both on pc and phone)
When I enter to sync and archive, the button at the bottom reads "connect to OneDrive", when you click on it a few times (sometimes at first click sometimes at third, I wait a little after each time) it becomes "reset the OneDrive connection" without asking for password.
Unless I do this I can not import or export archives.
Since it is not asking me for password, I'm guessing even though OneDrive is logged in, it only looks like it is logged out and because of this some features doesn't work.

  2. Ebook bookmarks doesn't get imported with archives or doesn't work even if it is getting imported. [b](Both on pc and phone)[/b]
I'm assuming bookmark means where you closed the book last time. It always opens the book from first page if book and bookmark is newly imported, if book is not newly imported but bookmark is newly imported it opens the book from the last page I was on that device and not the page from the imported bookmark.
I do select "bookmarks and highlights" both while exporting and importing and I can see journal files being created at One Drive which I assume corresponds to bookmarks and highlights.

  3. Ebook series with long titles doesn't get downloaded correctly. (Export from pc, import from phone)
For example:
I have books from a light novel series called "The Irregular at Magic High School".
TL;DR: 
Even though the file name is short, Freda, as far as I can tell, merges the book title with author names and limits the max length by deleting the middle part.
Since the book titles are named as "<light novel name>, Vol. <number in the series>: <that parts name>" and authors are almost always the same, the number and the book name gets deleted.
Resulting in all books in this series getting the same name on freda archives:"the+irregular+at+magic+high+sch-=-tsutomu+sato,+kana+ishida.epub"
So when exporting from pc to archive everything is ok but, when I download from archive to phone it somehow downloads same book multiple times instead of different books.

Long version:
For example, I delete everybook from both pc and phone.
I open 2 books at PC:
First books title is "The Irregular at Magic High School, Vol. 2: Enrollment Arc, Part II".
I shortened the original file on my pc to "MKnR 02 Enrollment Arc, Part 2.epub".

Second books title is "The Irregular at Magic High School, Vol. 3: Nine School Competition Arc, Part I".
I shortened the original file on my pc to "MKnR 03 Nine School Competition Arc, Part 1.epub".

When I export them from pc to archive, 2 files are created at OneDrive:
"mknr+02+enrollment+arc,+part+2-=-.epub"
"mknr+03+nine+school+competition-=-.epub"

When I try to import them to phone from the archive a third file is created:
"the+irregular+at+magic+high+sch-=-tsutomu+sato,+kana+ishida.epub"

And I see errors at the archive page logs(this is probably something else it says source 'feedbooks' and source 'calibre' and so on..):
"failed to replay sync action to create source because a source of this name already exists on this device"



After the archive is imported when I check the books on the phone, according to titles, there are 3 books (I'm shortening the names):
"Vol 3" , "Vol 3" , "Vol 2"
But when you open them all of them are actually "Vol 3" and all of them have "Vol 3"s thumbnail.

[jim_chapman]

  1. One Drive connection seems logged out when probably it is not. (Both on pc and phone)


  2. Ebook bookmarks doesn't get imported with archives or doesn't work even if it is getting imported. [b](Both on pc and phone)[/b]


  3. Ebook series with long titles doesn't get downloaded correctly. (Export from pc, import from phone)

Thank you for reporting the problems you've been having with Freda.

To the points you mention:
1. Actually, there's a difference between the state "The device is logged in to OneDrive" and "Freda is logged in to OneDrive".  That's why you're getting confusing results.  When Freda starts, it is normally not logged in to OneDrive, even if the device is logged in.  When Freda attempts to log in, two different things may happen - either (if the device is logged in) Freda gets logged in without you having to enter a password; or (the device is not logged in) the device tries to log in (which might or might not require a password, depending on your settings) and then it logs Freda in.  Also there is the complication that Freda might, or might not, have been granted permission to use your OneDrive (and if it hasn't been granted permission then, when Freda tries to use OneDrive, you're going to see a series of 'request permission' popups).  Because 'attempting to log in to OneDrive' can generate a load of popups, I do not do it automatically when you start Freda (unless I can be certain that it won't produce all those popups - actually, I sometimes can).  But normally you need to log in manually.
That's a process that can take some time (tens of seconds, if OneDrive is being slow today).  Clicking the button multiple times will cause the process to abort and restart - so better to click once and wait a long time if necessary.  I'll adjust the UI of Freda so it prevents multiple clicks on that button.

2. In fact 'bookmarks' are what you create by using the 'add bookmark' menu item when reading a book.  You're really thinking about the 'last read position'.  That can be synchronised between devices, but 'creating an archive and restoring it' is not the best way to do it, and won't always work if you've recently been reading the book on both devices - the reliable method is to turn on 'automatic sync with other devices'.

3. That is a good point, and it is a design fault in Freda.  For now, your best work-around is just to rename the books (shorten the title and/or prefix it with the book number) - you can rename the book by right-clicking/long-tapping on it in the bookshelf list and selecting 'edit'.  But obviously I need to fix the app, and I will include a fix in the next release (which unfortunately may be a few weeks off, as Google are requiring me to update to a new set of build tools, and I am sure that will cause teething troubles!)

[sinsic]

  1. One Drive connection seems logged out when probably it is not. (Both on pc and phone)


  2. Ebook bookmarks doesn't get imported with archives or doesn't work even if it is getting imported. [b](Both on pc and phone)[/b]


  3. Ebook series with long titles doesn't get downloaded correctly. (Export from pc, import from phone)

Thank you for reporting the problems you've been having with Freda.

To the points you mention:
1. Actually, there's a difference between the state "The device is logged in to OneDrive" and "Freda is logged in to OneDrive".  That's why you're getting confusing results.  When Freda starts, it is normally not logged in to OneDrive, even if the device is logged in.  When Freda attempts to log in, two different things may happen - either (if the device is logged in) Freda gets logged in without you having to enter a password; or (the device is not logged in) the device tries to log in (which might or might not require a password, depending on your settings) and then it logs Freda in.  Also there is the complication that Freda might, or might not, have been granted permission to use your OneDrive (and if it hasn't been granted permission then, when Freda tries to use OneDrive, you're going to see a series of 'request permission' popups).  Because 'attempting to log in to OneDrive' can generate a load of popups, I do not do it automatically when you start Freda (unless I can be certain that it won't produce all those popups - actually, I sometimes can).  But normally you need to log in manually.
That's a process that can take some time (tens of seconds, if OneDrive is being slow today).  Clicking the button multiple times will cause the process to abort and restart - so better to click once and wait a long time if necessary.  I'll adjust the UI of Freda so it prevents multiple clicks on that button.

2. In fact 'bookmarks' are what you create by using the 'add bookmark' menu item when reading a book.  You're really thinking about the 'last read position'.  That can be synchronised between devices, but 'creating an archive and restoring it' is not the best way to do it, and won't always work if you've recently been reading the book on both devices - the reliable method is to turn on 'automatic sync with other devices'.

3. That is a good point, and it is a design fault in Freda.  For now, your best work-around is just to rename the books (shorten the title and/or prefix it with the book number) - you can rename the book by right-clicking/long-tapping on it in the bookshelf list and selecting 'edit'.  But obviously I need to fix the app, and I will include a fix in the next release (which unfortunately may be a few weeks off, as Google are requiring me to update to a new set of build tools, and I am sure that will cause teething troubles!)

Thanks for the fast reply.

2. Ohh ok. Yes what I want is the last read position.
I thought it was the opposite, automatic sync doesn't always work and importing from the new device was the reliable method.
I'll try the auto sync, thank you.


1. Ok that was just nice to have but I can see how it can be problem for people who signed out of one drive to see popups every time they open Freda, not really that big a problem.
Will the auto sync work even if I don't manually log in? Or does it trigger auto sync if I go to sync and archive and log in then wait a few seconds and close the app?
What is the best way?

3. Since there are like 20 books in the series it is going to be a little nuisance changing each one but if this was already on your radar than it is ok.

Have a nice day!

Edit:
I cleared user files and working files from support tab, also completely deleted app data using windows app settings and android app settings.
After that I opened pc app and made sure sync is not yet checked.
Opened 2 books from folder option. Went to bookshelf and shortened their title.
Logged in to onedrive and archived the book files.
Saw they were uploaded with the shorter and correct names at OneDrive.
Turned on sync on pc and went to a page on one book.
Checked the sync page and saw it did sync. (Also saw the journel entry at OneDrive)

Opened phone app, logged in to onedrive, turned on sync, nothing happened.
Imported only book files from the archive. Book files downloaded correctly.
Went to Sync page saw it start and finish.
Now I have 2 "downloaded" books, which are correct with short names I wrote but the book I opened is not synced. (Although now there is a journal entry for phone app at onedrive too)
And now I have 3 additional "not downloaded" books which includes short named and long named versions

[jim_chapman]

Hmm - Thank you for the update.  I'll work on a fix for this issue - but as I noted it might take a few weeks to be available.  Sorry for the inconvenience,

[sinsic]

Hmm - Thank you for the update.  I'll work on a fix for this issue - but as I noted it might take a few weeks to be available.  Sorry for the inconvenience,

No problem, thanks again