ForumsThird-Party ApplicationsContexts not syncing


Contexts not syncing
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jamesbergin

Posted: Aug 26, 2009
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I'm using the Toodledo Sync tool from Chromatic Dragon with Outlook 2007. For some reason I can't figure out, the tasks are syncing, but the contexts aren't. When I show the tdcontext and tdfolder fields, tdfolder gets populated but tdcontext is only there for some 20 of my 400 tasks.

What gives?

If I change the tdcontext field in Outlook and then sync, the change is synced. But changing the context via the website has no effect.

Anyone know a solution?
sventhebrit

Posted: Aug 26, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
I have Outlook 2007 and I can confirm it is working with the latest version of the SyncTool that Keef released - v.1.0.1.1 (which incidentally says v1.0.1.0 in the About on the app).

I have tried creating a new task with a context and also changing the context of an existing task on the website. All came through to Outlook correctly.

Which version of the sync tool are you using ?

Steve
jamesbergin

Posted: Aug 26, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Thanks Steve.

I'll check, but I was pretty sure I am running 1.0.1.1.

I have my own GTD macros in Outlook, and because I had so many tasks, I exported them to CSV and imported them to Toodledo on the website. I then confirmed that all the contexts and folders looked good on the website, and on my iPhone.

However, when I started to try and sync to Outlook, I noted that (for starters), I got duplicate tasks - i.e. it ignored the tasks I already had in Outlook - and that hardly any (read 20 out of 400+) had the tdcontext field populated.

Did you need to have any of the other Sync tool checkboxes enabled? e.g. the categories to contexts or categories to folders checkboxes? I've unchecked both of them to deal with the fact that most of my tasks have multiple categories.

(It's strange to me that Toodledo doesn't allow multiple contexts!)
Anders

Posted: Aug 26, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Posted by thecrane:
I have my own GTD macros in Outlook, and because I had so many tasks, I exported them to CSV and imported them to Toodledo on the website. I then confirmed that all the contexts and folders looked good on the website, and on my iPhone.

Ah, there's your problem.
From the Chromatic Dragon website: http://www.chromadrake.com/ChromaticDragon/software/ToodledoSyncInfo.aspx

Known Issues

* The application does not currently support an environment where Outlook tasks have been previously imported into Toodledo by some other process (e.g. manual import). It will treat these imported tasks as new Toodledo tasks which will duplication when synchronizing. It is recommended to backup, then delete any Outlook tasks that have previously been manually imported into Toodledo before running the tool.

The small number of tasks that looked correct to you on the website were just the first new tasks from Outlook coming through. The sync tool syncs in batches, so getting them all on the website initially can take a fairly long time if you have a lot of tasks.

Posted by thecrane:
(It's strange to me that Toodledo doesn't allow multiple contexts!)

People who like to use multiple Contexts generally use the Tag field for that.


This message was edited Aug 26, 2009.
jamesbergin

Posted: Aug 27, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Thanks for the response Anders.

I will delete and start again on Toodledo - I really need my tasks in Outlook to be the master, however, because I use them in the rest of my GTD process. You don't happen to know if there are any other properties or things I need to reset to get those Outlook tasks syncing with Toodledo if they've already been synced in the past?

And, by the way, the reason I went down this path (i.e. importing via Excel) is that when I did it the other way last time (i.e. just synced from Outlook over a very, very long time), it got to a point where about a half dozen folders (from categories) were being recreated with every sync. So, I ended up having hundreds of copies of just those 6 folders! Is that a well-known bug?

Can't wait to have this all sorted!!! Thanks again for all your help.
Anders

Posted: Aug 27, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
I don't know of anything you have to change. As long as each task exists only in one place (either Outlook or Toodledo), then they should all sync correctly.

I have heard other reports of the Folder multiplication issue, so it is certainly known, but I don't know if it's common. It doesn't seem to be from the number of people who report it here.
keef

Posted: Aug 27, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Most duplication issues are caused by an exception causing the synch process to terminate half way through. If you are getting duplicates it is always worth looking through the diagnostics trace for errors. I am hpappy to look at them for you if you mail them to me - developer(at)chromadrake.com

Anders, please feel free to suggest that users mail me their logs if their issues are not obvious.

keef
Anders

Posted: Aug 27, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Will do.
jamesbergin

Posted: Aug 28, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
Thanks keef and Anders.

After some serious Outlook macro tidy up, I've deleted and started syncing again, and things are looking good...to a point.

About 80 of the tasks aren't syncing. The result in the debug is:

yncApp.exe Warning: 0 : TaskSyncController: ProcessContextStates() Error processing item Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at SynchLib.TaskSync.ToodledoTaskProcessor.UpdateTaskFromTaskItemInternal(Task task, TaskItem taskItem)

keef - I might send the log through to you to look at - unless this is something you're familiar with and is easy to fix?
keef

Posted: Aug 28, 2009
Score: 0 Reference
that issue is usally caused by te app 'remembering' a toodledo task or note that has disappeared or been manually deleted. The best current way to fix this is to reset the application database using the recovery panel of the options page.
keef
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