Externally deleted files should be automatically removed from IM5

[ubacher]

In IM3 an externally deleted file was also automatically deleted from IM. I never had any problems with this behavior.
I run into problems with the current IM5 behavior which requires a manual RESCAN initiation to remove such files from IM5.

1. Scripts still see the (externally removed) file. I don't feel like adding coding to all scripts to deal with such files or output a warning - if even possible. Remembering to manually check if such files exist before running a script is no option.

2. The viewer still sees the file but shows a blank/black image.

I can see the argument that the users should see the image - as a warning that it was (maybe accidentally) removed.
But I think we then need a better way to deal with such images.   Any ideas out there?

How about this: A warning appears:
There are 5 files which have been removed from disk. Would you like to remove them also from the database?

[Mario]

In your script you can easily test if a file exists on disk via the Online property.

For security reasons, IMatch never removes files from your database just because it can (momentarily) not find them on the disk.
You may have moved or renamed these files in another application. If IMatch would remove the files automatically, you would have no chance to use Relocate to inform IMatch about the new location of the files. If IMatch removes files from a database, all associated data is also lost, including category assignments, unwritten metadata, collections, annotations, Attributes etc.

If a user wants to remove files no longer on disk from his database, he only has to rescan the folder(s). Easy.

[ubacher]

As I said - there is good reason to have the current behavior. It is just that I never had problems with this in IM3
and I am hoping to hear what others have to say about this.
( In other words: for me this new behavior is not an improvement but rather a pain. And so I was wondering if I am alone in this.)

And - the same problems exist with rejected files.  But these can be disabled ( the DELETE=set REJECT  behavior).

It is easy to eliminate unwanted files as long as one remembers!!!

[Gerd]

Hi,

may be it is a way to make it configurable in the preferences ... but on the other side ... how should IM5 knows, where and when you have removed files outside? Every 10 min. a complete scan of all directories? Normally you should use IM5 as master and delete files here ...

[picolo]

Normally you should use IM5 as master and delete files here ...

Sometimes you realize, after a image is opened in the RAW converter, that the picture is not worth to keep it - that is the point where I delete it from there.

So it always depends on the personal workflow

[Gerd]

... then ask for make it configurable in the preferences ...

[Mario]

As I said - there is good reason to have the current behavior. It is just that I never had problems with this in IM3

As far as I recall, IMatch 3 also did not delete files automatically from the database. Only during a folder rescan or Quick Rescan.

And - the same problems exist with rejected files.  But these can be disabled ( the DELETE=set REJECT  behavior).

What problem with rejected files? Rejecting files is a seamless and comfortable undo mechanism which not only makes deleting files faster, but also allows for a quick undo in case you made a mistake. You can disable reject in the preferences if you don't like it.

I have no plans to make IMatch remove files automatically. It can be done any time at your convenience with <Shift>+<F5> which I don't find too much of a burden - in addition to the added security to not removing valid files from the database accidentally just because they were moved or renamed in another application.

[Buster]

What happens if your USB-Hub stops working and your external drive cannot be located any more? Then IM5 will remove all files from your database? Never. Leave ist as it is.

[JohnZeman]

Personally I like the current behavior.  A simple filter will show me any offline (externally deleted files) and then once I've verified they actually are supposed to be deleted I can select all the offline files and remove them from the database.  Or rescan the folder.

Buster raises a good point.  If for some reason IMatch doesn't find your files when you know they should be there would you really want them removed from the database?

[Mario]

Naturally an "automatic delete" would check for the off-line state of the media. So no harm there.

But the current "files and associated data are only removed from the database when the user explicitly says so" is the more secure alternative. I like it that way and it prevents accidental data loss. Not always user realize that the applications they work with move or rename files. And then, two weeks later, they notice that many files are missing from their database, in addition to all the categories and Attributes and other data they have entered...

[ubacher]

I "develop" my raw images in PS and during this process regularly delete images.
In IM3 I never had to manually remove these images from the DB.
Now I will have to remember to do a rescan after all images have been "developed" to eliminate the deleted files.
And forgetting is not as bad as I feared:

Closer investigation shows that I only have to modify a few scripts to take care of (skip)  such files. The batch processor ignores them anyway.
The renamer does not - but that is not even worth listing in the bug section.

In the viewer the (ext del) file does show normally ( today, last time it showed black) but can not be removed. (Del key marks the file with
the red X but selecting delete on exit does not delete it)

So let me reword my feature request:

Externally deleted files should be shown as such clearly marked in the viewer and there should be, for convenience,  a
remove from database option available inside the viewer.

[Richard]

Externally deleted files should be shown as such clearly marked in the viewer

Off-line
This icon is shown when the file is off-line. If you work with removable media or resources not always accessible (e.g., network storage) this icon just indicates that the file is currently not available. It will also be shown if you have renamed or moved the file outside of IMatch.

[Sorted]

In IM3 an externally deleted file was also automatically deleted from IM. I never had any problems with this behavior.
I run into problems with the current IM5 behavior which requires a manual RESCAN initiation to remove such files from IM5.
...

If files are deleted externally, and IMatch3 is running, IM3 seems to do one of two things: either the images disappear from the file window and the drive (?) symbol is marked with a tiny red square notifying that an update is requried or a dialogue appears notifying one that some indexed files cannot be found anymore and asking you whether or not to remove the files and associated information from the databse now. For some reason it seems to do either of the aforementioned on different occasions but there might be some reason for the variation in response which eludes me.