Help Wanted Windows Version

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Feature Request: Port rysncer to Windows

Description

This feature request is to port the rysncer application, which is currently macOS-only, to work on Windows. The goal is to provide the same functionality for Windows users, allowing them to duplicate folders using rsync (or a similar tool available on Windows), while maintaining the drag-and-drop interface and the features currently supported on macOS.

Current Features to Implement on Windows

• Folder Duplication: Implement a reliable method for folder duplication, potentially using rsync or other Windows-native tools (such as robocopy).

• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Create a simple drag-and-drop interface for selecting folders, similar to how the app functions on macOS.

• Metadata Preservation: Ensure the app preserves file metadata during the duplication process, as it does on macOS.

• .DS_Store Cleanup: Remove any unnecessary system files (like .DS_Store on macOS) equivalent to Windows, such as desktop.ini.

• Summary Report: Show a summary with the number of files copied and their total size (in GB or MB).

• Error Handling: Validate folder paths and prevent overwriting existing folders in the destination location.

Technical Considerations

• Cross-Platform Tools:

  • Investigate using rsync on Windows via tools like Cygwin, MinGW, or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

  • Alternatively, evaluate native Windows tools like robocopy or PowerShell for folder duplication while preserving metadata.

• UI Design:

  • Use a cross-platform GUI toolkit such as Electron, Qt, or Tkinter to recreate the drag-and-drop interface for Windows users.

• Error Messages & System Integration:

  • Replace macOS-specific commands (e.g., osascript for dialogs) with appropriate Windows alternatives (e.g., PowerShell, .NET dialogs).

  • Ensure seamless integration with Windows Explorer for drag-and-drop functionality.

Benefits

• Expanding to Windows will significantly increase the user base, as more users can benefit from the folder duplication features of rysncer.

• It provides a consistent cross-platform experience for users working in mixed environments.

Potential Challenges

• Identifying a reliable, cross-platform solution to replace rsync and ensuring that metadata preservation works similarly on both macOS and Windows.

• Recreating the user interface and drag-and-drop functionality using Windows-compatible tools.

• Handling differences in file system conventions between macOS and Windows, such as hidden files and metadata storage.

Additional Notes

• Research should be done into the feasibility of using rsync on Windows via WSL, as it would keep most of the existing functionality without needing to rewrite the core logic.

• If needed, the porting process could start with a simpler, command-line-only version before moving to the graphical interface.