Confined files are displayed in the import dialog when using `Import folder`

[Ironicbay]

Parsec version

3.5.0-a7

Which platform(s) you have observed the problem

• Any
• macOS
• Linux
• Windows
• Web

Bug description

When importing a folder, here on MacOS with .DS_Store files, these files are imported regardless of if their pattern match confined files patterns.

Reproduction steps

1. Import a folder containing files matching confined patterns
2. Confined files appear on the operations manager

Relevant output:

No response

[mmmarcos]

UPDATE: This is due to the import dialog (GUI) displaying all files being imported by the user. In the background, libparsec will not actually import these files because they will match on of the confined file patters.

The issue here is that confined file patterns are only know by libparsec. Therefore, the GUI does not know which files will be confined.

Solution: libparsec should expose a function to know if a file will be confined (or which files, from a given list, match one of the patterns), so the GUI can use this information to hide the file from the import dialog.

The bug is not critical since the files are not actually imported. It might be confusing though for the user, specially if trying to specifically synchronize a confined file, but this should not be the case most of the time.

[Max-7]

The title is a bit misleading.

We cannot prevent the import dialog from showing some files, this is provided by the OS.

In this case, we import a folder, we iterate through the files in this folder, and we import them in Parsec (open/write). The files are indeed imported, but they are not synchonized.

The only problem is that those files are shown in the import popover and take some time to import, which is 1) useless and 2) a bit confusing for the user who doesn't see the files appear in the list of files.

[mmmarcos]

The title is a bit misleading.

We cannot prevent the import dialog from showing some files, this is provided by the OS.

You're right. I didn't mean the OS's import dialog where the user selects the folder. I meant the import window (or popover as you call it) displaying the files being imported in Parsec.

In this case, we import a folder, we iterate through the files in this folder, and we import them in Parsec (open/write). The files are indeed imported, but they are not synchonized.

The only problem is that those files are shown in the import popover and take some time to import, which is 1) useless and 2) a bit confusing for the user who doesn't see the files appear in the list of files.

So do we agree that if libparsec provides a function to detect it, we should be able to skip the import as the GUI will know that it is useless.

In principle libparsec can return the patterns or provide a function to check per filename:

• Check per file with something like filename_matches_confined_pattern(filename) -> True/False
• Get current confined patterns (on each "import folder" action?) and match filenames one by one in front-end code.

NOTE: this whole issue may not be relevant depending on #9161: if libparsec provides an import folder function, it could be treated as a single action in the GUI.

[Max-7]

With the addition of #11933, I think providing a function in the bindings that the GUI can call to check if the name of a file matches a prevent sync pattern is the best solution.