Question about how syncing works when the app is closed ...
 

Let's say that I open OF on the iPhone, quickly change the status of a few items, and maybe enter in a new item as well. Nothing too crazy, but I do make some changes.

The sync is taking place, as the indicator says that it's going. Before the icon stops spinning, I lock the screen using the top button.

The sync would continue, yes? I got a weird (but easily fixable) sync conflict after this (the newly added task did not show up, but the status was changed for the two items I checked off), and just wanted to make sure that the sync would indeed finish if I lock the screen (but leave the app open).

(To clarify, when I say 'sync conflict', I mean the sync does not show up completely on my desktop copy of OF when I open it later.)

I'd like some clarification on this as well please.

Me too.

Good question! None of us knew the answer (because it's up to the iPhone whether or not to keep running OmniFocus in the background), so I just experimented with this while watching my sync server's web logs.

At the moment, it looks like OmniFocus won't start any new syncs after the screen is turned off, but if you already have a sync in progress it will continue to run in the background until it finishes. Note that this could change in an iPhone update if Apple changes its policy about how apps run while the screen is off.

Also, I should note that that only applies to the top button; if you hit the Home button in the front, OmniFocus will immediately terminate and abandon any sync in progress. (It will pick up where it left off the next time you start it.)

[QUOTE=Ken Case;41137]Also, I should note that that only applies to the top button; if you hit the Home button in the front, OmniFocus will immediately terminate and abandon any sync in progress. (It will pick up where it left off the next time you start it.)[/QUOTE]

It will resume where it left off? Or it will start over? How can it resume? Or is the API that smart?

-Chris

[QUOTE=ee99ee;41258]It will resume where it left off? Or it will start over? How can it resume? Or is the API that smart?

-Chris[/QUOTE]
I think that probably lies in the "In progress" directories that OmniFocus creates during sync. But I didn't realize that it'd pick up where it carried off--that, my friends, is pure win. Especially on EDGE.

I doubt that Apple changes the "locked but still running" behavior, though: AOL Radio, Pandora, and other audio apps rely on it to keep playing music once the screen is locked.

[QUOTE=ee99ee;41258]It will resume where it left off? Or it will start over? How can it resume? Or is the API that smart?[/QUOTE]

Chris, I'm not familiar with all the details, but my understanding is that basically we sync batches of changes, so if part of a batch doesn't make it across then that batch will have to start over on the next sync. But any batches that make it through get marked as synced, and we can pick up where we left off last time.

-andrew

Excellent. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. Thanks for the quick reply!

[QUOTE=Ken Case;41137]Good question! None of us knew the answer (because it's up to the iPhone whether or not to keep running OmniFocus in the background), so I just experimented with this while watching my sync server's web logs.

At the moment, it looks like OmniFocus won't start any new syncs after the screen is turned off, but if you already have a sync in progress it will continue to run in the background until it finishes. Note that this could change in an iPhone update if Apple changes its policy about how apps run while the screen is off.

Also, I should note that that only applies to the top button; if you hit the Home button in the front, OmniFocus will immediately terminate and abandon any sync in progress. (It will pick up where it left off the next time you start it.)[/QUOTE]