Android MMEX v2023.12.01.1002 release

[Bingbong26]

I see. Unfortunately I'll have to not use this app for now. Between my wife and I sharing the same database in nextcloud, it's bound to result in a conflict when one of use forgets to synchronize after adding a transaction. It's just too risky.

Thank you and I'll keep my eye on the project for future updates should this be improved.

[guanlisheng]

that's ok.

just a reminder that multi-modifiers to database files in cloud storage (e.g. NextCloud) might result in data loss (implicitly) and/or conflicts (explicitly) as these vendors sync underlying data via its binary-diff.

The typical and classic way is to set up a C/S architecture, saying running a real database service on somewhere.

[KenK]

I will try to obfuscate details in my database

I have now done this, sort of. I have tried it with the 2023-12-01 build of the app, and it is still crashing as before, when trying to add or view a tx. I tried both v18 and v19 versions. ("Check db schema" for v19 says there's a table missing: SETTINGS_V1_USAGE_V1.)

Having read the descriptions of the synchronisation processes needed, there's too much scope for me to mess it up, and I won't be using the Android port. So, I will leave this thread now.

[guanlisheng]

Thanks for following up, both SETTINGS_V1 and USAGE_V1 are not used in Android mmex.

In terms of synchronization, understand both your and @Bingbong26 's thought.
there is still some room to improve the UX, e.g.auto-sync periodically. we'll see

[user0000]

Maybe auto-sync on app open and close?

On the old 2019 version I was syncing the db directly which eliminated this.

Where is the cached db stored in the 2023 version?

[guanlisheng]

you can see both local and remote database paths via the main menu -> Settings -> Database

[Bingbong26]

I didn't mean for my post to sound ungrateful. I truly appreciate what you guys are doing. I'm just excited to see activity on a cool project like this. I'll keep watching and perhaps throw a donation at it to keep it moving. Thank you all for your efforts, I don't take for granted your volunteer time on this project that we enjoy for free.

[guanlisheng]

never mind. @Bingbong26

The main gap is the different expectation.
The flawless synchronization among different platforms and devices might need a centralized database service. it’s a typical option of commercial products and the end user might lost some control on data.
Just a trade-off. Please ping us once you find some product has good synchronization in cloud storage. Then we can have a reference.

[mmguy]

Don't know about a product but I know about an alternative to cloud synchronization services. I use something which is not a classic cloud option, it is Syncthing. Used to sync files and also mmex db between devices. Works great and it's open source.

Note for moderator: no idea why my previous post was disapproved as I was just suggesting checking out Syncthing. Moreover that service has already been discussed positively on this forum so really I don't understand the disapproval. Nevermind I will try one last time.

[Renato]

Note for moderator: no idea why my previous post was disapproved as I was just suggesting checking out Syncthing. Moreover that service has already been discussed positively on this forum so really I don't understand the disapproval. Nevermind I will try one last time.

Sorry, that wasn't me, another moderator deleted the post because he took it as product advertising (did it have a link ??)
From my point of view, you had received an appropriate response.

By the way: Every day I have to delete various users, including product advertisements, who place their advertisements despite being notified when they register. We eliminate the (professional) spammers who try to place such advertising via script with the non-standard registration procedure.
Every new user e-mail address is checked by me on the Stop Forum Spam homepage to see if there is already a spam entry.
But unlike in the past, we now have a spam-free forum.

[Bingbong26]

I've had got it miss luck with sync thing. 5 years ago it completely deleted my data somehow. I had the rules setup correctly. Ever since then, since I couldn't identify what I had done wrong, I lost trust in it.

But perhaps I'll give that a whirl. Still doesn't solve the manual sync requirement to save the database file. Unless the sync is just to push it to the cloud option. I thought even the local copy was only updated when you select sync in the app.

[guanlisheng]

I just updated Syncthing to the vote thread (it seems it reset the historical data...)

Unless the sync is just to push it to the cloud option.

this is exactly today's sync behavior. if we compare it with git, sort of `git push --force`

btw, I will take a look at the android mmex to work on the remote database directly, then each change will be reflected in cloud storage immediately.
as
1. the SQLite3 database file is small, (e.g. less than 2MB)
2. the modification frequency should be pretty low (e.g. less than 10 times per day),
3. especially when there are only a couple of devices and platforms that share the same database file.

I think it would work most of the time as physical conflicts would be rare.

[guanlisheng]

all

just rolled another beta release https://github.com/moneymanagerex/andro ... 12.06.1003
enabling auto-sync of the last opened database on app open if there is no conflict.
to mitigate current issue by an extra app open
@Bingbong26 , @user0000 , and @KenK , appreciated if you can have a try.

[luisdev]

Thank you!

I'm not sure what to test with regards to this change:
"enabling auto-sync of the last opened database on app open if there is no conflict"

What auto-sync are you referring to? Is it to sync the MMX Android database to a cloud provider (like DropBox, OneDrive, etc.)?

[guanlisheng]

Is it to sync the MMX Android database to a cloud provider (like DropBox, OneDrive, etc.)?

yup. just like click `menu->synchronize` on app start.

[Bingbong26]

Just tried it out. After updating I opened the app, immediately added a transaction, then closed the app (swiped away in recent apps) without pressing the sync button. Reopened the app and it hung for about 5 seconds but once it loaded it displayed thebnitirocation that the remote database has been updated, and I saw the nextcloud upload symbol pop up in my system tray/nototication bar.

Tried it with my wife's phone using the same database. Made a transaction and closed the app. Tried on my phone but it wasn't updated because she hadn't reopened the app on hers to force the sync. Even after she reopened her app, I have to reopen the database file (sync won't pull down the updated version, says no changes locally so it won't sync).

[guanlisheng]

you might need to wait a while for NextCloud to perform the sync after your wife reopens her app.
The sync is bi-directional and would pull down in this case. next time you can click `menu-> synchronize` to double verify.

btw, as your wife's phone using the same database, did you see the new transaction added from your phone?

[Bingbong26]

Yes when I added a new transaction from my phone, then reopened the app to push it to the dB, when I opened it on my wife's app it did show the transaction I made. We'll just have to ensure we're either manually pressing sync after adding a transaction or closing and reopening the app to ensure the database is updated/synced.

In the event where one of us doesn't sync a change (forget to close and reopen or manually sync) and the other person makes adds a different transaction and syncs, will that cause a conflict once hers eventually tries to sync?

[guanlisheng]

the basic function is working as
1. your wife's app had the transaction you made.
3. after force pull (via open database), you can see the transaction your wife made.

both are positive. in terms of synchronize, it might be some metadata error from either NextCloud or MMEX, saying to determine the last modification time for both remote and local database.

[guanlisheng]

In the event where one of us doesn't sync a change (forget to close and reopen or manually sync) and the other person makes adds a different transaction and syncs, will that cause a conflict once hers eventually tries to sync?

Yes, it will result in conflicts today as the cloud storage sync is on file level instead of transaction level.

[Bingbong26]

I had an issue where we both submitted transactions without syncing. Then I synced her transaction, then on my phone synced my transaction, and then closed the app on both phones and reopened the app to trigger it to pull down the latest, and they both only showed the transactions that each phone submitted itself. So I reopened the database on her phone and then it pulled the transaction that I submitted and the one she submitted was lost.

After this I was going to try to recreate it and test it some more, but I couldn't get her phone to open that database. I opened the app and it asks to create an account because it's got the local database open and not nextclouds. So I went to open, other, then selected the database as before through the nextcloud option in the file explorer, and it did nothing, just returning me to the same screen showing the local database open and requesting I make an account. This happened a couple of days ago as well then it just started working. So I cleared the storage of the app and deleted the local database. Reopened the app as a fresh install basically, and still could not get it to open the nextcloud database. My phone still access's it fine.

So maybe nextcloud just will not work with this app perhaps? At least not reliably anyway.

Edit: I just cleared storage on my phone for the mmex app and now I also cannot open the nextcloud database file. Upon selecting it, the app spits me back to the main screen asking me to open an existing dB or create a new one.

[guanlisheng]

The proper expectation is to apply the changes in sequence, then pull from/push to cloud storage in-time. Hard to guarantee the acid in cloud storage. Hence, one transaction missing here is expected .

You are the second guy to report the malformed issue. Might be due to some wal log. Will take a deeper look.

[pdelamotar]

Hello, I am using a translator so it may be difficult to understand, thank you very much for the contribution, I needed it.

I use mega for synchronization and when it comes to synchronizing it works perfectly, the problem is that when you open a database of data, it does not open the original database, but rather creates a copy in another path, so, when you make a modification in ammex, the file you are synchronizing is not modified, but rather the copy created by ammex is modified.



red: copy created by ammex

green: original file

[Renato]

If I read this post, then it should be possible to do without the DB copy and open the original DB multiple times without this causing conflicts.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/103 ... onnections

Whether this also solves the cloud problems (synchronization), I doubt it.

I prefer this solution: viewtopic.php?p=24414#p24414
If you don't want to leave the PC switched on at home, then you can possibly use the (not so secure) NAS function of the router.

[guanlisheng]

android has no posix interface to "mount" these cloud storage as a folder

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