• Easy setup. No server hardware/software required.
• No permanent local network connection necessary.
• Changes to the phrases are synchronized on demand and "peer-to-peer" in either direction.
• Intelligent sync mechanism prevents any conflict files.
• Optional "end-to-end" password-encryption.
• Optional program settings synchronization.

Video tutorial

To keep phrases synchronized across multiple PhraseExpress installations, a peer-to-peer system uses a central "sync folder" as the exchange hub.

Each user stores their phrases locally, while the sync folder serves as a marketplace where updates are uploaded and retrieved on demand.

This folder can be located on a shared NAS or within a cloud service such as Dropbox, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or a self-hosted solution like OwnCloud.

One user initiates the synchronization and becomes the Master User (this can be changed later). Other users can then join the sync.

To provide your phrase library to other users:

1. Open the PhraseExpress main program window and in the phrase tree, select the node of the phrase file, you wish to share with other users.
2. Select "File » Phrase Synchronization » Share your phrase file with other users".
3. Specify the location of the sync folder. This must be a location where all other users have access to, e.g. a network share or a cloud service sync folder.

PhraseExpress will copy your phrases and other files to the selected sync folder.

If menu item "Phrase synchronisation" is missing:

• Synchronization has already been set up for the selected local phrase file node.
• In the phrase tree view, no local phrase file node has been selected.
• PhraseExpress is used in portable mode.

IMPORTANT: This initial setup needs to be done by one user only. The creator of a sync folder automatically becomes the "master". All other users do not create a sync folder but rather join the sync folder as described below.

All users must use the same PhraseExpress version; do not mix v18 and v16 clients.

When using an online cloud service, you must disable features that only show files locally but do not actually download them to PCs until they are accessed (Example Microsoft OneDrive / Apple iCloud Drive).

If you are using a cloud sync service, wait until the file has fully synced to all computers; this may take a while.

If using an online cloud service, you can set a password to encrypt your phrase file for secure data transmission. The phrases will be encrypted before they are stored in the cloud. If you password-protect the phrase file, make sure that all users who join the synchronization know the password.

Individual phrase folders can be access restricted, so you can still have your personal phrases.

• Distribute license keys to all sync members

One user must have created a sync folder first as described above. Other users can then connect to this sync folder.

To join a synchronized phrase file:

1. Open the main program window.
2. If you have loaded multiple phrase files, in the tree view, select the phrase file you wish to have replaced with the synchronized phrases.
3. Select "File » Phrase Synchronization" and "Join a shared phrase file"
4. Select the sync folder on the NAS or cloud sync directory.

PhraseExpress unloads your local phrases (which remains on your computer), create a local synchronization phrase file ("syncphrases.pexdb") and download the phrases shared in the synchronization directory.

Your previously used phrases can optionally be imported into a folder of the shared phrase file and restricts access to you. You can then reorganize, move, or partially delete the imported phrases and configure access rights as needed.

You can pre-configure PhraseExpress clients for synchronization via configuration file. Please check out this expert(!) video tutorial.

If using an online cloud service to share the phrase file, you must disable features that only show files locally but do not actually download them to PCs until they are accessed (See instructions for Microsoft OneDrive or Apple iCloud Drive).

Do not load or handle files in the sync folder directly. Those are solely internally managed by PhraseExpress.

To update your local phrase file with remote changes:

1. Open the PhraseExpress main program window.
2. In the phrase tree, select the phrase file node with cloud symbol.
3. Click the main menu button "Send/Receive Updates" or press hotkey CTRL - F5 .

PhraseExpress sends your changes to the central sync folder and apply changes published by other users to your local phrase file.

If multiple users edited the same phrase, PhraseExpress uses the latest edit version based on UTC ("universal time coordinated").

Why syncing manually?

• It enables you to create & test phrases locally without confusing other users with unfinished work. Only, if you are happy with the results you push the changes to the sync folder for others to download.
• Syncing and merging may require some heavy lifting on the local client. The app can be unresponsive while it analyzes and merges a potentially large number of changes with your local phrase file.
• Manual sync minimizes network load.

For an instant sync, consider using a SQL server. Please note that using a SQL server requires a permanent network connection to the server.

• Synchronization options

PhraseExpress keeps a log of all phrase file synchronization changes.

The status bar informs you about changes after synchronization. To open the log viewer, click "Details" in the status bar after a synchronization or click the small rectangle underneath the "Send/Receive changes" main menu button and select "Show sync log".

In the sync log viewer, you can review any change:

• Double-click or right-click any item in the log to jump to the corresponding phrase.
• Click any column header to change sorting of the log. Click again on a header to reverse the sorting order.
• Use the log search feature to find any log entry of interest.

To delete the log, use the database optimization feature. Deleting the log does not undo the actual change to the phrase file.

Change entries are not necessarily edit changes, you have made. Every internal change and setting changes (such as changing the spelling language) may be logged as a change.

The log is stored inside of the phrase file. The log itself is not synchronized with other users. Every user has its own log.

• Cloud/NAS synchronization
• Delete sync log

To disable phrase synchronization:

1. Open the PhraseExpress main program window.
2. In the phrase tree, select the phrase file node with cloud symbol.
3. Click the triangle icon of the main menu button "Send/Receive Updates" and select "Stop synchronization".

PhraseExpress unloads the synchronization file, deletes the sync log, and loads the most recently loaded phrase file.