Dorico for iPad sometimes opens outdated iCloud Drive project version

[Martin_Wettstein]

Dear Dorico team,

I would like to report a serious synchronization issue with Dorico for iPad and iCloud Drive.

I use Dorico Pro on macOS and Dorico for iPad, both always updated to the latest available versions. My projects are stored in iCloud Drive. I have tried using a dedicated Dorico folder in iCloud Drive, opening files via the Files app rather than only from the Dorico hub, making sure that iCloud Drive is selected, and waiting for synchronization to complete.

Nevertheless, Dorico for iPad sometimes does not open the latest version of a project. Instead, it opens an older version of the same file.

This is especially problematic because the old version can then become the active version. In several cases I had to restore the current version from backups. The problem does not happen every time, but often enough that Dorico for iPad is currently not reliable for productive work with iCloud Drive.

It looks as if Dorico for iPad may sometimes be referencing an outdated cached copy, or as if iCloud Drive/Open in Place is not consistently handing over the latest version. The current version is visible and up to date on macOS, but the iPad may still open an older state.

Expected behaviour:

Dorico for iPad should always open the latest iCloud Drive version of the selected project, or clearly warn about a version conflict.

Actual behaviour:

Dorico for iPad sometimes opens an outdated version of the project, creating a serious risk of overwriting newer work.

Is this a known issue? Is there any recommended safe workflow to avoid this? And is there anything I can provide, such as screenshots, project files, iCloud timestamps, or diagnostics, to help investigate it?

Kind regards,
Martin Wettstein

[Derrek]

Every time I intend to change anything in an editing session, I save the file under a new name by changing the date-stamp (yymmdd) at the end of the file name. This might be a way to avoid older material overwriting newer in your iCloud exchanges.

[Martin_Wettstein]

Thanks, yes, that is a useful workaround. I already use backups, but the real issue is that Dorico for iPad may open an outdated iCloud file without warning. For productive work, that should not happen.

[dspreadbury]

Welcome to the form, Martin. I’ve not seen any previous reports of this problem, though it’s certainly the case that until relatively recently (version 6.2.10, if memory serves) we had some problems with iCloud Drive sync and Open in Place that could result in you ending up with extra copies of the project being saved, in particular inside the application sandbox (i.e. “On my iPad” rather than “iCloud Drive” in Dorico’s Hub window). However, those problems should be resolved with the current version.

If you open your project via the Files app, rather than from the Open Recent page in Dorico’s Hub window, does that seem to work? You should at least be able to verify that the timestamp etc. on the project in the Files app matches what you expect to see.

[k_b]

@Martin_Wettstein

opening files via the Files app rather than only from the Dorico hub

Martin, to clarify “opening via the Files app”: are you?

1. in the Files app and with tapping and holding on the project, selecting “Download Now” then tapping to open the synchronised project
2. in the Dorico for iPad hub, tapping the [Open or Import File…] button and then following the same steps as in 1)

Do these two methods make a difference?
For me they don’t.
I never open from the recent list “Tap to open a project” in the hub.

[Martin_Wettstein]

Thank you, Daniel.

Yesterday, updates were released both for Dorico Pro 6 on Mac and for Dorico for iPad, and I have installed both of them. Unfortunately, the problem still persists.

My workflow is as follows: I work on the file in Dorico Pro on the Mac. Later, I open the same file on the iPad via the Files app. The timestamp shown there is correct. However, when I open the file, Dorico for iPad shows an error message. I have attached a screenshot of it; my Dorico installation is in German.

At that point I can either cancel, or choose “Reload” (“Neu laden”). If I choose “Reload”, Dorico opens an older version of the project. I then have to restore the current version from a backup.

So the issue still seems to occur even when opening the file via the Files app and even when the timestamp shown in the Files app appears to be correct.

[Martin_Wettstein]

To clarify: I am opening the project from the Files app, not from the Recent list in Dorico’s Hub. I have also tried making sure the file is downloaded first. I have not noticed a reliable difference between opening directly from the Files app and using Dorico’s “Open or Import File…” route. In both cases the problem can still occur.

[k_b]

I am guessing here: is there a possibility, that while you open the project file on your iPad, the project itself is still open on your desktop computer and there is some activity going on - hence the message?

[Martin_Wettstein]

Yes, I am always careful about that and close the documents on the desktop computer first.

Before opening them on the iPad, I also check the timestamp in the Files app. The timestamp shown there is always correct.

So I don’t think the problem is caused by the project still being open or active on the desktop computer.

[DanMcL]

Up until the recent duplicate files bug being fixed that Daniel mentioned, the iPad version has historically been too unstable with iCloud to be usable. Now it appears to be working fine so far for me, but your report is concerning.

Do this, do some experiments and check the versions on disk in three locations and see how it’s syncing up. For example try this

• Save the file on desktop with a change- make sure the timestamp updates on disk
• Check the version/timestamp in iCloud iCloud Drive - Apple iCloud
• Check the timestamp on disk on the iPad
• Check the change on the iPad

Then do that same operation in reverse

Note that iCloud was never really great about updating. Jobs tried to buy Drop Box but they didn’t sell, so Apple stuck with their home grown solution which never seems as good as the rest. In particular it seems to follow some lazy load that isn’t always good about synchronizing.

[DanMcL]

And @dspreadbury for the next update could you kind folks possibly hook the Esc key into the popovers and dialogs, especially the Shift-pops? Using iPad with the Apple keyboard cover is a near desktop replacement in so many ways except that

[Martin_Wettstein]

Thanks for the detailed suggestion. I ran the test in both directions with a freshly created file, closing the Files app on iPad to make sure timestamps refreshed. Sync timestamps all looked correct, but the underlying problem persists: either the iPad opens a version that ignores the desktop’s changes (and then writes that stale version back to iCloud), or I get the dialog “Projektdatei wurde geändert – Die Datei für Projekt … wurde gelöscht. Möchten Sie Ihr Projekt umbenennen…” (screenshot attached).

To rule out iCloud Drive itself, I tested Keynote in extremis: edited the same file on Mac and iPad simultaneously with both apps open. Changes propagated within seconds in both directions — no conflicts at all. So iCloud Drive sync is clearly working on my system; the issue appears to be specifically how Dorico for iPad handles the file while it is open.

My guess: Dorico iPad holds the project in memory and doesn’t react to iCloud replacing the underlying file in the background, leading either to silent overwrites or to the “file was deleted” dialog when saving. Keynote presumably avoids this through CloudKit live-sync; Dorico treats iCloud Drive purely as passive storage.

Has anyone found a reliable workflow other than always fully closing Dorico on one device before opening it on the other?

[Martin_Wettstein]

Follow-up: Fully quitting Dorico on both devices before each switch doesn’t solve the issue either. Even after a complete close, the iPad apparently doesn’t reliably load the latest version from iCloud.

[DanMcL]

Appears to be a fairly definitive test. For completeness - you actually closed the iPad version - as in showing the many app view and swipe up to kill it - and didn’t just switch to another app correct?

Dorico should still do the right thing in either case which is to pick up the changes, but just making sure we know what the test conditions are.

[k_b]

Martin, just another thought, it says “Unbenanntes Projekt 2” in your screenshot. Is this actually the name of the project you have tested? There were some file naming issues (f.e. when a comma was used in the file name). Do you have any specific characters in the file name?

[Vladimir_Gorlinsky]

I have experienced a similar issue when working on projects between my computer and iPad.

My steps:

1. I completely close the project on my computer and wait for the file to sync to iCloud on iPad and become available in new version.
2. I open the file on the iPad from the Dorico files window (iCloud).
3. Sometimes the file opens in an older version. In that case, when I exit the app, it automatically overwrites the current version of the project with the outdated one. I then have to restore the project from a backup.
4. This issue occurs fairly regularly — approximately once every few times I open the file.

[Martin_Wettstein]

Yes, confirmed — fully killed via the app switcher (swipe up), not just backgrounded. Same result.

[Martin_Wettstein]

Good catch on the naming, but note that the dialog itself refers to “Projekt Test” — that was the actual file name (plain ASCII, no special characters, no comma). “Unbenanntes Projekt 2” is just the project title shown above the music; since this was only a quick test, I didn’t bother setting a proper title. The file on disk was simply “Test.dorico”.

[Martin_Wettstein]

I have now installed the latest version of Dorico for iPad, version 6.2.31.6094.

Unfortunately, the problem still persists. Dorico for iPad still sometimes opens an outdated version of an iCloud Drive project, even though the timestamp in the Files app appears to be correct.

I have uploaded an iPad diagnostic report and two screenshots showing the issue.

For the moment, this means I cannot use Dorico for iPad reliably for productive work, as I cannot risk opening or overwriting an older version of a project.

Dorico DiagnosticsiPad.zip (145,5 KB)

[k_b]

Martin,

just a thought:
The two messages displayed in your screenshots I find confusing (despite German being my first language).
You could intermediately switch the user interface of Dorico on iPad to English, and the error messages might be more meaningful or more easily to understand.