[Overlay Icon] Indication if a file is opened by another user

[biva]

This is a new feature request

Expected behaviour

For a shared file, if UserA has opened the file, or is modifying it at the same time as UserB, it can lead to synchronization conflicts or loss of modification. In order to avoid this situation, it would be interesting to have an indication (for example a specific overlay icon), in the file explorer, showing that the file is used by another user. In a second step, it could be interesting to indicate which user(s) is (are) using it.

For the record:

• a discussion about icon for shared folders happened here: Icon for shared Files and Folders #1743
• an app proposes a solution on the web UI: https://apps.owncloud.com/content/show.php/Workin2gether+%28Lock+files+in+WebUI%29?content=164016
• Dropbox is proposing a similar feature ("Badge"): https://www.dropbox.com/help/7670

Actual behaviour

I cannot know if another user is using the file I want to modify.

Steps to reproduce

1. UserA opens the shared file hello.txt on its computer
2. UserB opens the same shared file hello.txt on its computer
3. UserA modifies and saves hello.txt, its desktop OC client synchronies the new file
4. UserB modifies and saves hello.txt, its desktop OC client synchronies the new file
5. A sync conflict may appear for hello.txt, and/or the modifications of UserA and/or UserB are not saved on the server

Server configuration

Operating system: Ubuntu 16.04

Client configuration

Client version: 2.2.2 (build 6192)
Operating system: Windows 10

---

Want to back this issue? Post a bounty on it! We accept bounties via Bountysource.

[danimo]

The problem here is that the amount of overlay icons is strongly limited, and we are already using quite a lot of status indicators. Thus I'm afraid there is no way to do that through overlay icons.

[biva]

Is there other way we could do this? For example a new tab in the Activity part of the client?

[for information, why is the amount of overlay icons so limited ?]

[biva]

[for information, why is the amount of overlay icons so limited ?]

Windows does limit to 15 overlay icons. Every answers here: https://github.com/owncloud/client/wiki/Debugging-Overlay-Icons and here: https://www.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/2015/03/22/managing-overlay-icons-for-dropbox-and-tortoisesvn-and-tortoisegit/

[michaelstingl]

Needs own status icons in the Win Explorer column:

• [Windows] Display sharing status in Explorer Status column #7747
  (planned for next 6.0 release)

And client needs to learn about locking changes. (etag propagation to account root or SSE)