For options for backup you might be interested in my software: AJC Active Backup archives your files every time you save giving you unlimited undo back to any version of the file. The archives created are very compact because it only stores the changes each time. This is very useful for developers even if you have version control because you can get back to any edit you made to a file while you are working on it. The build in diff can show you what changed in a file and you can even restore just one edit rather than the whole file. Very useful also to protect you from mistakes and file corruption. See: AJC Active Backup[^] AJC Sync allows you to sync/backup to different locations, network, drives, FTP, cloud etc. If you are worried about the cloud then you can use the transform facility which lets you add an encrypt step before the file is sent to the cloud so if the cloud is hacked your files are useless to them. You can even encrypt the file/folder names. You can also turn on optional archiving to get back to any version of a file and a built in diff with code syntax highlighting is included. See: AJC Sync[^]

Years ago I wanted the same type of thing and did decide to roll my own. It worked so well that I did end up releasing it. It creates a "sync plan" that shows what needs doing to bring your backup files into sync with the current files. You can then diff the files, make changes etc until you are happy with the plan and then run it. It works with Windows file systems and FTP, cloud locations etc. It is not free but it is inexpensive. Its called "AJC Sync" and there is now another product called "AJC Active Backup" that gives instant archiving to create a multi version archive on your PC which I think is rather like the time machine already mentioned on the Mac.

I don't think I was to start with but as I have matured and starting writing software for myself that I thought others could use I think my mindset has become much more entrepreneurial. I recommend it because it teaches you all about every part of a business so you can appreciate sales and marketing etc. You also learn to write very robust code and easy to use software because you don't want thousands of emails from users asking for help. I formed AJC Software and have been building up my products ever since. I didn't realise how long I had been at it until I got an email from a happy user saying he had been using AJC Sync for 12 years! I find that once you start thinking that way you come up with more and more ideas. After the success of AJC Sync I developed AJC Active Backup which is also gaining in popularity. It is very good for developers because it allows you to go back to any version of every save of any file you are editing so you can undo any mistakes, correct corruption or undo effects of some rogue update tool! It now has integration with Visual Studio too so its just a right click to do a diff of that code I had 5 minutes ago and get it back. It works well even if you have a version control system because it is updated to the second whereas you probably only check into version control when the job is done. Its also good protection when you check out from version control and accidentally overwrite local code! You can read about it here: http://www.ajcsoft.com/active-backup.htm[^]

Not a direct answer to your question but we use AJC Active Backup in addition to a source control system (TFS). This lets you go back to any save you did while editing your source code (and any other files). Its handy to have the granular control to protect from mistakes and corruption and when you just want to go back to that edit you did this morning. Or when you accidentally check out from source control over your local changes etc. It plugs into Visual Studio but will work on its own in any Windows environment. See it here: http://www.ajcsoft.com/active-backup.htm[^]

AJC Software has just released the much anticipated major new version of AJC Active Backup. AJC Active Backup effectively provides version control for your hard drive. Protects you while you work, from mistakes, file corruption and gives great peace of mind. A must for anyone who values their work, especially developers. AJC Active Backup constantly monitors your computer for changes to your files and archives them as soon as you save. It keeps multiple versions of these files in a compact archive because it only stores the changes each time. You can compare your files to earlier versions to see what has changed and go back to any version. It does not slow your computer down because you only backup important files. Read more and download from here: http://www.ajcsoft.com/active-backup.htm[^]

AJC Software has just released the much anticipated major new version of AJC Active Backup. During testing this has proved very stable and now the BETA version is available for you to try. AJC Active Backup effectively provides version control for your hard drive. Protects you while you work, from mistakes, file corruption and gives great peace of mind. A must for anyone who values their work, especially developers. AJC Active Backup constantly monitors your computer for changes to your files and archives them as soon as you save. It keeps multiple versions of these files in a compact archive because it only stores the changes each time. You can compare your files to earlier versions to see what has changed and go back to any version. It does not slow your computer down because you only backup important files. AJC Active Backup v2 has the following improvements over v1: + Complete rewrite with a modern UI. + Restore partial file changes back from your archives using built in AJC Diff v2. This lets you edit files while you are comparing them. + More visible overview of what folders you are monitoring for changes on the Home tab. + List of recently archived files is now kept when restarting the application. + Easier to set up and access file patterns etc. + You can change options live without having to stop monitoring for changes. + File patterns tester tool so you can test if a file will match your patterns. + New archives explorer lets you navigate through your backup archives more easily. + Its now easier to restore multiple files and you can see exactly where each file will go. + Includes the new AJC Revision Archive v2 archive viewer. + Compatible with AJC Sync backup archives. + For programmers: AJC Diff v2 offers code syntax highlighting. + For programmers: Visual Studio addin for you to access your archives more easily while you are coding. + Diagnostics mode lets you see what is happening when a file is detected. This helps if you don't know why a file is being backed up. Read more and download from here: http://www.ajcsoft.com/active-backup-2.htm IMPORTANT NOTE for Active Backup v1 users: It is best to uninstall v1 before you install v2. When you are asked to choose the archive destination base folder it will be best to pick a new location because v2 will upgrade the archives to a newer format that v1 cannot use. This is just in case you want to go back to v1. AJC Software web site

I think an early exit is always best. If you don't have an early exit this can often lead to more nesting later on in the method to allow you to skip the rest of it and unessassary nesting leads to more complicated code. (You could argue that you should splt the method up in this case but I say keep logical units together.)

Yes I wanted to rewrite my file sync app and I thought that users would view the ribbon as being a very modern and appealing look. The tabs/toolbar design also fits my app very well. After releasing it most users love the new look. Only 2 or 3 users objected and that is because they just hate the ribbon - it does not seem to matter to them that it fits well with the app. See for yourselves here: www.ajcsoft.com/AJCSync.php