[MAG] Tag Synchronizer 1.1.0

[MAG] Tag Synchronizer synchronizes tags between XFRM Resource ⇄ Discussion Thread using XenForo's native tagging system.

The add-on provides automatic two-way synchronization, initial tag synchronization when resources and discussion threads are created or associated, and Reconciliation tools for existing content.

Tags synchronized when a Resource is created

When a Resource is created together with a Discussion Thread, its initial tags are automatically transferred to the newly created thread.

For example:
Resource: FPV, Drone, ELRS
Discussion Thread: FPV, Drone, ELRS

There is no need to open the newly created thread and add the same tags again manually.

Two-way synchronization

After creation, synchronization works in both directions:

Resource ⇄ Discussion Thread

Changes made to Resource tags are automatically synchronized to the Discussion Thread, while changes made to Discussion Thread tags are synchronized back to the Resource.

Starting with version 1.1.0, synchronization uses delta-based behavior: only the actual tag changes are propagated.

• new tags are added to the associated side;
• explicitly removed tags are removed;
• tags that were not part of the current change are preserved.

For example:
Resource: FPV, Drone
Discussion Thread: FPV, Drone, Build Log

If ELRS is added to the Resource:
Resource: FPV, Drone, ELRS
Discussion Thread: FPV, Drone, Build Log, ELRS

The Build Log tag remains because it was not part of the Resource tag change.

Supported behavior includes:

• adding and removing tags in both directions;
• preserving tags on the associated side that are unrelated to the current change;
• empty tag sets where permitted by XenForo/XFRM;
• automatic no-op when synchronization would produce no actual changes;
• protection against synchronization loops.

Discussion Thread association and reassociation

When a Resource is manually associated or reassociated with an existing Discussion Thread, the add-on allows the initial tag state to be selected explicitly.

Three modes are available:

• Resource → Thread — Resource tags are transferred to the Discussion Thread;
• Thread → Resource — Discussion Thread tags are transferred to the Resource;
• Merge — tags from both the Resource and Discussion Thread are combined.

When either side already contains tags, the initial synchronization mode must be selected explicitly. This helps prevent accidental tag loss during reassociation.

After the association is complete, subsequent tag changes continue to synchronize automatically in both directions.

Reconciliation for existing Resources

Version 1.1.0 introduces Reconciliation — a controlled synchronization process for existing Resources and their associated Discussion Threads.

During Reconciliation, the add-on checks linked Resource ⇄ Discussion Thread pairs and merges their current tags without automatically removing tags from either side.

Reconciliation is started manually by an administrator and runs in the background using XenForo's native Job mechanism.

The Manager provides information about:

• current Reconciliation status;
• number of Resources processed;
• number of synchronized records;
• skipped records;
• failures and operations requiring administrator attention.

ACP Manager

The add-on includes a dedicated [MAG] Tag Synchronizer Manager in the XenForo Admin Control Panel.

ACP → Setup → [MAG] Tag Synchronizer

From the Manager, administrators can:

• enable or disable automatic tag synchronization;
• start Reconciliation for existing content;
• interrupt and resume an unfinished Reconciliation run;
• view progress and results;
• review current synchronization issues;
• inspect operations that could not be applied safely;
• re-evaluate unresolved synchronization operations.

Disabling automatic synchronization does not disable manual Reconciliation or the initial synchronization used when manually associating a Discussion Thread.

Synchronization reliability

The add-on accounts for situations where users continue editing tags while a background Reconciliation run is in progress.

Those changes are not discarded. They are deferred and processed after the main Reconciliation pass in a controlled order.

If synchronization of the associated side cannot be completed safely, the successful primary XenForo/XFRM action is not rolled back. The synchronization issue is recorded for administrator review.

XenForo-native

[MAG] Tag Synchronizer uses XenForo's native global tagging system and does not introduce a separate parallel tag system.

Synchronized tags remain standard XenForo/XFRM tags and continue to work normally with:

• tag pages and tag navigation;
• search and indexing;
• standard tag display;
• structured-data keywords where XenForo/XFRM uses them.

This allows Resource and Discussion Thread tags to remain consistent automatically while providing administrators with dedicated tools for synchronizing existing content and reviewing synchronization issues.

External services

[MAG] Tag Synchronizer does not require external services or third-party APIs to perform synchronization.