Goggle Drive Works Really Great For Sharing Chief Files

[dshall]

That is correct but as I said the DropBox folder is a normal Windows folder and all the files therein are normal Windows files.

If you terminate the DropBox application you will see that the folder and files are still there and accessible. BUT they are no longer being monitored for changes and uploaded to the DropBox servers(s).

So you generally want to have the DropBox application running at all times.

Sorry Fred, a bunch of gobbledy goop to me. Give me steps to carry out to prove your point. I gave you some steps to carry out t prove my point, I await your answer.

BTW, this is not a contest to prove who is right and who is wrong, we are trying to figure out something that I do not think too many people realize, including some of the muckity mucks and possibly some of the gurus.

If what I am hypothesizing turns out to be correct, isn't this great?

[fcwilt]

Where on my computer would I find the file? I did not save it to a folder. Try this, open a new plan, draw four walls and save it to the drop box folder. Shut the computer down, restart the computer, I would venture to guess that the only place you will find that file is in the drop box folder.

You will only find that file in your DropBox folder BUT as I said that folder and all the folders/files in it are normal Windows folders/files that are located on your local hard disk.

The ONLY thing that makes them "special" is the DropBox application has asked Windows to monitor those folders/files for changes and tell the DropBox application so it can upload the changed files to the DropBox server.

If you update a file, in the DropBox folders(s) on Computer A, any copies of that file on Computers B, C, D, etc are now out of date. The DropBox application on Computer A, informed of the changed files(s) by Windows, will upload those changed files to the DropBox server(s). The DropBox application on Computers B, C, D, etc will determine (by communicating with the DropBox server(s)) that the local files (on Computers B, C, D, etc) are out of date and get the new updated files from the DropBox server(s).

[fcwilt]

One other thing. You perhaps know that using Windows Explorer you can select a Folder, right click it and open the "Properties" dialog. From this dialog you can determine various things about the folder and perform various actions on it.

If you do this on your DropBox folder (or any other local folder) you will see, on the "General" tab of the "Properties" dialog the location of that folder.

[dshall]

You will only find that file in your DropBox folder BUT as I said that folder and all the folders/files in it are normal Windows folders/files that are located on your local hard disk.

The ONLY thing that makes them "special" is the DropBox application has asked Windows to monitor those folders/files for changes and tell the DropBox application so it can upload the changed files to the DropBox server.

If you update a file, in the DropBox folders(s) on Computer A, any copies of that file on Computers B, C, D, etc are now out of date. The DropBox application on Computer A, informed of the changed files(s) by Windows, will upload those changed files to the DropBox server(s). The DropBox application on Computers B, C, D, etc will determine (by communicating with the DropBox server(s)) that the local files (on Computers B, C, D, etc) are out of date and get the new updated files from the DropBox server(s).

I assume that what ever you just said is true. I will not argue. I will say that I just opened a file at home from drop box that I edited at the office 2 hours ago, on a different computer, and it opened up to the latest changes I had made at the office. So if you agree with what I just said, and you believe what I just said, we are not in dispute. I truly do not understand what you are saying.

All I am saying is all of my files now reside in drop box, and no matter what computer I use to access those files, when I do access said files, they reclect the latest revisions, and none of the files are on any of my computers, they are on drop box. I have not files except those files which are on drop box.

Do you agree that what I just stated is true?

[dshall]

One other thing. You perhaps know that using Windows Explorer you can select a Folder, right click it and open the "Properties" dialog. From this dialog you can determine various things about the folder and perform various actions on it.

If you do this on your DropBox folder (or any other local folder) you will see, on the "General" tab of the "Properties" dialog the location of that folder.

Come on Fred, more gobbledy goop, what are you saying? Is there a point you are trying to get to, or am I as dense as lead?

[dshall]

Oh, by the way, did you carry out my simple test? And if not, why not? And if you did, what is the conclusion you reached?

[Dave Pitman]

Scott, try this.

Create a simple plan file and save to DB.
Close Chief.
Disconnect from the internet.
Open Chief and open that file you created.

You should be able to open the file even though you are not.connected to the Dropbox server.

It is a local file.

[fcwilt]

Your observations about what you see DropBox doing are correct. You work on files (in your DropBox folder) on Computer A and later those files (as edited) show up on Computer B.

That is the DropBox application at work. Monitoring files in the DropBox folder on each computer, uploading changed files to the DropBox server, downloading the changed files to the other computers as needed.

The only thing you are not grasping is that the DropBox folder and all the files in it are just like any other folder and files on your computer. The folders and files are all located on the hard disk of each computer.

It's the DropBox application on each computer that is performing the "magic" of keeping every thing in sync.

A change to a file on Computer A is noted by the DropBox application, the changed file is uploaded to the DropBox server, that file is later download to Computer B.

A change to a file on Computer B is noted by the DropBox application, the changed file is uploaded to the DropBox server, that file is later download to Computer A.

All local files, all local folders - with the DropBox application busily working behind the scenes to keep everything up to date on the various computers.


The reason there is a DropBox folder is simply to LIMIT that number of files that the DropBox application has to monitor and reduce the number of files replicated out to the server, etc. In theory the DropBox application could monitor your entire hard disk for changes and sync those changes to other computers BUT that would be a HUGE amount of data being moved around - it would not be efficient - nor is it needed - there are only so many files that you want to keep in sync on your various computers - thus the DropBox folder becomes the one place for you to put your files that you want to be available on your various computers - simple to understand - simple for the DropBox application to manage.

[fcwilt]

Oh, by the way, did you carry out my simple test? And if not, why not? And if you did, what is the conclusion you reached?

Your posting faster then I can keep up.

I did not perform your test because I know what would happen and why.

Your observations are correct - your conclusions as to how DropBox works are wrong - that's all.

[dshall]

.......

The only thing you are not grasping is that the DropBox folder and all the files in it are just like any other folder and files on your computer. The folders and files are all located on the hard disk of each computer.

........

I think you are agreeing with everything I have said. However I am not sure if I agree with your statement above. The reason I disagree with the above statement is because I cannot find those files and folders on each and every one of my computers. There are not files and not folders on my computers. They are on drop box. Can you find those files and folders on your computer?

Let me ask that question again, if you open a new file, save it onto dropbox, can you find that file/folder on your computer?

Let me ask that question again, if you open a new file, save it onto dropbox, can you find that file/folder on your computer?

Let me ask that question again, if you open a new file, save it onto dropbox, can you find that file/folder on your computer?

Let me ask that question again, if you open a new file, save it onto dropbox, can you find that file/folder on your computer?

I think the answer is no. Now I will concede that when I open a file from drop box, it will be on my computer as I edit that file, but once I close that file, it is no longer on my computer, it is only on drop box.

Can we agree to the above statements?

I am not sure what we are even discussing. As Dave said, maybe this is all semantics, but I don't think so, you say the file and folder is on my computer, I say it is not, it is on drop box, and I can access that file from any computer I choose to use, but I cannot find the file and folder on my computer.

Oh heck, it's getting too late, you win Fred, the files and folder are on my computer somewhere, but I can't find them, but that's okay, as long as I know they are on drop box, I can get to them.

[dshall]

Scott, try this.

Create a simple plan file and save to DB.
Close Chief.
Disconnect from the internet.
Open Chief and open that file you created.

You should be able to open the file even though you are not.connected to the Dropbox server.

It is a local file.

Oh, now that is interesting, I will give it a try.

[dshall]

Oh, now that is interesting, I will give it a try.

Okay Dave, I just gave it a go, and you guys are correct, I was able to open some files that I guess were from drop box, however I could not save them back to drop box via the internet because I was offline. I could only save the edited file to my desktop.

But that is the problem, I have edited a file, saved it to my desktop, and I assume I can open the file back up on that particular desktop, but that is not what I want to do. I want to go to my office and now open the newly edited file, but I can't, because it has been saved on the desktop of my home computer.

Again, I am not sure if we are in agreement or disagreement, all I know is if I save my files to drop box, and if I only access them from drop box, I can rely on those files as being the latest and the greatest if I choose to access them from a different computer.

I suppose they virtually reside on my computer somewhere, but I have to go to the drop box folder to access them.

[dshall]

Did anybody try this test?

Try this, open a new plan, draw four walls and save it to the drop box folder. Shut the computer down, restart the computer, I would venture to guess that the only place you will find that file is in the drop box folder.

If you do this test and find the file anywhere else than in the drop box folder, please let me know and I will fall onto my magical sword and swear my allegiance to you for the rest of my life....... or at least until tomorrow morning.

[kiwideziner]

Scott
Are you saying that with everything on DB your disk drive is empty??
I currently cannot use a cloud server due to slow internet, but I believe from what I have read is the cloud servers act like any backup software in that they compare date stamps etc, and make a backup of the changed file in the cloud. then when you open that file on another computer it does a check with the cloud to see if there is a newer version. it then downloads the new version for you to use. so you have a copy on computer A, the cloud, and computer B. which if both computers are online will mean 3 copies of the same file.
I may however be totally wrong.

[fcwilt]

If I create a file and save it in the DropBox folder I most certainly CAN (and WILL) find that file on my computer.

It will be in the DropBox folder where I put it.

The DropBox application will COPY that file out to the DropBox server but it will leave the "original" on my computer in the DropBox folder.

The only time the DropBox application will alter that local file is when it detects that the copy of that file, out on the DropBox server, is newer then the file on my computer. Then the DropBox application will download the newer file from the DropBox server and overwrite the out-of-date local file with the newer one from the server.

If I have two computers (A and B) (both connected to the internet) using the same DropBox account and I create ONE file on Computer A, in a short time I will have THREE instances of that file. The original on Computer A, the copy on the DropBox server and a copy on computer B. The files on Computers A and B are plain old local Windows files. The copy out "in the cloud" is a plain old file on the DropBox server. I do not know what OS is used on DropBox servers - perhaps Linux.


I really do not understand why you doubt what I am saying. As a retired computer programmer with some 35+ years experience and working also as a sysadmin for most of the years I really do know how this stuff works. Really. I'm not pulling your leg. This is the way DropBox works. Cross my heart. Really. Truly. Honest.