ES Strong File Explorer question?

[DroidAbuser]

All-

Quick question regarding ES File Explorer, I set up a few share folders on my pc and I am able to get to the network folders to view / access folders / files as expected but unable to change / save anything?

Is this a limitation of the app because I have double and triple checked my share permissions and everything is good to go. I can view / access a MS Word doc for example but when I go to make a change and save on my Galaxy Tab it does not save and change the information when I go back in after closing the document?

Thanks.....

 

[pool_shark]

I don't think it's a limitation of the app because I can create and delete things on my PC from my phone.

 

[lunatic59]

Are your shares on a Windows 7 Home Premium PC? I think that's one of the goofy behaviors of Home Premium. I can fully manipulate files on my NAS and on shared domain storage, but if I set up a share on a Home PC, i see the same thing you do.

 

[DroidAbuser]

I don't think it's a limitation of the app because I can create and delete things on my PC from my phone.

Not sure about actually deleting the file (example Word / Excel File) but I do know that if I make a change to the file, close it out and then go back in, the change did not take.

Are your shares on a Windows 7 Home Premium PC? I think that's one of the goofy behaviors of Home Premium. I can fully manipulate files on my NAS and on shared domain storage, but if I set up a share on a Home PC, i see the same thing you do.

No, not using W7...using XP Pro to create the shares. I am accessing it from my G-Tab.

Thanks for your help...any other ideas....?

 

[UncleMike]

My first thought is that ES File Explorer is making a local copy of the file on your device because the app you're using to edit has no way to access the file on the Windows share, and that you're editing the local copy, which is discarded when Quick Office exits.

When you open the file, are you seeing a quickly flashed message similar to "Please wait...cached...SD card..."? I get that when opening a Word document, but the message disappears to quickly that I can't read the whole thing. Also, when opening such a file from the LAN, the file name that appears at the top of the Quick Office windows is different than the name of the original file - it has a (random?) number appended to it.

 

[Harry2]

Yes, the word doc is saved as file at the cache of EStrongs on the SD card ( /sdcard/.estrongs/temp/ ).

My solution: I edit the word docs on the SD card and then I copy them as backup on my network drive

Harry

 

[DroidAbuser]

My first thought is that ES File Explorer is making a local copy of the file on your device because the app you're using to edit has no way to access the file on the Windows share, and that you're editing the local copy, which is discarded when Quick Office exits.

When you open the file, are you seeing a quickly flashed message similar to "Please wait...cached...SD card..."? I get that when opening a Word document, but the message disappears to quickly that I can't read the whole thing. Also, when opening such a file from the LAN, the file name that appears at the top of the Quick Office windows is different than the name of the original file - it has a (random?) number appended to it.

I am not receiving any message as you stated but I do notice when I open an excel doc or word doc from my network share (which is housed on the xp pro pc) the file name does have a 10 string # after it for some reason?

Yes, the word doc is saved as file at the cache of EStrongs on the SD card ( /sdcard/.estrongs/temp/ ).

My solution: I edit the word docs on the SD card and then I copy them as backup on my network drive

Harry

I don't quite understand the sdcard deal because this is for a G-Tab 10.1 so I do not have a SD slot? I do not see an estrongs folder under "my files" or using "es file explorer" so I am not quite sure how to edit it from there?

I don't understand what is going on here...I have tried to different editing programs (Docs to Go & QuickOffice) and both apps do the same thing?

 

[UncleMike]

I am not receiving any message as you stated but I do notice when I open an excel doc or word doc from my network share (which is housed on the xp pro pc) the file name does have a 10 string # after it for some reason?

I think the string appended to the displayed file name is a good indicator that you're working with a cached file. Try editing a plain text file via ES File Explorer; this should open in the built-in editor and not require caching. If that works and saves properly, it's almost certainly an issue with caching the file locally for use with the external app.

Remember, a PC uses a networking client which allows all applications to see and work with networked files directly. Android doesn't work this way - even though ES File Explorer can see and work with your network files, that capability doesn't extend to external editors or viewers; these apps require the file to be cached locally.

 

[Harry2]

... I don't quite understand the sdcard deal because this is for a G-Tab 10.1 so I do not have a SD slot? I do not see an estrongs folder under "my files" or using "es file explorer" so I am not quite sure how to edit it from there? ...

Well, /.estrongs/ is a hidden folder, files and folders with a period (.) in front of their name are hidden by the OS.
But EStrongs will show them when you check 'Show Hidden Files' in ES's settings, Settings - File Settings ...
Then you might search with ES with the search string ".estrongs" at your tab's storage

But I mentioned this folder with the cache of ES just for your info, not for to edit the doc files in it.

What I mean is working with word docs only on the tab's storage. And using the home network only as back up space for the word docs.
(Ok, not a so good solution if you want to work with docs at the PC too )

Harry

 

[DroidAbuser]

I think the string appended to the displayed file name is a good indicator that you're working with a cached file. Try editing a plain text file via ES File Explorer; this should open in the built-in editor and not require caching. If that works and saves properly, it's almost certainly an issue with caching the file locally for use with the external app.

Remember, a PC uses a networking client which allows all applications to see and work with networked files directly. Android doesn't work this way - even though ES File Explorer can see and work with your network files, that capability doesn't extend to external editors or viewers; these apps require the file to be cached locally.

I created a txt file on the pc as you suggested and was able to bring it up using ES File Explorer and made a change and it saved.

Well, /.estrongs/ is a hidden folder, files and folders with a period (.) in front of their name are hidden by the OS.
But EStrongs will show them when you check 'Show Hidden Files' in ES's settings, Settings - File Settings ...
Then you might search with ES with the search string ".estrongs" at your tab's storage

But I mentioned this folder with the cache of ES just for your info, not for to edit the doc files in it.

What I mean is working with word docs only on the tab's storage. And using the home network only as back up space for the word docs.
(Ok, not a so good solution if you want to work with docs at the PC too )

Harry

Can either one of you or both for that matter break this down in laymans terms as far as if I will be able to edit and save other docs besides txt files? I have a feeling that this is a limitation of the app I guess as originally posted in the beginning of this thread or am I missing something? I don't understand why the android device cannot edit the file just as you would on a pc?

I would like to be able to make changes and save those changes no matter if I am on the pc or on the tablet for convenience. It kind of defeats the purpose to just be able to view and not make any changes, I might as well just get up and go use the pc!

Thanks.....

 

[UncleMike]

I created a txt file on the pc as you suggested and was able to bring it up using ES File Explorer and made a change and it saved.



Can either one of you or both for that matter break this down in laymans terms as far as if I will be able to edit and save other docs besides txt files? I have a feeling that this is a limitation of the app I guess as originally posted in the beginning of this thread or am I missing something? I don't understand why the android device cannot edit the file just as you would on a pc?

I would like to be able to make changes and save those changes no matter if I am on the pc or on the tablet for convenience. It kind of defeats the purpose to just be able to view and not make any changes, I might as well just get up and go use the pc!

Thanks.....

In the case of a Windows PC (the "client") accessing files on a Windows PC (the "server"), the software required to access these files runs at the same level as Windows, and appears under your network connection as "file and print sharing" (or somthing similar). Because the applications you use run on top of the operating system, access to the server is made available to the applications. So when you're running MS Word or Excel, these applications can access the files on the server.

This same client/server relationship exists between a web server and your web browser. But because the browser operates at the same level as other applications, it cannot provide access to the web server for other applications. This isn't to say that other applications can't access the web server, but if they want to do so, they must do so on their own; the web browser cannot help. So, when you click on a Word document in your browser, it opens in Word, but behind the scenes, the browser has made a copy of this file in your "temporary internet files" for Word to open. If you edit and subsequently save the file, the changes will not be reflected on the web server.

Android does not inherently provide any client capable of access shared files on a Windows PC. ES File Explorer can access the files on your Windows PC because the developers built the necessary client into the app. Just like the web browser on your PC, ES File Explorer cannot extend this functionality to another app. And, just like the web browser on your PC, ES File Explorer makes a temporary copy of the file locally, so that the appropriate app can open the file - meaning that any changes your make to it are not being made to the original file.

I hope this helps.