You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.
Forum Discussion
EWeberMU
8 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Excel formulas not showing correctly on share account version of file
I inherited ownership of a shared spreadsheet from a retiring colleague. I moved the 'original' spreadsheet to my own (local) Dropbox folder on my machine. I have subsequently edited the spreadsheet t...
- 8 years ago
EWeberMU wrote:
I am not using a reference to the file's name on my own local computer. As a result, when the file gets synced to each shared Dropbox user's file, this "filename" reference should now reference whatever their file name is (including path location, etc.) Unless there is some literal translation that is getting embedded within the CELL function that I can't control, this shouldn't be an issue. What do you think?
I was originally thinking that you replaced the path to the file with the word "filename" in an attempt to expunge the actual name of the file. That being said, if filename is truly nothing more than a reference to itself, and Office doesn't try to replace that with the full path, then it should be fine. If Office is replacing filename and instead embedding the full path and saving it within the file, it won't work.
Either way, Dropbox isn't the cause. It simply can't change your file in that manner. All Dropbox does is move files around. There's not even anything special about the Dropbox folder. It's just a folder like any other on the computer.
Have them drag the file out of the Dropbox folder on their computer and then open it. What happens?
- 8 years ago
I have discovered the details about this situation that points to a new problem. The problem is that when some of my colleagues received an Email notice from Dropbox that the Excel spreadsheet has been updated, if those users do not have the Dropbox app installed on their local machines, but DO have an Office 365 account, then the web link in the Email opens the Excel file in a cloud-based location presumably instead of using their local installation of Excel and the synced version of the file. As a result of this web-based Excel program, it cannot resolve the file name properly. A work-around solution was to have my colleagues install the Dropbox app on their local machines. That way, when the open the file that way, then Excel is working with their local, synced file. The larger problem that this points to is that any document that expects to work with 'file information' when the physical file is being processed in a dynamic (think SaaS or cloud) implementation may discover that the non-local program may not have the ability to access information about the non-local file properties. With more and more people and organizations moving to SaaS programs, this may be something that needs to be considered.
- 8 years ago
Update to my question below:
I found my solution here:THank you
EWeberMU
Helpful | Level 5
Hey Rich,
Thanks for replying but I don't think your response is correct. I am using the CELL function with a "filename" parameter. The actual parameter is the literal keyword "filename" in quotes. I am not using a reference to the file's name on my own local computer. As a result, when the file gets synced to each shared Dropbox user's file, this "filename" reference should now reference whatever their file name is (including path location, etc.) Unless there is some literal translation that is getting embedded within the CELL function that I can't control, this shouldn't be an issue. What do you think?
Rich
8 years agoSuper User II
EWeberMU wrote:
I am not using a reference to the file's name on my own local computer. As a result, when the file gets synced to each shared Dropbox user's file, this "filename" reference should now reference whatever their file name is (including path location, etc.) Unless there is some literal translation that is getting embedded within the CELL function that I can't control, this shouldn't be an issue. What do you think?
I was originally thinking that you replaced the path to the file with the word "filename" in an attempt to expunge the actual name of the file. That being said, if filename is truly nothing more than a reference to itself, and Office doesn't try to replace that with the full path, then it should be fine. If Office is replacing filename and instead embedding the full path and saving it within the file, it won't work.
Either way, Dropbox isn't the cause. It simply can't change your file in that manner. All Dropbox does is move files around. There's not even anything special about the Dropbox folder. It's just a folder like any other on the computer.
Have them drag the file out of the Dropbox folder on their computer and then open it. What happens?
- EWeberMU8 years agoHelpful | Level 5
I have discovered the details about this situation that points to a new problem. The problem is that when some of my colleagues received an Email notice from Dropbox that the Excel spreadsheet has been updated, if those users do not have the Dropbox app installed on their local machines, but DO have an Office 365 account, then the web link in the Email opens the Excel file in a cloud-based location presumably instead of using their local installation of Excel and the synced version of the file. As a result of this web-based Excel program, it cannot resolve the file name properly. A work-around solution was to have my colleagues install the Dropbox app on their local machines. That way, when the open the file that way, then Excel is working with their local, synced file. The larger problem that this points to is that any document that expects to work with 'file information' when the physical file is being processed in a dynamic (think SaaS or cloud) implementation may discover that the non-local program may not have the ability to access information about the non-local file properties. With more and more people and organizations moving to SaaS programs, this may be something that needs to be considered.
- Drongo138 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Update to my question below:
I found my solution here:THank you
About Delete, edit, and organize
Solve issues with deleting, editing, and organizing files and folders in your Dropbox account with support from the Dropbox Community.
Need more support
If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X or Facebook.
For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.
If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!