XXE file browser and DropBox

The file browser of XXE does not work particularily well with Dropbox 
directories.

Dropbox operates with two 'modes': One "both sides" mode where all files 
are stored locally, as well as in the "cloud". And another "single side" 
mode where only 'dropbox aliases' are stored locally, and the real files 
are stored in cloud so that they only get downloaded 'on the fly' as you 
need to work with the files.

I - or we - use both modes. But for Dropbox directories which contains 
XMLmind related files, I find it best to use the "both sides" mode. This 
is due to the fact that I use XInclude a lot, and XMLmind opens files 
very slowly when the embedded - or xincluded - files has do be 
downloaded from Dropbox before they are displayed in XXE.

I can live with this issue.

However, there is another issue which is more difficult to live with, 
and that is the fact that when I use the XXE File Browser to brow a 
Dropox directory, then this triggers a download of the Cloud-only files.

This should absolutely not be necessary. In fact I do not think I have 
any other program which has the same issue.

To avoid this problem, I would have to make the entire content of my 
Dropbox account locally stored. And this is not an option.

To replicate the issue, do this:

1) You need to have a local Dropbox directory. Inside this directory, 
there should be several sub direcorys where some of them should contain 
cloud-only stored files and others should use both local and cloud 
storage.

2) Now, open the XXE file browser panel and try to browse a directory 
that contains both locally stored files as well as cloud-only stored 
files. (The goal of this process is meant to be to navigate yourself to 
a folder where the files are stored locally, but to reach that goal, I 
must browser other directories where some files are stored in the cloud 
- Dropbox labels this 'smart sync'.

Expected result: It should be quick. And you should immediately see the 
content.
Actual result:  You must wait for Dropbox to dowlload file ...

It is simply unbearable.

Workaround: To use the XXE browserwer, I must first navigate to a file 
using the Mac OS file browser, and the open a file there, in XXE. Then I 
can use the Command-Shift-O shortcut of the XXE file browser to go 
directly to that directory.

Can this be fixed? If not, think I must rethink, once again, how I use 
Dropbox.

Leif Halvard Silli

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