This will address Spreadsheets only in Documents to Go; I don't use WordView/Word to Go, so I can't speak to the files created by that application.
I used TinySheet for a long time; unfortunately it has been discontinued by Iambic (along with others) and the PC Synch was dreadful. You could not delete sheets off the Synch Table without deleting them from the handheld, and sometimes they just got delete ANYWAY. Most annoying and I stopped using it - but then I couldn't create a sheet on the desktop and synch it to the T3.
Docs 2 Go is not only much better in that regard (as simple as taking the "hotsync logo" off the handheld roster of sheets) but doesn't have the "corrupt sheet and no way to fix" problems of TinySheet. TS/s "fix records" was FORGOTTEN in the last 4.25 build!
HOWEVER . . . it is important in these days of "Internet Explorer leaks" and other concerns to know WHERE that information is stored on the PC after synching and just how many records there are. Are you aware (I wasn't until 2 days ago) that there are FOUR and sometimes FIVE different copies of the sheet on the PC OTHER than the "source folder" and the "SynchManager?!!" This is very important for those of you carrying around information for your firm regarding sales, contact names, amounts due, financial statements, personal credit card history, utilities billing . . . anything you would consider private. "TealLock" or another security app will protect your HANDHELD privacy -- but what about a fulltime cable internet connection if your computer is on? Spyware's only job is to broadcast personal information - it is possible for a hacker (especially if your Palm is hotsynced to a network or the office computer) to READ or OBTAIN those sheets. How? That's beyond my expertise - Im not a hacker. But security is based on "no way - never" rather than "it'll probably be okay."
When you Hotsync Spreadsheet in Docs2Go COPIES are generated in your c/programs/palm/user folder/docs2go folder. If you hit "My Computer," then C Drive, "folders" you'll see a folder tree. Go to PALM, then user folder, then docs 2 go and you'll see:
Backups
Archive (within Backup folder)
SyncData
TranDocs.
ANY of the sheets, no matter what "file icon" Windows shows, can be opened in EXCEL or Wordpad. Backups show the Excel logo, Archive (for any deleted sheets) shows Excel and a .bak type file. SyncData has a strange "open with" logo but Excel opens them. TranDocs is the Palm .pdb format but Wordpad will open those.
Deleting these or programming a "cleaner" program to wipe them periodically only causes problems. The next time you synch you'll get 1 or 2 messages (I'm paraphrasing):
"xyz123" appears to have been changed on the desktop so it's duplicated; delete the unnecessary one" or
"there is already a file like that; we've added "xyz123_1" so delete the duplicate and hotsync again."
To avoid this is tricky and some may not want to bother - but I do. Either mark the sheets on the handheld as "not synched" which defeats the purpose of having a "2 way conduit," or do as I do:
1. Go in to Palm Desktop and set Docs2Go's default to "do nothing."
2. Obtain a file encryption utility (I like Axon Data's "AxCrypt") which gives simple right-click option to encrypt/decrypt a file (sorry Mac Users - there's a program for you, I'm sure - perhaps OS10 even offers file encryption on its own)
3. Encrypt the "private files" in your SOURCE FOLDER (whatever you've chosen), AS WELL AS ALL OF THE ABOVE FOLDERS where the file appears!!!
4. BEFORE YOU HOTSYNC AGAIN to synchronize or add/delete sheets, reverse the above. All should be fine (it is with me). Check all is okay, and then DO IT AGAIN.
5. Either manually DELETE/WIPE the files from the Archive Folder (within the Backup Folder as above) OR set your "file cleaner app" plug in to ERASE that every time you run the cleaning. Bear in mind there's an archive folder for a reason - to give you a last shot at restoring something deleted in error. Once you wipe that your only backup would be a card backup utility and that doesn't really work because you have to also restore the Docs2Go "formatting file," which would give you all the OLD information from how sheets looked last time you backed up to the SD Card - not how they may look now especially if you've entered new data from a desktop created sheet.
It's not as confusing as it sounds once you've done it twice. I fooled around with it for about 3 hours before I could compile the above, but it's important if you don't want people in your office reading your sheets, or an outside hacker weasel trying to get company information.
"You know Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not trying to get ya" - "Color TV Blues", Don McLean!
Hope this helps some of you. I am more willing to add sheets and use Docs2Go MORE now I have this "safeguard." The two links for Axon Data AxCrypt are:
http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/
http://www.axondata.se/
I used TinySheet for a long time; unfortunately it has been discontinued by Iambic (along with others) and the PC Synch was dreadful. You could not delete sheets off the Synch Table without deleting them from the handheld, and sometimes they just got delete ANYWAY. Most annoying and I stopped using it - but then I couldn't create a sheet on the desktop and synch it to the T3.
Docs 2 Go is not only much better in that regard (as simple as taking the "hotsync logo" off the handheld roster of sheets) but doesn't have the "corrupt sheet and no way to fix" problems of TinySheet. TS/s "fix records" was FORGOTTEN in the last 4.25 build!
HOWEVER . . . it is important in these days of "Internet Explorer leaks" and other concerns to know WHERE that information is stored on the PC after synching and just how many records there are. Are you aware (I wasn't until 2 days ago) that there are FOUR and sometimes FIVE different copies of the sheet on the PC OTHER than the "source folder" and the "SynchManager?!!" This is very important for those of you carrying around information for your firm regarding sales, contact names, amounts due, financial statements, personal credit card history, utilities billing . . . anything you would consider private. "TealLock" or another security app will protect your HANDHELD privacy -- but what about a fulltime cable internet connection if your computer is on? Spyware's only job is to broadcast personal information - it is possible for a hacker (especially if your Palm is hotsynced to a network or the office computer) to READ or OBTAIN those sheets. How? That's beyond my expertise - Im not a hacker. But security is based on "no way - never" rather than "it'll probably be okay."
When you Hotsync Spreadsheet in Docs2Go COPIES are generated in your c/programs/palm/user folder/docs2go folder. If you hit "My Computer," then C Drive, "folders" you'll see a folder tree. Go to PALM, then user folder, then docs 2 go and you'll see:
Backups
Archive (within Backup folder)
SyncData
TranDocs.
ANY of the sheets, no matter what "file icon" Windows shows, can be opened in EXCEL or Wordpad. Backups show the Excel logo, Archive (for any deleted sheets) shows Excel and a .bak type file. SyncData has a strange "open with" logo but Excel opens them. TranDocs is the Palm .pdb format but Wordpad will open those.
Deleting these or programming a "cleaner" program to wipe them periodically only causes problems. The next time you synch you'll get 1 or 2 messages (I'm paraphrasing):
"xyz123" appears to have been changed on the desktop so it's duplicated; delete the unnecessary one" or
"there is already a file like that; we've added "xyz123_1" so delete the duplicate and hotsync again."
To avoid this is tricky and some may not want to bother - but I do. Either mark the sheets on the handheld as "not synched" which defeats the purpose of having a "2 way conduit," or do as I do:
1. Go in to Palm Desktop and set Docs2Go's default to "do nothing."
2. Obtain a file encryption utility (I like Axon Data's "AxCrypt") which gives simple right-click option to encrypt/decrypt a file (sorry Mac Users - there's a program for you, I'm sure - perhaps OS10 even offers file encryption on its own)
3. Encrypt the "private files" in your SOURCE FOLDER (whatever you've chosen), AS WELL AS ALL OF THE ABOVE FOLDERS where the file appears!!!
4. BEFORE YOU HOTSYNC AGAIN to synchronize or add/delete sheets, reverse the above. All should be fine (it is with me). Check all is okay, and then DO IT AGAIN.
5. Either manually DELETE/WIPE the files from the Archive Folder (within the Backup Folder as above) OR set your "file cleaner app" plug in to ERASE that every time you run the cleaning. Bear in mind there's an archive folder for a reason - to give you a last shot at restoring something deleted in error. Once you wipe that your only backup would be a card backup utility and that doesn't really work because you have to also restore the Docs2Go "formatting file," which would give you all the OLD information from how sheets looked last time you backed up to the SD Card - not how they may look now especially if you've entered new data from a desktop created sheet.
It's not as confusing as it sounds once you've done it twice. I fooled around with it for about 3 hours before I could compile the above, but it's important if you don't want people in your office reading your sheets, or an outside hacker weasel trying to get company information.
"You know Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not trying to get ya" - "Color TV Blues", Don McLean!
Hope this helps some of you. I am more willing to add sheets and use Docs2Go MORE now I have this "safeguard." The two links for Axon Data AxCrypt are:
http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/
http://www.axondata.se/