Anyone else use iCAB & Dropbox on your IPad? DB scrambled my docs! AAH!

[KrisTi]

Hi everybody,
This is my 3rd shot at posting this - and I'm not even sure if this is truly an iPad question, so let me know if it belongs someplace else and I'll repost.

Here's the problem: I use iCAB on my iPad, which links directly to evernote and/or dropbox which is really convenient ...normally.

Now though, ALL of my documents display in what I *think* is JavaScript? ...some sort of code or gibberish at any rate.

There is NO option in dropbox to change this that I can find; ie., "open as", "save as" etc.

I don't know how long this has been happening, because I haven't had many occasions to need any of those uploaded documents - until now!!! ..and it's almost midnight and I am in a total state of panic -

PLEASE, any iCAB or dropbox users, or anyone who has some idea or way to convert these back to something legible, I would be so, soooooo appreciative! I tried copying and pasting to plain text but it actually scrambles everything WORSE -

Any help or ideas welcome & as always, thanks for taking the time to help out a stranger

PS., I'll attach a sample of the documents in a reply to this - every time I tried to attach it with my Q I couldnt escape manage attachments window and had to start over

 

[KrisTi]

Well, so much for that - forum won't let me post my links because I'm a post short. I am going to go cry now.

 

[KrisTi]

Okay, no crying yet, posts in same thread count I guess. *sigh* I don't understand any of this.

Here is a link to a page I just saved to dropbox from iCAB:

Filename mangling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is the actual page from Wikipedia:

Filename mangling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Any ideas, theories, shots in the dark welcome!

 

[OUTL4W]

Looks like the "source code" for that web page perhaps converting to ePub through icab?
Then use "open in dropbox" then use the "open in" functionality and use iBooks for it.

 

[KrisTi]

!!!!I LOVE YOU!!!!!


...and I also thank you! WHEW!

kristy

 

[twerppoet]

It was being saved as a webarchive. That means it could only be viewed properly in a web browser. When you opened it in DropBox, you could have used the Open In feature to open it again in iCab Mobile for viewing. Or you could have gone to iCab Mobile, the Download section, selected it, and chose Display.

OUTLAW's method, however, is much better for saving and reading the article later.

Evernote, Instapaper, and Readablility are other options for saving web articles for later reading.

 

[KrisTi]

Is there an app to open/view different file extensions? And thank you, twerppoet

Hi Twerppoet - wanted to say thank you to you also! And for the additional info, much appreciated

Okay, no longer in panic mode, lol, but still have a few questions for anyone out there -

With the (helpful) instructions you guys gave me, I think I get what my problem was - the DB "open in" icon lists all (?) apps capable of viewing whatever file you have selected, and the list changes with the file type... Some files have only iCAB as an option, others have 2 or 3 programs to choose, some have none.

First question: i got lucky with the file I needed, it displayed correctly just by opening it in icab - but a few others, also with extension '.webarchive' don't display correctly in iCAB - what are my options in iCAB for trying to make them legible? And where would they be located (modules/the "options for web page" icon next to URL/some other program completely)?

Then, there are completely foreign files. (iCAB message reads there "is no app to open this file") such as saved BB messages - they have .XML extensions and no way to view. Are there iPad apps for people like me (Clueless) that would list options/programs that might make these readable again?

I tried Klammer, File Viewer, and my media - no dice, for opening ANYTHING in the no DB options category. Clearly I am totally missing something major, lol.

(Desktop is no better than my ipad, & Googling .XML viewer or whatever the file extension happens to be has only been a huge waste of time - nothing but shady "free" downloads - free right up to actually viewing anything. Then you get to uninstall the d*** thing and start over)

Last, is there way to avoid all this?? When I saved the BB messages, I had no idea they would be saved as .XML - I'm thinking in the future I should be looking at "save as" options whenever possible.

I know this is a huge, convoluted question, and though I'm looking for an app capable of opening more file extensions, I would be very grateful for ANY advice - even a tutorial suggestion or some area I should/could read up on?

Am I the only one having this problem? Am i that old? What happened to: .doc .txt .jpeg .gif .wav .wma? ...because I can't stand this - I finally understand how to save all my junk only to find its been saved as numerical gibberish & Latin.

Thanks,

Kristy

PS. I have NO problem PAYING for an app or download - if I knew it would work on even SOME additional extensions. Since nothing has worked yet, I'm leery of buying something to tell me the file can't be opened.

 

[twerppoet]

It is a huge convoluted question , but the answer to almost all of it is GoodReader. This will open/download almost any file format, and view many of them.

For other file formats you have to find an app that views them. Those apps should (most do) register themselves with iOS and will show up as Open In options when needed.

I'm afraid I don't have any good apps for viewing XML files myself. Most view it as a text file when they work (you see the code). I don't have/use a BlackBerry myself, so I can't experiment.

Edit: Forgot to mention the webarchive question. Unfortunately, it's another 'I don't know'. Sorry.