Where Handoff Files Live After Export—and How Long They Last

When one generation finishes on the export page, the result is not a long-term archive location but a set of current files held in a temporary working directory. Generation follows a fixed PDF, ALE, then CSV order, with files first written in temporary workspace and then moved together into a subfolder named for the selected export scope. The final step into the user’s hands still goes through the system share sheet or a save-location choice on the computer.

The three files listed on the export page mean the current temporary deliverables are ready; it does not mean they have already been stored in a long-term project location.

What names one export produces

For a single-day scope, the filename prefix is shaped like Day3; for the whole-project scope, it is Project. The three names follow Report_Day3_XXXXXXXX.pdf, ALE_Day3_XXXXXXXX.ale, and CSV_Day3_XXXXXXXX.csv: those eight X characters are the first eight characters of one export identifier, shared by all three files, so files from one generation can be compared by their prefix and that identifier fragment.

The subfolder name also changes with interface language and date presentation. In a Chinese interface, a single-day folder starts with 第 3 天_ followed by the date as the device displays it; in a non-Chinese interface it starts with Day 3_; a whole-project folder starts with the project name and ends with _Export. These shapes are useful for checking the current scope, but the single-day folder text should not be treated as a language-independent fixed format.

Why changing one option removes the previous result from the export page

Switching formats, choosing another day, or changing export scope triggers another generation. Before the next generation proceeds, the previous completed temporary result is discarded to make way for the new calculation; after changing an option, confirm the prefix, date, and scope in the current file list rather than treating the previous list as retained version history.

Leaving the export page is a different event. Exiting that page does not alter a directory that has already been delivered through the system share or save action, so “regeneration replaces the temporary result on the page” and “a copy already placed elsewhere remains at that destination” should be read separately. The receiver should identify which generation was actually received rather than relying only on file extensions.

From temporary workspace to a real saved location

On a phone, the directory is handed to the system share sheet, where a person still needs to choose a real destination such as a file location or another application. On a computer, the user chooses a save location and the current deliverables are copied there. In other words, export prepares the files, while the save or share action places them at a location chosen by the user.

The temporary working directory is system-managed, so this article does not describe it as a library that can later be reopened at will. A practical handoff check is to confirm that the current directory has been copied to a fixed location outside the temporary workspace and then reopen that destination to check the filenames. Why Media File Paths Are Not Present in Handoff Files covers what the deliverables leave out, while persistence of the exported files still depends on the chosen destination.

The receiver should verify the identifier prefix, date, and export scope, and confirm that the current deliverables have been saved to a fixed location outside the temporary working directory.

Scope also changes which deliverables exist

A normal generation prepares PDF, ALE, and CSV in that order, but whole-project scope does not include PDF. That boundary should be checked directly from the selected scope rather than compressed into a vague claim that formats merely depend on options; when the scope is the whole project, the receiver should confirm the ALE and CSV in the actual file list instead of waiting for a PDF in the same folder.

This page also does not promise a compressed archive. What is shared or saved is the prepared directory and its files, while any later presentation depends on the destination and receiving workflow. When ALE content needs review, What to Check Before Using an ALE for Matching can be used for column-level verification, while whether the files have truly been stored still depends on the copy at the user-selected location.

FAQ

Are exported files automatically placed on the desktop or in Documents?

No; the current generation first lives in a temporary working directory, then the computer requires a save location while the phone requires a destination in the system share sheet.

How can the three files from one generation be recognized?

Compare the shared prefix and identifier fragment after Report_, ALE_, and CSV_; a single-day prefix is shaped like Day3, while whole-project scope uses Project.

Why does the previous file list disappear after one export option changes?

An option change triggers regeneration and discards the previous completed temporary result; after the change, confirm the scope, date, and prefix shown in the current list.

Does a whole-project export also contain a PDF?

Whole-project scope does not include PDF; the receiver should verify the actual ALE and CSV list and save the directory that needs to be retained to a fixed location.

Axiom One LLC — SlateX. Figures current as of 24 September 2026.