Output file size (CHM)

[LTinker68]

To add to Dave's comments, you don't need to remove those unused images if you'd rather keep them in the project for reference or future modification. Just put them in a sub-folder in the images folder, then apply an exclude condition to that folder.

[MC Hammer]

Hi Dave and Lisa
Wow, I produce HTML Help and did not know either that everything under the Content folder was being included in the output...I know fully understand why my CHMs are huge (I keep images, original PNGs, flowcharts and videos inside Content, even if I do not use them).
Lisa's tip is a good idea.

[NorthEast]

Yep, it's easily done.
Thankfully the chances of your users stumbling across these hidden extras is quite small, especially in a CHM. It's more of a problem if you leave unused topics in the help, as you can find these from the search or index.

[DurtyMat]

For an easy way to find what files you arent using, you can do this little work around that I pulled off when I was having CHM file size issues:

1. Backup your project, the project zip function from the File menu is a great option.
2. Create a new flare project and name it something along the same lines as your troublesome project (Diet, Lite, and SnackPak edition all work )
3. Create a flare import file from the main menu (think it is under project > create import file)
4. Select .fltoc files as the file type to import and the import linked files checkbox
5. Start the import process, select the files you want to import etc, for more information on how importing files work, check the help system
6 Import the selected files, and BAM! you have a liter edition of your project without all the unlinked/unused files

now, if you want to bring all the content that you now know you arent using into your project, just bring them in to the a folder through windows explorer and condition the MISC STUFF folder like List was saying.

if this is a terrible idea, i hope someone tells me

PS - i dropped close to 20 mbs when i did this, so beat that subway diet

[Madcap Guru]

If you have Analyzer you can run a report on unused files, that can tell you also what you are not using.

[Ryan Cerniglia]

For an easy way to find what files you arent using, you can do this little work around that I pulled off when I was having CHM file size issues:

1. Backup your project, the project zip function from the File menu is a great option.
2. Create a new flare project and name it something along the same lines as your troublesome project (Diet, Lite, and SnackPak edition all work :D)
3. Create a flare import file from the main menu (think it is under project > create import file)
4. Select .fltoc files as the file type to import and the import linked files checkbox
5. Start the import process, select the files you want to import etc, for more information on how importing files work, check the help system
6 Import the selected files, and BAM! you have a liter edition of your project without all the unlinked/unused files

now, if you want to bring all the content that you now know you arent using into your project, just bring them in to the a folder through windows explorer and condition the MISC STUFF folder like List was saying.

if this is a terrible idea, i hope someone tells me :D

PS - i dropped close to 20 mbs when i did this, so beat that subway diet

That's a fairly decent method if you're willing to create a new project, but another method would be to go into the project, open the View menu, select "Project Analysis", and then change the drop-down menu in Project Analysis to "Topics not in Selected TOC". This gives you a listing of files that aren't included in the TOC so you can make the decision topic-by-topic, instead of all at once. Additionally, you can go to the Project menu and select Add Report File to create a list of All Unused Items in your project.


With these two steps combined you can take out a large number of files in your project without losing any topics that you simply haven't included yet.

[DurtyMat]

good call, if only Ryan could respond to my post about using headings and mini-tocs to create segue pages with link descriptions (shameless self plug) /cough link:http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... f=6&t=8710 /cough

[LTinker68]

He did respond with a workaround you could use.

[DurtyMat]

i saw and i am super excited to try ... now to stop stealing the light from this post ....

/me returns back to the stylesheet forum

[MC Hammer]

If you have Analyzer you can run a report on unused files, that can tell you also what you are not using.

You mean Analyzer as the standalone product, not the "analyzer-lite" functionality available from within Flare?

[NorthEast]

If you have Analyzer you can run a report on unused files, that can tell you also what you are not using.

You mean Analyzer as the standalone product, not the "analyzer-lite" functionality available from within Flare?

You can actually run that report in Flare, you don't need Analyzer. There are 'unused' reports for all sorts of things - content files, images, styles, CSH IDs, etc.

(If you had Analyzer, you could work with the unused items in a similar way to the Project Analysis pane in Flare, rather than having to run a report to find them).

[forfear]

i hope props files are excluded from output, otherwise you'd have a redundant source that blows up the file sizes exponentially - for every image there is an identical .props raw date file which the user will never need to see.

[Andrew]

They are not included with my WebHelp target using Flare 4.2.1. They used to be a while back, but I'm not sure when that changed.