What is .DS_Store?

[tbean]

I've noticed a file named .DS_Store in several of my Content subfolders.

What is this files and can I safely remove its various instances?

I've developed this project as a contractor and will soon hand it over to an FTE who will be brand-new to Flare. I want to hand it over as cleanly as possible, so if these files are not necessary, I'd love to send them to Bit-Byte Paradise.

I have used Clean Project, and they're still there. I'm working remotely, no network, no version control, no connection to a database.
(I've searched the forums, but "ds" is an ignored search term and "store" hasn't found any hits. I didn't find anything in the KB, either.)

[LTinker68]

Did you try opening the file in Notepad or the Internal Text Editor? That might give you some idea of what the file is for.

Is this in v3.1 or v4?

[tbean]

Yes, I've opened it in Notepad. It's gibberish, which suggests to me that Notepad can't read it. When I open it in the Internal Text Editor, it's completely empty.
I'm in 3.1.

[LTinker68]

According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.DS_Store) the file has something to do with a Mac OS operating system. Are you running Flare in a Windows environment on a Mac? Or did you import files that had been created on a Mac?

You're probably safe to delete those files since they're created by the Mac OS and not Flare. Just to be on the safe side, you can right-click on them in Flare and select "Show Dependencies" to see if the file is linked to any topics. You might want to make a backup of the project before you delete the files, just to be on the safe side.

[tbean]

Wow. I *never* would have guessed that. Yes, I'm running Flare 3.1 in XP via Parallels/Boot Camp on a Mac.

The files do not appear in the Mac Finder windows, only on the Windows side, in both Flare and Windows Explorer. When I can't copy in Flare (a different thread in this Forum), I have sometimes copied files using the Mac Finder. That must be how I'm getting the DS_Store files. . It looks like I can safely zap them.

Thanks again!

[KevinDAmery]

I would guess if it's something that Mac OS or Parallels is writing that if you zap'em they'll probably just get recreated automatically. Zapping them probably won't hurt anything, but I'd expect it would be a temporary fix. So I would be sure to go through it with the FTE so that he/she understands where they come from and doesn't panic later.