How to move files in the Content Explorer

[kawilliams81]

I am trying to simply move a file in a sub-folder from one position to a higher position to mimic the order of the workflow in the user interface I am documenting. I cannot find a simple method to do this. It's very easy to move a file around in the TOC under Project Organizer with the arrow keys. Ideas? I couldn't find anything in Scott's book about it either. Thanks!

[SteveS]

You can drag and drop files in the Content Explorer window. Flare will offer to update links, if any. You can also move files outside of Flare using the Window's File Explorer, but links are not updated. If you do that the Check Links command from the Analysis toolbar can be used to find broken links. You can open the files with broken links and update them manually. Obviously the first option is best.

HTH

[kawilliams81]

Steve, I have the latest version of Flare and it won't let me drag and drop or use arrow keys. The only thing I believe I can do is rename the file to get it to show up in the new, desired location.

[Nita Beck]

Files listed in a folder in the Content Explorer will always be in alphanumeric order, just as in Windows Explorer. You cannot otherwise control the ordering, just as you can’t in Windows Explorer, except, as you’ve noted, if you rename a file.

You can move files from one folder to another, as Steve notes. But you cannot deviate from alphanumeric order by dragging-and-dropping within a folder.

[SteveS]

Ah. I see more clearly now.

What I do if I want to keep files in a certain order within a folder, I start with a number in the filename depicting order:

2022-10-21_13-43-05.png

[kawilliams81]

Thanks, all. Yes, the gal that architected this project used numerical ordering to reflect the workflow order so I will need to rename the file with new numbering to make it appear in the order of the workflow. Wish there was an easier way, but I'll use renaming as a workaround and say "yes" to update links when I get the dialog.

[Nita Beck]

Personally but meaning no disrespect to my fellows in this conversation, I question the wisdom of having the ordering of topic files in the Content Explorer match/mimic the order of items on a TOC. IMHO, that violates single-sourcing principles. In theory, a given topic can be used in any number of TOCs, each with a unique arrangement. Why "hardcode" your filenames to match one particular TOC? Even if right now, you have only one target and one TOC, the minute you want to create a different target with a different arrangement of topics, you're stuck. I also question the wisdom of using numbers in folders of topics. Rather than something like "01-intro", I suggest just "intro". Granted,the first chapter (introduction) in one TOC is likely to be the first chapter in another TOC, too. But let's say that in one TOC there are seven chapters, but in another TOC there are only five. How do you number the folders in that case? Which TOC do you match/mimic? I suggest instead that the folder names reflect the subject matter of each folder/chapter, not the position of that chapter in one particular TOC. I realize that, in some of their templates, MadCap uses numbers in the folder names and even file names, but I don't agree with it.

[NorthEast]

Folder/topic numbering is also going to be problematic if you ever need to change or insert anything.
In a few years, you'll probably have section C2 topic 3b.

[SteveS]

Both are good points.

In this project, I followed Madcap's template structure and just changed names. The topics must appear in a certain order irrespective of where they are used. I could create a large topic for each section, leading to long web pages (something I didn't want).

Usually, however, I wouldn't use a numbering system for topics or folders.

[ChoccieMuffin]

Both are good points.

In this project, I followed Madcap's template structure and just changed names. The topics must appear in a certain order irrespective of where they are used. I could create a large topic for each section, leading to long web pages (something I didn't want).

Usually, however, I wouldn't use a numbering system for topics or folders.

If the topics are in the correct order in the TOC then it really doesn't matter what order they appear in in Content Explorer, because Content Explorer is only seen by the author. If you have a section with 100 topics and they all have numbers at the start, what are you going to do if someone decides that topic 91 actually belongs after topic 3? Are you seriously planning on renaming every topic between 4 and 91? Why?

[doloremipsum]

For my personal practice, obviously it's nice to be able to find topics in the Content Explorer using good folder/file organisation, but it's not necessary because Flare provides the excellent "Find in Explorer" button. To find a specific topic I'll typically find it in the TOC and jump to it from there.

I've bound "Find in Explorer" and "Find in TOC" to shortcut keys (in File > Options) so it's easy to jump back and forward

I totally get the temptation to keep the topic files ordered - but they way I see it is, they're already in the right order in the TOC so you don't need to replicate that same structure again in the folders.