MadCap Software Forums

Using Flare 10.2.1, if my target output file name includes a dot (.), the name of the file created is truncated at the dot.
For example, if my output file is set to "Software v7.0 Service Pack 2" the file built will be called "Software v7"
Is this a new issue or just my instance of flare? Note that this use to work correctly until I changed workstation.

On that new workstation, do you have the file extensions set to be hidden? Windows has this moronic option to suppress file extensions (major security issue!) and that is enabled by default. In Windows Explorer expand the Tools menu and select the command Folder Options... In the dialog select the View tab and uncheck the option "Hide extensions for known file types". I bet that option is checked and in its infinite ineptitude Windows detects the htm extension as a known extension, but the lops off everything after the first period in the file name assuming that this is the entire extension.
If that does not help, rename the file by replacing the dot with an underscore. That ought to solve the problem.

Thank you Ramon.
I always display the files extensions so that isn't the issue in my case. In fact, having had a look at my previous work, I realised that I never created a file that included a dot in it's name. I thought I did because I have folders for various versions of my software that include a dot like "v6.3" but the target files have never included a dot.
It is a bit "weak" though that Flare can't cope with something so simple. Thanks for suggesting the underscore alternative.

There may be good reasons for not allowing this. Some web servers might get confused by this...just guessing. Underscore or a dash should work fine.

RamonS wrote:There may be good reasons for not allowing this. Some web servers might get confused by this...just guessing. Underscore or a dash should work fine.

This looks like a bug to me. Paths with dots in them are ubiquitous, both on the web and in local file systems.

It looks as though the Flare code is allowing for the user specifying the full output file name, including the extension, in the target. Since the extension gets added automatically during the build, there's no need for it in the target, and Flare strips it.

This makes sense, but it is implemented very crudely. Rather than checking for the relevant extension for the output (.pdf, chm, .htm, .html or whatever), Flare simply strips off everything after the first dot it finds.

It's annoying, as I have inherited an output file with a dot in its name, which I am going to have to rename by hand.

Hi,

I have the same problem. My product docs need to be named with dots and backslashes. I tried turning that option off in Windows Explorer, but that does not help .

Please look into this.

Hi. Welcome to the forums!

About one part of your post:

Sumayya wrote:Please look into this.

These are peer-to-peer forums, in other words, we're just other Flare users like yourself. Occasionally MadCap employees stop by, but not very often.

When you want to bring MadCap's attention to an issue, you should submit a bug report (here: https://www.madcapsoftware.com/feedback/bugs.aspx, even assuming that others already have about the same issue.

When you need MadCap's assistance, you should contact tech support: http://www.madcapsoftware.com/support/c ... tions.aspx

When you have a question that others in the Flare community might answer, by all means post here! There are a lot of very helpful people who hang out here.

I found a workaround that works for Flare 12. (I don't know if it works in other versions.) Basically, if I enter "Software_Manual_v1.23.4" in the Output File field for my PDF target file I get a file named "Software_Manual_v1.pdf". However, if I enter "Software_Manual_v1.23.4.pdf" I get a file correctly named "Software_Manual_v1.23.4.pdf" . Hopefully, MadCap will fix this since having dots in file names is so common. (It's required in my case.)

Brian