Folders and Files

When you create a Flare project, multiple folders and files are created. Some of these will be generated for every project. Others are optional, depending on what you add to your project.

Also, most of these can be seen within your Flare project, but others are visible only when you open the project folder in Windows. Unless you specify a different location when creating a project, your files are located in your Documents\My Projects folder. (Flare creates the My Projects subfolder for you when you install the program.)

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Folders

You will always see Content and Project folders (which hold content and project files, respectively). In addition to those, you might see other folders, depending on the actions you take in your project.

Folder	Description
.git .gitignore	The .git folder is displayed when your project is bound to Git (e.g., via MadCap Central). The contents of this folder are updated automatically when you perform source control tasks. The additional .gitignore file is necessary to make sure that certain folders (e.g., Analyzer, FileSync, Output, Project/Users) are ignored when you push and pull files. You do not need to do anything with the .git folder or .gitignore file. See Git and MadCap Central and Flare.
Analyzer	This holds files that are automatically created with each Flare project. They are database files used behind the scenes when you use the analysis tool in Flare. You do not need to do anything with these files. However, if you are experiencing issues in Flare it is sometimes useful to close your project and delete this folder in Windows. A new Analyzer folder will be created when you re-launch Flare. See Analysis Ribbon.
Content	This holds all content files (e.g., topics, images, stylesheets, snippets) in your project. These files are stored in the Content Explorer in Flare. See Content Explorer.
FileSync	This holds files that are automatically created when you create mappings between external files and copies in your project (e.g., if you are working with external resources or SharePoint integration). You do not need to do anything with these files. See External Resources and SharePoint Integration.
Output	This holds files that are created when you build the final output for a Flare project. You can then distribute these files to end users. See Step 5: Building and Publishing Output.
Project	This holds all project-related files (e.g., glossaries, targets, skins, TOCs, condition tag sets. These files are stored in the Project Organizer in Flare. See Project Organizer.
SourceControl	This holds files that are used for the source control cache. This folder only pertains to some source control providers. You do not need to do anything with these files. See Source Control.

Main Files and Icons

All Flare files are separate XML documents, which means that Flare projects are completely open, transparent, and accessible. They can easily be used in other projects, shared with other authors, and modified with any XML editor.

Following are the primary files used in Flare.

Icon

Extension

Description

CSS

Regular stylesheets and table stylesheets. These are content files stored in the Content Explorer (Resources > Stylesheets and Resources > TableStyles folders by default).

A regular stylesheet lets you store styles for general content in your project, including tables, to control how that content looks. A table stylesheet, on the other hand, is used only for tables.

See Styles and Stylesheets, Regular Stylesheets, and Table Stylesheets.

FLAIX

Auto index sets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

An auto-index lets you automatically add words in your project to a generated index, rather than inserting all of the index markers manually. To do this, you can add phrases and corresponding index entries to an auto-index file. When you generate the output, Flare scans the auto-index file and adds the words it finds to the generated index.

See Creating Auto-Indexes.

FLALI

Alias files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

An alias file is used to populate a header file with the information necessary for producing context-sensitive Help (CSH). After opening an alias file, you can use the Alias Editor to create and assign identifiers for the header file. You can use a single alias file in a project for multiple header files, or you can create a separate alias file to go with each header file.

See Alias Files.

FLBAT

Batch targets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Targets folder).

A batch target is a file that points to multiple targets and stores information such as whether to build or publish targets, as well as scheduling commands. After creating the file, you can specify its settings in the Batch Target Editor.

See Building Output Using a Batch Target.

FLBRS

Browse sequences. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

A browse sequence is like an alternative table of contents (TOC) for online output. For example, if you have several topics that you think end users should read in order, you can create a browse sequence. Another way to use a browse sequence is to create an alphabetical list of all of the topics. So readers can use your regular TOC for a structured method of navigation (with folders and subfolders), or they can use the browse sequence for a more flattened, alphabetical way to find topics.

See Browse Sequences.

FLCTS

Condition tag sets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Conditional Text folder).

A condition tag set is used to hold condition tags you create for your project. Flare's factory templates may provide you with an initial condition tag set, which contains different condition tags (depending on which template you select) to help get you started. You can create as many additional condition tags as you want for that condition tag set. However, if for some reason you want more condition tag sets to hold even more condition tags, you can easily add them. Any condition tag sets that you add can be used in the same project and in the same outputs (e.g., if you have 18 condition tag sets, you can use conditions from all of those 18 condition tag sets in the same output generated from a project).

See Conditions.

FLDES

Destinations. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Destinations folder).

The first step to setting up your project for publishing output is to create a destination. You can create as many destinations in your project as necessary, depending on how many locations you need to send your output files.

See Creating Publishing Destinations.

FLEXP

Export files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Exports folder).

You can export an entire Flare project, or parts of one, to another location. One reason you might want to use this feature is to quickly and easily archive projects, especially if you have an extremely large Flare project and need to archive only parts of it. Another use for this feature is translation. If you only need a portion of a master project to be translated, you don't want to send the translator all of the files, but rather a smaller version of the project containing only the files requiring translation.

See Exporting Projects.

FLFTS

File tag sets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

A file tag is can be applied to files for many different purposes, such as assigning authors or milestones to topics.

See File Tagging.

FLGLO

Glossaries. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Glossaries folder).

A glossary is a feature that you can add to your output to help users understand the meaning of individual terms. You can include a glossary in both online and print-based output.

See Glossaries.

FLIMP

Word import files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Imports folder).

You can import Microsoft Word files into Flare.

See Importing Word Files.

FLIMPDITA

DITA import files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Imports folder).

You can import DITA files into Flare.

See Importing DITA Files.

FLIMPFL

Flare project import files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Imports folder).

You can import Flare project files into Flare.

See Global Project Linking.

FLIMPFM

FrameMaker import files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Imports folder).

You can import Adobe FrameMaker files into Flare.

See Importing FrameMaker Files.

FLIMPHTML

HTML import files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Imports folder).

You can import HTML files into Flare.

See Importing HTML Files.

FLIXL

Index links. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

In addition to creating regular index entries that point to a specific place in your project, you can also create index links. An index link is an entry in a generated index that points to another entry. There are three kinds of index links—"See," "See Also," and "Sort As."

See Creating Index Links.

FLLNG

Language skins. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

Flare provides language skins for certain languages, such as French, German, and Spanish (i.e., many values are already translated). These are languages that are already identified as being "localized" skins. However, you can edit these default translations by creating a language skin for the language. For languages that do not provide default translations, you can create language skins so that they can be applied to the output too.

See Language Skins.

FLMCO

Micro content. These are content files stored in the Content Explorer (Resources folder by default).

Micro content is short, concise information that stands alone and is easily consumable. In Flare, it begins with the creation of a collection of brief phrases and corresponding responses, such as questions and answers. After generating HTML5 output, these phrase/response combinations can be used in different ways as users interact with your output. Among other benefits, it can greatly improve the user experience when people search in your HTML5 output.

See Micro Content.

FLMSP

Master pages. These are content files stored in the Content Explorer (Resources folder by default).

A master page lets you automatically apply certain content—such as breadcrumbs, menus, toolbars, search bars, mini-TOCs, or footer text—to multiple topics in the output. A master page is primarily used in online outputs, but it can be used in Word output as well. For Word output, a master page lets you determine page specifications (such as size or orientation) and to apply certain content (e.g., header text or page numbers) to many topics in a manual. For print-based outputs other than Word, page layouts are used instead of master pages.

See Master Pages.

FLPGL

Page layouts. These are content files stored in the Content Explorer (Resources > PageLayouts folder by default).

A page layout is used for page specifications (e.g., size, margins) and to apply certain content (e.g., headers, footers, page numbers) to many (or all) topics in print-based output. It allows for easy configuration through the use of content frames, bleeds, crop marks, registration marks, margins, padding, alignment features, and more. Page layouts are similar to master pages, but are more flexible and easier to use. The general rule is that page layouts are recommended for print-based output, and master pages continue to be the best method for automatically adding headers, footers, and breadcrumbs in multiple topics for online output. Another difference between page layouts and master pages is that page layouts can be used for either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word), whereas master pages can be used only for Microsoft Word when creating print-based output.

See Page Layouts.

FLPRJ

Main project file. This is stored at the root level of the project folder in Windows. You can open the project in Flare by double-clicking this file.

The first step in developing a project after you launch Flare is to start a project. See Step 1: Starting Projects.

FLPRJZIP

Zipped project files. You can store these files anywhere you want, then send them to others, who can unpack the zipped files.

If you want to send your project to another location or person, you can package (zip) the project into a single file that is much smaller than the entire project in its normal state. The zipped project can then be easily unzipped by anyone who also uses Flare, retuning the project to its normal state so that it can be edited. Zipping a project is also a great way to create and store a backup of your project.See Zipping Projects.

FLREP

Reports. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Reports folder).

From the Reports folder in the Project Organizer, you can generate custom reports based on information contained in your project. In addition, you can design the look and feel of reports, save them for future access, and open them in a browser window (where you can print them).

See Reports.

FLRTB

Relationship table files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

A relationship table is an element used to link related topics together. It is similar to concept links or related topics links (see Inserting Concept Links and Inserting Related Topics Links). Although a relationship table is a common feature in DITA, you do not need to be using DITA or know anything about DITA in order to take advantage of relationship tables.

See Relationship Tables.

FLSFS

Search filter sets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

A filter can be included in the search feature to let users narrow their search based on concepts that you have inserted into topics. Concepts are simply markers that you add to topics that have some kind of relationship with each other. They are also used for inserting concept links into topics.

See Search Filter Sets.

FLSKN

Skins. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Skins folder).

A skin is a file that contains information about the appearance of an online output window.

Skin File Types

	HTML5 (Side Navigation, Top Navigation, Tripane)
	HTML5 component
	WebHelp

See Skins.

FLSNP

Snippets. These are content files stored in the Content Explorer (Resources > Snippets folder by default).

A snippet is a chunk of formatted content that is heavily used in single-sourcing. Snippets can include text, tables, images, and whatever else can be included in a normal topic. You can insert snippets into one or more topics throughout your project, thus allowing you to reuse content that is maintained in one place. You can even insert them into other snippets, creating nested snippets. Snippets are not usually intended for single words or very short phrases. In those cases, you probably want to use variables instead.

See Snippets.

FLTAR

Targets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Targets folder).

There are several types of online output and print-based output that you can produce in Flare. HTML5 is the recommended online output type, and for print-based output, PDF and Word are preferred. Each output type has its own set of advantages.

Target Types

	HTML5		Eclipse
	PDF		EPUB
	Word		HTML Help
	Clean XHTML		WebHelp
	DITA		WebHelp Plus

See Step 4: Developing Targets.

FLTBX

Auto-suggestion sets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

When you first start typing content, a popup may display below your text as you type. This is the Auto Suggestion feature, which analyzes text as you type and compares it to other content (e.g., phrases, variables, snippets) that already exists. This means you can quickly select existing content from the popup so that you do not have to finish typing it..

See Auto Suggestion.

FLTOC

Tables of contents. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (TOCs folder).

A table of contents (TOC) is a common way for end users to find specific information in online and print output.

See Tables of Contents.

FLTREV

Review package files. You can store these files anywhere you want, then send them to others, who can open and review the files.

You can email review package files containing topics and/or snippets to other individuals for their feedback and/or changes. Alternatively, you can use SharePoint integration or the external resources feature to store the review package files. The reviewer's changes are always automatically tracked so you can see what edits were made. After inserting annotations (comments) or making changes to a file with Flare or with Contributor (for non-Flare users), reviewers can send the package back to you. You can then view those comments and accept or reject the edits so that they are added to the source file(s).

See Review Workflow—Sending to Others.

FLVAR

Variable sets. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Variables folder).

A variable is a brief, non-formatted piece of content that can be edited in one place but used in many places throughout your project. They're especially good for text that might change frequently, such as version numbers and dates. Variables are stored in variable sets, which can hold multiple variables. Depending on the template you select when creating a project, Flare may provide you with an initial variable set, but you can add as many additional variable sets and variables as you like.

See Variables.

Header files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

A header file is a simple text file that contains basic information about connecting the dialogs or windows in a software application to the corresponding topics in the Help system. Both you and the software developer need access to this file.

See Header Files.

HTM

Topics. These are content files stored in the Content Explorer, either at the root level or in custom subfolders that you create.

A topic is a file containing information about a particular subject. Topics might be the most important part of a Flare project. Everything else is contained within topics (e.g., cross-references, text, images) or points toward topics (e.g., tables of contents, indexes, browse sequences). The very reason end users open a Help system or manual is to find information, a little direction. They find that help within individual topics.

See Topics and Creating Subfolders.

MCIGN

Ignored words. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

You can open the Ignored Words dialog and manually add specific words to a list. This means that if other occurrences of the word are found in any other files in future sessions, they will not be flagged as questionable spellings. This is similar to adding words to a dictionary. The difference is that this feature simply ignores questionable spellings of certain words, whereas a dictionary also lists spellings as suggestions.

See Adding Words to the Ignore Spell Check List.

MCLOG

Build logs. These are automatically generated when you build a target. They are stored by default in your Output folder, but you can choose to place them in the Reports folder in the Project Organizer, or in a custom folder you set up.

Anytime you build a target, a build log is automatically created. By default it is stored at the root level of the output folder for that target (e.g., <project>\Output\<user name>\<target name>). However, in the Options dialog (File > Options) you can choose where your log file will be stored when you build a target. As an alternative to the default location, you can choose to place it in the Reports folder of the Project Organizer, or you can select a custom location.

See Opening Build Logs and Options Dialog.

MCSYNS

Synonym files. These are project files stored in the Project Organizer (Advanced folder).

If users enter search phrases in your online output and those phrases are not returning results, this does not need to be the end of the story. You can make improvements to your output so that, in the future, users are able to find the search results they need. One way to make an enhancement is to add the information that your users are looking for (if that information does not yet exist in your Flare project). Another way to enhance your output is to create synonyms for search phrases.

See Synonyms.

More File Icons

Depending on the tasks you perform in Flare, you may see other icons in the interface.

Icon	Type	Description
	Global Project Linking	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer and Project Organizer. If you use global project linking, this icon is added to the top of a linked file in the Flare interface. This lets you know that you need to edit the source file, rather than editing this file. If you remove the connection to the source file, this icon no longer displays on the file. Please note that if you have bound the project to source control, the icons used for source control take precedence over the link icon. See Global Project Linking—Importing Files From Other Projects.
	External Resources SharePoint	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer and Project Organzier. This indicates that the file is mapped to an external resource or SharePoint file. See Copying and Mapping External Resource Files and Copying and Mapping SharePoint Files.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. Git and Subversion This indicates that the file has been modified. You can commit the file when you are ready. If your project is bound to Subversion, you can commit the file when you are ready (if you are the user who has modified it, or if you have stolen the lock on the file from another user). Perforce Helix Core This indicates that the file has been checked out from source control. You can submit the file when you are ready (if you are the user who has checked it out). TFS and VSS This indicates that the file has been checked out from source control. You can check in the file when you are ready (if you are the user who has checked it out). You will see this icon for all source control providers. See Checking In, Committing, and Submitting Source Control Files and Checking Out Source Control Files.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. This indicates that you have a file in your project but have not yet added it to the integrated source control application. This might occur, for example, if you create a new topic and do not add the file to source control during the topic creation process. To resolve this, simply right-click on the file and select Source Control > Add. You will see this icon for all source control providers. See Adding Files to Source Control.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. This indicates that the file is added to source control but is not currently checked out, which means that it contains a "Read Only" designation in its properties. In order to edit the file, you must check it out from source control. You will see this icon if your project is bound to Microsoft Team Foundation Server or Perforce Helix Core. See Checking Out Source Control Files.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. This indicates that another user has locked the file. You will often see this icon in conjunction with the icon, indicating that another user is both using the file and has locked the file. You can make changes to this file even if another user has locked it. If your project is bound to Subversion and you need to commit the file in while another user is working on it, you can steal their lock. To do this, right-click on the file and select Source Control > Lock. In the Lock dialog, select Steal the lock, then click Lock. You will see this icon if your project is bound to Microsoft Team Foundation Server, Perforce Helix Core, or Subversion. See Locking Files.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. This indicates that you have locked the file. You will often see this icon in conjunction with the icon, indicating that you have both locked and modified the file. Other users can make changes to this file even if you have locked it. If your project is bound to Subversion, other users can steal your lock. If you are using Team Foundation Server, you can lock a file when you check it out. You will see this icon if your project is bound to Microsoft Team Foundation Server, or Perforce Helix Core, or Subversion. See Locking Files.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. Perforce Helix Core and Subversion This indicates that the file is currently being modified by another user. You will often see this icon in conjunction with the icon, indicating that another user is both using the file and has locked the file. TFS This indicates that the file is currently checked out to another user. You can send a request to the user, asking that person to check in the file so that you can check it out. You will see this icon if your project is bound to Microsoft Team Foundation Server, Perforce Helix Core, or Subversion.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. This indicates that the file is not current (i.e., the local copy of the file is older than the source control copy). This might happen if another user checks out the file, makes changes to it, and checks it back in to source control. If this occurs, you can check the file out or get the latest version of the file from source control. You will see this icon if your project is bound to Microsoft Team Foundation Server, Perforce Helix Core, or Subversion. See Checking Out Source Control Files or Updating or Getting the Latest Version of Source Control Files.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. This indicates that a file has been renamed, but not modified in any other way. If you make any additional changes to the file, such as editing the text or adding a condition tag, the renamed icon is replaced by a icon. You will see this icon if your project is bound to Subversion.
	Source Control	This icon is visible in the Content Explorer, Project Organizer, File List, and Pending Changes window pane. This indicates that the file is deleted from source control, but you still have a copy of the file on your local machine. If necessary, you can add the file to source control. You will see this icon if your project is bound to Microsoft Team Foundation Server. See Adding Files to Source Control and Deleting Files from Source Control.

What’s Noteworthy?

Note Although it is possible to open any Flare files in a third-party editor, it is recommended that you avoid editing these files in certain programs while Flare is running. For example, opening a stylesheet in Notepad++ is not an issue. But you might experience problems if you open a topic or snippet in Microsoft Word and edit it while Flare is running.

Note Depending on your computer's default programs or browser, some icons may be different than those listed in the table above.