Creating a FAR File List

Most FAR commands require a list of files to work with. Example: Given a list of filenames create a zip file, search for some text, or create a HTML help (.chm) file. The easiest way to create a file list is to use your mouse to drag and drop files onto the main window. Normally one drop is sufficient as FAR will search for and include files found in all sub-folders. 

1: Single Folder Drop

The screen shot above shows a FrontPage 2000 web being dropped onto FAR from windows Explorer. Note that only the root folder of the web is added to FAR. FAR will search though all the sub-folders for other files and add them as well.

Because only a single folder is being added to an empty file list you will be prompted to specify whether the "help" folder or its parent should be made the "base folder". For HTML Help the base folder is where all project files are created and where all relative paths start. Several other FAR commands use the base folder as well. 

2: Multi File Drop

The screen shot above shows dropping a selection of files and folders onto FAR. Again the folders and their sub-folders will be searched for files and any files found will be also added to the FAR file list. In this case the base (or root) folder is the folder where the files were dragged from.

Yet another method of filling the file list is to first create a filtered list using window's Find dialog (press Ctrl+F in Explorer). This is especially handy for Find and Replace where you may only want to search *.HTM* files.

3: Add Files Dialog

Yet another way to add files is by using the built in Add Files dialog. Access this window via the Files menu or via the file list right+click popup menu.

Multi Drop

You can add more than one batch of files and folders but this requires you to uncheck the "Clear File List On Add" check box. When dropping files you would need to uncheck the menu item "Options > Clear File List On Drop".

4: Drop File Filter

Often we need to filter the files we drop or add to the FAR file list. A good example is the FrontPage _vti* folders which contain web management information. They are only of use to FrontPage. If you create HTML Help using these files you most probably crash the HH compiler.

The filter dialog can be accessed via "Options > Drop File Filter Settings" from the main menu. There are three drop filters. When you drop files onto FAR each file passes through each of the three filters and only the remaining files are allowed into the FAR file list. 

Here _vti item is checked in the Skip Folders page. This means that if a FrontPage web were dropped onto FAR, files found under _vti* folders would be excluded from the FAR file list. You can also set up Skip Files and Only Include Files using the other page tabs. Skip Files might include temporary files you want to ignore. Only Include files might include .HTM*, .GIF, .JPG, .JS and .VBS files if you are creating HTML Help.

Tip: Right+Click a filter list to add or remove your own filter items.

Note that Drop File Filter Panel (above) shows you the current state of the three drop filters. You can hide and show this panel using the Option menu or by clicking the Drop Filter toolbar button.

Tip:  Click the panel text or the panel drop icon to gain quick access to the Drop File Filter dialog.