Re: Ballooning Help File Size

Subject: Re: Ballooning Help File Size
From: Chuck Martin <cmartin -at- SEEKERSOFT -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 09:45:06 -0700

Are you simply pasting any graphics in the source document? If so, you
should use graphic references.

When you paste graphics into the source file, the Help compiler adds an
instance of the graphic in the binary file for each use. So even if you are
using one small graphic over and over, it will be added to the resulting
Help file that many times.

If you reference graphics, then the graphic will be added to the compiled
Help file just once, no matter how many times it is actually used.

Also, it may help to make sure your source file is as small as it can be.
That means turning off fast saves and automatic saves.

At 11:57 AM 9/9/97 -0400, you wrote:
>I hope someone can help me with this problem we've got. I'm relatively =
>new to tech writing and working alone at the moment. We create our =
>On-Line help files with Word and the Microsoft Help Workshop and I know =
>almost nothing about macros.
>
>Here's my problem. The size of my help file has ballooned. A file that =
>I compiled a few months ago, using Word 6 and HCW 3 was a little over 1 =
>MB in size. A help file that I'm working on now with Word97 and HCW 4, =
>and with a similar amount of information in it is over 8MB.
>
>I'm having the same problem with context sensitive help. The earlier =
>file, created with Word 6 and HCW 3 is just over 400 KB. The new file, =
>created with What's This Help Composer, Word97 and HCW4 is over 6MB.
>
>I've set compression to Maximum in HCW, but that only reduced the file =
>size by about 400KB. I'm assuming that this is a Word97 problem. I =
>have noticed that rtf files that I've moved from Word 6 to 97 seem to =
>increase in size by about 50%, but even that doesn't seem to fully =
>account for the huge jump in file size.
>
>Does someone have suggestions for me on how to reduce the file size. I =
>can go back to HCW3 and Word6 if absolutely necessary, but it would be a =
>bit of a problem to do so.
>
>Also, I tried posting this to Winhlp-L, but got it back as undeliverable =
>with the message "Unknown Host". Could someone subscribed to both lists, =
>please e-mail me the correct address for posting messages to Winhlp-L. =
>Thanks.
>
>Andrea
>
>
>
>Andrea Kelso
>Technical Writer, Astound incorporated
>andreak -at- astound -dot- com
>
>My opinions don't necessarily agree with those of the company, they =
>don't even necessarily agree with my other opinions.
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
>
>
>When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does she wonder
>why you're just sitting there, staring at carpeting?
>
> TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
>to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
> to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
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>
>
--
"You don't look American"
"Everyone looks American, because Americans are from everywhere"
- Doonesbury
Chuck Martin
Technical Writer, Seeker Software, Inc | Personal
cmartin -at- seekersoft -dot- com | writer -at- grin -dot- net
www.seekersoft.com | www.grin.net/~writer

TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html


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