Hide a file by emptying it (zero-byte)

If you do not have permission to delete files from a profile or you do not want to delete a file permanently, you can use empty (zero-byte) files to hide files.

In the Profile Manager, a hyphen (-), instead of a check mark, in a column identifies a zero-byte file.

Unlike the other methods of hiding files (such as order.txt, the Show parameter, and the Hidden parameter), Data Workbench treats zero-byted files as non-existent. For example, if you zero-byte a dimension that has been used in a visualization or a metric definition, Data Workbench produces an error for that visualization or metric, respectively.

This functionality is useful for a number of reasons, including when you want to do the following:

• Make a file unusable in Data Workbench without needing the profile permissions required to delete the file.
• Move a metric, dimension, or filter to another location without needing the profile permissions required to delete the file from the original location.
• Hide menu items. For example, the Base profile has a Metric Legend defined in the Metric.vw file. Say your company has created three metric legends that you want to appear on a Add Legend > Metric submenu. You can zero-byte the Base profile Metric.vw file so that only your new submenu and three new metric legends appear.

To hide a file

1. In the Profile Manager, open the necessary folders and subfolders to locate the file that you want to zero-byte.
2. Right-click the check mark next to the name of the file and click Make Local.
3. Open the local file and delete its contents.
4. Save and close the file.