Remove Empty Xforms?

[Itsy]

If I delete a Content item (such as a Path or text) in the Content panel, the software app seems to leve an XForm even tho it as no items in it. How can I (shuld I?) rmove?

I mean other than selecting and deleting. Is ther a comand?

[Willy Van Nuffel]

You could try with "File" > "Save as Optimized".

Only mark the "Cleanup"-check-box, and in the "Cleanup Settings" themselves, only mark "Find and Remove Content Outside of the Crop Box".
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PDF-XChange Editor - Optimize PDF.png

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I have tested this with a random document where I deleted the content of the XForm object, via the Contents pane. It worked.

But, I have no guarantee that this will work for you. You can try it, if you like.

Keep us posted.

Kind regards.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, Willy Van Nuffel

Thank you for helping out, @Itsy, I hope this option helps you, please do let us know how it goes!

Kind regards,

[Itsy]

Thank you, Mr. Daniel, for posting a companie reply that endorses Mr. Willy's suggestion of a micro-esperement.

It is unsayed but I gess you both are implying there is no actual comand to do this as i asked.

I have not tryed Mr. Willy's micro-esperement (wich I assume works perfectly on a small file) as I do not understand all what 'Saved as Optimized' does wich may be alot on a big file. It is cleer that a new file is created and that there are options but I have no way of nowing what is happening to the file after i clik. One thin in a 500 Kb file mite change and be OK but how many thins mite change in a 50 Gb file and not be OK?

So ther is no comand. And I gess having empty-nest XForms scattered around the content struture may be ineligent and may be memory-eating but not harmful.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

When you look and explore the options in the "Optimize PDF"-dialog-box, you see a lot of possibilities.
To avoid optimizations that you do not like, I had explicitly limited the optimization to only "one option".
And, I must admit, apparently and currently there is no specific option to remove empty xforms via PDF-XChange Editor.

If you like to explore the current content of your PDF, you can use the "Audit Space Usage..." feature, available in the "Optimize PDF"-dialog-box and also via File > Document Properties, in the "Document Properties"-dialog-box.
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PDF-XChange Editor - Audit Space Usage Report.png

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To see what difference it would make, you could run optimization with the given option "Find and Remove Content ...".
After that, look again into the "Audit Space Usage Report" and discover the differences.

@PDF-XChange Support
Maybe you are prepared to further investigate the question on how to "Remove Empty Xforms" ?

Kind regards.

Willy

[Itsy]

Thank you, Mr. Willy.

Wow, that is alot of data and many possibilities. I gess I am not that interstedin what optimization dos/dos not do. Especally, if empty XForms are not a problem. You brought it up, not me. I am confused enogh by XForms.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Hi Itsy,

You asked the question, not me.

Maybe you can tell the people of PDF-XChange Support if you would still like further information and /or investigation ?

I am not going to interfere anymore in your posts.

Regards.

Willy

[Itsy]

Mr. Willy, I did not ask about optimization wich dos not interst me. I will miss your ansers.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello Itsy,

What Willy has listed above is the dialogues from which you can obtain more information, and e.g. get a visual representation of what is making up the bytes of your PDF. As discussed - it is not possible to remove empty XForm objects at this time. I am not sure if it can be made possible, but will ask our devs!

Kind regards,
Stefan

[Itsy]

Thank you, Mr. Stefan. I have removed a few empty XForms one at a time and i hope i have not dameged the file. It did not seem so. To me, XForms are a very intresting part of your app (i dont see it in any other non-PDF apps) and i like to now about them. It is odd to me that there is only 1 comand (i think) relating to XForms. Forgive my obsesson.

Optimization is intresting too but i am not ready to lern about that. For instance, what does it do to XForms?

[rakunavi]

Hello Itsy,

Below is the Copilot's response regarding XForms for your reference.

The purpose of XForms in ISO 32000-1:2008 (PDF 1.7) is to provide a mechanism for defining reusable content within a PDF document. XForms allow for the creation of self-contained objects that can be referenced multiple times throughout the document. This approach ensures consistency, reduces file size by avoiding duplication, and simplifies updates—any changes made to the XForm are automatically reflected in all instances where it is used.

This feature is particularly useful for elements like logos, graphics, or form fields that appear repeatedly in a document. By leveraging XForms, PDF creators can enhance efficiency and maintain uniformity across the document.

Best regards,
rakunavi

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello,

To clarify on Stefan's previous statement, What he meant is that it is not possible to automatically select and delete them (Beyond using the save as optimized function Willy mentioned), at this time.

Xforms are essentially as Rakunavi summarized, a container intended to simplify the display process of page content.
- Deleting empty ones will not harm your document. As empty items, they do indeed only serve to be slightly "embiggening" items, that waste space in your file.
- Whereas when used properly, with content inside of them, they can help to reduce the size of your file, again for the reasons sited above.

Kind regards,

[Itsy]

Thank you, Mr. Daniel, for trying to clarify some ansers. I did not unerstand that Mr. Stefan was ansering a qestion i had not asked. I asked not about 'automactically select and delete'. But you say it is OK to delete empty XForms one at a time wich was relly my qestion so thank you. And i supose ther is no tool to do that.

I dont know what you mean by 'used properly'. I dont now what is improper use. I dont think I use XForm at all. Or now how to. It seems somting the app does. Mabe bad software can use XForms not properly. The only thin I now how to do is to delete a XForm. Some Xforms seem to have content that are never reused. Like a page number of a document. I dont see how that reduces the sise of a file but i probaly dont want to now ithere.

In content, i see Containers and Xforms. i supose ther are diferances but i dont now wat theyare. But mabe I shundt.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, Itsy

They are indeed mostly something that is handled in the background of the software, not really a necessary font-facing content item, so I wouldnt worry too much about them. If you happen to see an empty xform, you can safely delete it via the content pane, with with "delete" key on your keyboard. There is no need too deeply about it.

Kind regards,