How to delete unused data sets after a batch export to separate files?

Question

I read the answers to the following question: Illustrator variables / data-driven documents: how to batch-export one file for each data set? So now I have multiple files created...awesome! But now I want to remove the extra data sets from each of these files and can't figure out a way to automate this feature.

Answer 1

This is a rare question, as I think most users just accept this and trudge on, but I can think of just a couple of ways to do this:

1. Save formats which do not retain the data, if you can: a PDF without Illustrator Editing capabilities being preserved.
2. After saving all of your files, run another "post" batch on the entire resulting file set with an action that plays the following script from the menu item ( you must have this put into your Illustrator scripts folder, etc). Make this action do a Save and Close for ultimate simplicity. function test(){ var doc = app.activeDocument; for (var i = doc.variables.length - 1; i > -1; i--) { doc.variables[i].remove(); } }; test();