a Streamlined handling of CSS style The CSS Styles and Relevant CSS panels have been combined. The Design panel is now named CSS; the CSS Styles panel is now named Styles. There is now a menu option fo Document CSs Styles and Selection CSS Styles in the Window menu. In addition, an Edit Rule button has been added to the Property inspector. u Visual aids for CSs divs and layers Dreamweaver now includes visual aids to let users see their CSs page layout. u Zooming in and out Dreamweaver now lets users zoom in and out while viewing their web pages Dreamweaver now lets users create guides in their documents. Documentation changes Extending Dreamweaver includes the following improvements to help new extension authors get started New examples have been added for Reports and Behaviors. The example for Property inspectors has been improved. The steps for creating each type of extension are presented as a tutorial, which you can follow to understand what the files do and how they interact. Each chapter now begins with a table that lists the files required to create the type of extension described in the chapter For information on the new functions that have been added to the Utility API and the JavaScript API, see the Dreamweaver API Reference. Macromedia press Improve your Dreamweaver skills with books from Macromedia Press. Check out the latest contentwrittenbytheexpertsSeewww.macromedia.com/go/dw2004_help_mmp Deprecated functions In Dreamweaver 8, several functions have been deprecated. For information on the function that have been removed from the Utility and JavaScript APls, see the Dreamweaver API 12 Introduction
12 Introduction ■ Streamlined handling of CSS styles The CSS Styles and Relevant CSS panels have been combined. The Design panel is now named CSS; the CSS Styles panel is now named Styles. There is now a menu option for Document CSS Styles and Selection CSS Styles in the Window menu. In addition, an Edit Rule button has been added to the Property inspector. ■ Visual aids for CSS divs and layers Dreamweaver now includes visual aids to let users see their CSS page layout. ■ Zooming in and out Dreamweaver now lets users zoom in and out while viewing their web pages. ■ Guides Dreamweaver now lets users create guides in their documents. Documentation changes Extending Dreamweaver includes the following improvements to help new extension authors get started. ■ New and updated examples New examples have been added for Reports and Behaviors. The example for Property inspectors has been improved. The steps for creating each type of extension are presented as a tutorial, which you can follow to understand what the files do and how they interact. ■ New organization Each chapter now begins with a table that lists the files required to create the type of extension described in the chapter. For information on the new functions that have been added to the Utility API and the JavaScript API, see the Dreamweaver API Reference. Macromedia Press Improve your Dreamweaver skills with books from Macromedia Press. Check out the latest content written by the experts. See www.macromedia.com/go/dw2004_help_mmp. Deprecated functions In Dreamweaver 8, several functions have been deprecated. For information on the functions that have been removed from the Utility and JavaScript APIs, see the Dreamweaver API Reference
Errata a current list of known issues can be found in the Extensibility section of the Dreamweaver SupportCenter(www.macromedia.com/go/extending_errata) Conventions used in this guide The following typographical conventions are used in this guide m Code font indicates code fragments and API literals, including class names, method names, function names, type names, scripts, SQL statements, and both HTML and XML tag and attribute names Italic code font indicates replaceable items in code The continuation symbol ( indicates that a long line of code has been broken across two or more lines. Due to margin limits in this guide's format, what is otherwise a continuous line of code must be split. When copying the lines of code, eliminate the continuation symbol, and type the lines as one line. m Curly braces( ))that surround a function argument indicate that the argument is Function names that have the prefix dreamweaver. as in dreamweaver funcname, can be abbreviated to dw funcname when you are writing code. This manual uses the full dreamweaver. prefix when defining the function and in the index. Many examples use the shorter dw. prefix, however The following naming conventions are used in this guide You-the developer who is responsible for writing extensions The user-the person using Dreamweaver The visitor-the person who views the web page that the user created Conventions used in this guide 13
Conventions used in this guide 13 Errata A current list of known issues can be found in the Extensibility section of the Dreamweaver Support Center (www.macromedia.com/go/extending_errata). Conventions used in this guide The following typographical conventions are used in this guide: ■ Code font indicates code fragments and API literals, including class names, method names, function names, type names, scripts, SQL statements, and both HTML and XML tag and attribute names. ■ Italic code font indicates replaceable items in code. ■ The continuation symbol (¬) indicates that a long line of code has been broken across two or more lines. Due to margin limits in this guide’s format, what is otherwise a continuous line of code must be split. When copying the lines of code, eliminate the continuation symbol, and type the lines as one line. ■ Curly braces ({ }) that surround a function argument indicate that the argument is optional. ■ Function names that have the prefix dreamweaver. as in dreamweaver.funcname, can be abbreviated to dw.funcname when you are writing code. This manual uses the full dreamweaver. prefix when defining the function and in the index. Many examples use the shorter dw. prefix, however. The following naming conventions are used in this guide: ■ You—the developer who is responsible for writing extensions ■ The user—the person using Dreamweaver ■ The visitor—the person who views the web page that the user created
14 Introduction
14 Introduction
PART 1 Customizing Dreamweaver You can customize Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 to suit your web development needs, including changing settings in dialog boxes, setting preferences in a variety of areas, and changing keyboard shortcuts. You ca also customize code hints and code coloring in Code view, the cascading style sheet( CSS)profile, and Dreamweaver's default HTML formatting Chapter 1: Customizing Dreamweaver Chapter 2: Customizing Code view
15 1 PART 1 Customizing Dreamweaver You can customize Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 to suit your web development needs, including changing settings in dialog boxes, setting preferences in a variety of areas, and changing keyboard shortcuts. You can also customize code hints and code coloring in Code view, the cascading style sheet (CSS) profile, and Dreamweaver’s default HTML formatting. Chapter 1: Customizing Dreamweaver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Chapter 2: Customizing Code View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
CHAPTER 1 Customizing Dreamweaver In addition to creating and using Dreamweaver extensions, you can customize Macromedia Dreamweaver in many ways, which lets you work in a manner thats familiar, comfortable, and efficient for you Ways to customize dreamweaver There are several general approaches to customizing Dreamweaver. Some of these approaches are covered in Using Dreamweaver. These approaches let you customize your workspace. You can also change settings in dialog boxes in Dreamweaver. You can set preferences in a variety of areas, including accessibility, code coloring, fonts, highlighting, and previewing in browsers, using the Preferences panel(Edit Preferences). You can also change keyboard shortcuts, using the Keyboard Shortcut Editor(Edit Keyboard Shortcuts) The following list describes some of the ways you can customize Dreamweaver by editing Rearrange the objects in the Insert bar, create new tabs to reorganize the objects, or add new objects. See"Modifying the Insert bar"on page 148 a Change the names of menu items, add new commands to menus, and remove existing commands from menus. See Chapter 8, "Menus and Menu Commands, "on page 181 Change browser profiles or create new ones. See"Working with browser profiles on page 30. m Change how third-party tags(including ASP and JSP tags)appear in the Document window's Design view. See"Customizing the interpretation of third-party tags In addition, you can tailor Dreamweaver to meet your needs by doing the following Customizing default documents Customizing page designs Customizing the appearance of dialog boxes
17 1 CHAPTER 1 Customizing Dreamweaver In addition to creating and using Dreamweaver extensions, you can customize Macromedia Dreamweaver in many ways, which lets you work in a manner that’s familiar, comfortable, and efficient for you. Ways to customize Dreamweaver There are several general approaches to customizing Dreamweaver. Some of these approaches are covered in Using Dreamweaver. These approaches let you customize your workspace. You can also change settings in dialog boxes in Dreamweaver. You can set preferences in a variety of areas, including accessibility, code coloring, fonts, highlighting, and previewing in browsers, using the Preferences panel (Edit > Preferences). You can also change keyboard shortcuts, using the Keyboard Shortcut Editor (Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts). The following list describes some of the ways you can customize Dreamweaver by editing configuration files: ■ Rearrange the objects in the Insert bar, create new tabs to reorganize the objects, or add new objects. See “Modifying the Insert bar” on page 148. ■ Change the names of menu items, add new commands to menus, and remove existing commands from menus. See Chapter 8, “Menus and Menu Commands,” on page 181. ■ Change browser profiles or create new ones. See “Working with browser profiles” on page 30. ■ Change how third-party tags (including ASP and JSP tags) appear in the Document window’s Design view. See “Customizing the interpretation of third-party tags” on page 21. In addition, you can tailor Dreamweaver to meet your needs by doing the following: ■ Customizing default documents ■ Customizing page designs ■ Customizing the appearance of dialog boxes