Specifications
11
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
This book contains descriptions of the tools that are available for developers to extend
Dreamweaver using Dreamweaver application programming interfaces (APIs) and provides basic
information about their use. It assumes that you are familiar with Dreamweaver, HTML and
XML markup, and JavaScript programming. For users who are implementing C extensions, the
book assumes that you know how to create and use C dynamic linked libraries (DLLs). If you are
interested in writing extensions for building web applications, you should also be familiar with
server-side scripting on at least one platform, such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ASP.net, PHP:
Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), ColdFusion, or Java Server Pages (JSP).
Customizing or extending?
Before you begin writing Macromedia Dreamweaver MX extensions, please review “Customizing
Dreamweaver” on the Macromedia Support Center. In addition to procedures for changing
Dreamweaver panels, menus, dialog boxes, and HTML formats, “Customizing Dreamweaver”
contains information about the most common Dreamweaver extensions—how to edit
Dreamweaver commands and how to add third-party tags. If you plan to create extensions that
work with databases, you might also want to review the sections in Getting Started with
Dreamweaver MX about making connections to databases.
Installing an extension
As you become familiar with the process of writing extensions, you might want to explore the
extensions and resources that are available through the Macromedia Exchange website (http://
www.macromedia.com/exchange/). Installing an existing extension introduces you to some of the
tools that you need to use when working with your own extensions.
To install an extension, use the following procedure:
1 Download and install the Extension Manager, which is available on the Macromedia
Downloads website (http://www.macromedia.com/software/downloads/).
2 Log on to the Macromedia Exchange website (http://www.macromedia.com/exchange).
3 From the available extensions, select one that you want to use. Click the download link to
download the extension package.