User Guide

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CHAPTER 2
Extending Dreamweaver
The following features of Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 let you create extensions:
• An HTML parser (also called a renderer), which makes it possible to design user interfaces
(UIs) for extensions using form fields, layers, images, and other HTML elements.
Dreamweaver has its own HTML parser.
• A tree of folders that organize and store the files that implement and configure Dreamweaver
elements and extensions.
• A series of application programming interfaces (APIs) that provide access to Dreamweaver
functionality through JavaScript.
• A JavaScript interpreter, which executes the JavaScript code in extension files. Dreamweaver
uses the Netscape JavaScript version 1.5 interpreter. For more information about changes
between this version of the interpreter and previous versions, see “How Dreamweaver processes
JavaScript in extensions” on page 26.
Types of Dreamweaver extensions
The following list describes the types of Dreamweaver extensions that are documented in
this guide:
Insert Bar object extensions create changes in the Insert bar. An object is typically used to
automate inserting code into a document. It can also contain a form that gathers input from the
user and JavaScript that processes the input. Object files are stored in the Configuration/Objects
folder.
Command extensions can perform almost any specific task, with or without input from the user.
Command files are typically invoked from the Commands menu, but they can also be called from
other extensions. Command files are stored in the Configuration/Commands folder.
Menu Command extensions expand the Command API to accomplish tasks related to calling a
command from a menu. The Menu Commands API also lets you create a dynamic submenu.
Toolbar extensions can add elements to existing toolbars or create new toolbars in the
Dreamweaver UI. New toolbars appear below the default toolbar. Toolbar files are stored in the
Configuration/Toolbars folder.
Report extensions can add custom site reports or modify the set of prewritten reports that come
with Dreamweaver. You can also use the Results Window API to create a stand-alone report.