User Guide
352 Chapter 20: Data Translators
Finding bugs in your translator
If the translateMarkup() function contains certain types of errors, the translator loads properly,
but it fails without an error message when you invoke it. Although failing silently prevents
Dreamweaver from becoming unstable, it can hinder development, especially when you need to
find one small syntax error in multiple lines of code.
If your translator fails, one effective debugging method is to turn the translator into a command,
as described in the following steps:
1 Copy the entire contents of the translator file to a new document, and save it in the
Configuration/Commands folder inside the Dreamweaver application folder.
2 At the top of the document, between the SCRIPT tags, add the following function:
function commandButtons(){
return new Array( "OK","translateMarkup(dreamweaver.¬
getDocumentPath('document'), dreamweaver.getSiteRoot(), ¬
dreamweaver.getDocumentDOM().documentElement.outerHTML); ¬
window.close()", "Cancel", "window.close()");
}
3 At the end of the translateMarkup() function, comment out the return
whateverTheReturnValueIs line, and replace it with
dreamweaver.getDocumentDOM().documentElement.outerHTML =
whateverTheReturnValueIs
, as shown in the following example:
// return theCode;
dreamweaver.getDocumentDOM().documentElement.outerHTML = ¬
theCode;
}
/* end of translateMarkup() */
4 In the BODY of the document, add the following form with no text boxes:
<body>
<form>
Hello.
</form>
</body>
5 Restart Dreamweaver, and select your translator command from the Commands menu. When
you click OK, the
translateMarkup() function is called, which simulates translation.
If no error message appears and translation still fails, you probably have a logic error in
your code.
6 Add alert() statements in strategic spots throughout the translateMarkup() function so
you can make sure you’re getting the proper branches and so you can check the values of
variables and properties at different points:
for (var i=0; i< foo.length; i++){
alert("we're at the top of foo.length array, and the value ¬
of i is " + i);
/* rest of loop */
}
7 After adding in the alert() statements, select your command from the Commands menu, click
Cancel, and select it again. This process reloads the command file and incorporates
your changes.