Dreamweaver in a Nutshell

Writing Your Own Extensions

If you can write HTML and JavaScript, you can write Dreamweaver extensions. In earlier chapters, we saw how to add custom objects to the Objects panel, create custom dialog boxes, and add commands to the Commands menu. Dreamweaver extensions are merely customized menu options, behaviors, and objects that have been packaged to make them easily shareable.

Resources for Extension Developers

Macromedia provides several resources to help you write Dreamweaver extensions:

• For a thorough discussion of creating extensions, the Help → Extending Dreamweaver option from the Dreamweaver main menu bar accesses the full text of Macromedia’s Extending Dreamweaver manual. (The PDF version of the manual, ExtendingDreamweaver.pdf, is included in the ExtendingtheStudio folder of the Dreamweaver 4 installation CD-ROM. The same folder includes ExtendingFireworks.pdf, which documents how to extend Fireworks.)

• The Help → Creating and Submitting Extensions option in the Extension Manager window’s menu bar gives an overview of how to create extensions and submit them to the Dreamweaver Exchange.

• Visit http://www.macromedia.com/support/dreamweaver/extend.html for more detail on customizing and extending Dreamweaver

• Avail yourself of the Dreamweaver Exchange and the resources cited in the preface.

• Also see Building Dreamweaver 4 and Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 Extensions by Ray West and Tom Muck (Osborne).

Overview of Developing an Extension

The following steps will help you start creating ...