Chapter5.Defining Preferences

Chapter 5. Defining Preferences

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Using the Preferences Window

• Setting Keyboard Shortcuts

• Working with Tag Libraries

As you become more involved with the development of your web pages, defining preferences will become increasingly important and, at times, essential. Let's face it, no one likes to develop in a rigid environment where you're forced to work with a predetermined interface that stifles adaptation to your workflow process. After all, everyone is different, everyone develops differently, and most importantly, everyone uses certain tools in Dreamweaver more than others. To this end, Dreamweaver is unusual in a sense that just about everything can be customized. From workflow processes to keyboard shortcuts, from code hints for tags to favorite objects, commands, and dialog interfaces, everything can be customized to suit the way you like to work and not the way Macromedia thinks you should work.

So far, you've learned about the various tools, panels, and windows that Dreamweaver exposes as aids in your site development endeavors. You built a simple web page using these Dreamweaver tools, and lastly, you saw how defining a site is beneficial in terms of managing the pages and, ultimately, the sites you work with. Before we continue with more advanced development topics such as tables, CSS, forms, and so on, let's look at the various preferences you can set to further enhance your website development experience. Specifically, we'll explore these topics:

• The Preferences window

• Keyboard shortcuts

• Tag libraries

Although this chapter won't examine every customizable feature Dreamweaver exposes, we will do so as the book unfolds and the topics become more necessary. For instance, in Appendix B, "Extending Dreamweaver," we'll discuss how simple modifications to the menus.xml file can customize the way you interact with the menu bar. Furthermore, we'll examine how you can build your own objects, behaviors, server behaviors, and how you can package and distribute these items to the Dreamweaver community through the Macromedia Exchange. For now, we're merely concerned with customizing the workflow process through simple editable preferences, keyboard shortcuts, and tag libraries.