Tools

Various utilities exist to help you build better extensions. The ones listed here are available online and are free.

• Dreamweaver Platform SDK Extension Develop extensions for the Dreamweaver platform. Created by Macromedia. Package contains samples of all the major extension types (see Figure E.1), along with some really wonderful utilities (see Figure E.2).

  Figure E.1. The SDK sample objects category, part of Macromedia's SDK for Dreamweaver.

  

  Figure E.2. The Evaluate JavaScript Console, Show Document Structure window, and Node Floater at work, also part of Macromedia's SDK for Dreamweaver.

  

• Create Behavior Extension Create your own behaviors quickly and easily. By Ruairi Conor McComb. Available on the Macromedia Dreamweaver Exchange.

• EditPlus By ES-Computing. A shareware text editor for Windows. Dreamweaver files for EditPlus are aimed at Dreamweaver extension development using the EditPlus editor, including Dreamweaver DOM-specific syntax highlighting. Available at http://www.extending-dreamweaver.com/.

• JSExtensionBrowser By ES-Computing. A small application for Windows that opens shared C libraries for Windows and browses its functions. Available at http://www.extending-dreamweaver.com/ .

• Extension Debug Suite Extension By Public Domain. Windows only. Allows for more control and cleaner debugging when developing DW/UltraDev/FW extensions. Contains a debug code viewer that captures output from the debug commands entered into the extension being developed, alleviating the need for JavaScript alert boxes to see the value of variables , evaluated JavaScript expressions, or string messages (see Figure E.3). Available on the Macromedia Dreamweaver Exchange.

  Figure E.3. The Trace Output Console, part of Public Domain's Extension Debug Suite.

  

• MXI File Creator By Public Domain. A Windows-only Dreamweaver extension that automatically creates the MXI information document necessary to make MXP installer files (see Figure E.4). Available on the Macromedia Dreamweaver Exchange.

  Figure E.4. The MXI Creator & Packager extension by Public Domain.

  

• OSA for Dreamweaver By Late Night Software, Ltd. This freeware package provides the tools required to integrate AppleScript (or any other OSA scripting system) with Macromedia Dreamweaver. Use AppleScript as part of any Dreamweaver custom Object, Behavior, Command, or Translator. Available at http://www.latenightsw.com/freeware/OSADreamweaver/index.html.