Editing Non-HTML Markup with Dreamweaver

[ LiB ]

The Dreamweaver code editor can be used to edit kinds of code other than the default markup languages (HTML, XML, XHTML, ASP, CFM, and so on), although you can't display those files in Design view or use the Preview in Browser feature to view them. What other languages might you want? If you're into authoring for multimedia, you might want to try your hand at SMIL (Synchronized Media Integration Language), used to build audiovisual presentations, or SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), for creating vector graphics. Both of these XML-based languages are growing in popularity. If you work with Windows Media, you might want to edit the text metafiles it uses (.wvx and .wax files). If you're authoring RealMedia presentations, you might want to edit RealText (.rt) or RealPix (.rp) files. Dreamweaver's own XML-based configuration files also can be edited here (.mno, .dwr, and so on). Dreamweaver extension authors might want to edit their installer files (.mxi) here.

For more on .mxi installer files for Dreamweaver extensions, see the section "Packaging Your Extensions" in Chapter 29, "Creating Your Own Extensions."

If Dreamweaver doesn't know the filename extension of your non-HTML document, it won't be able to open the file. To add new filename extensions to Dreamweaver's list, select Edit > Preferences, and choose the File Types/Editors category. Find the Open in Code View option, and add the new file extension to the text field, as shown in Figure 27.39. Note that each extension must be separated from others in the list by spaces on either side. Don't forget to include the period (.). If your file type might have alternate extensions (such as .smi, .smil, or .sml for SMIL), be sure to add each one you might need.

Figure 27.39. Configuring Dreamweaver to open additional file types in the Preferences File Types/Editors category.

Mac users should be aware that unlike many other Mac programs, Dreamweaver/Mac uses filename extensions to determine file types. Even if a file created in Dreamweaver appears on your desktop with the Dreamweaver icon, the program won't be able to open or preview it unless it includes the proper extension.

To make sure that Dreamweaver doesn't rewrite the code for this file type, select Edit > Preferences, and choose the Code Rewriting category. Find the Never Rewrite Code Options list, and add the new extension. Each new file extension must be separated from others in the list by spaces on either side. (See the earlier section, "Code Rewriting," for more on this.)

To get code hints and tag completion help for specialized markup languages, you can also create a custom tag library. (For full instructions, see the earlier section "Tag Libraries and the Tag Library Editor.") If you plan to work with a particular specialized document type frequently, the time you invest in setting up a tag library can really pay off.

[ LiB ]