Adobe 38040334 Extending Dreamweaver - Page 80

Extension APIs

Page 80 highlights

DREAMWEAVER CS3 74 Extending Dreamweaver Reloading extensions If you make a change to an extension while you are working in Dreamweaver, you can reload the extensions so that Dreamweaver recognizes the change. To reload extensions 1 Control-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) the Categories menu in the Insert bar's title bar. 2 Select Reload Extensions. Note: Remember that in a multiuser operating system you should edit copies of configuration files in your user Configuration folder rather than editing master configuration files. For more information, see "Configuration folders and extensions" on page 72. Extension APIs The extension APIs provide you with the functions that Dreamweaver calls to implement each type of extension. You must write the bodies of these functions as described for each extension type and specify the return values that Dreamweaver expects. If you are a developer who wants to work directly in the C programming language, there is a C extensibility API that lets you create dynamic link libraries (DLLs). The functionality that is provided in these APIs wraps your C DLLs in JavaScript so that your extension can work seamlessly in Dreamweaver. The documentation of extension APIs outlines what each function does, when Dreamweaver calls it, and what value Dreamweaver expects it to return. See the Dreamweaver API Reference for information about the Utility API and the JavaScript API, which provide functions that you can use to perform specific tasks in your extensions. How Dreamweaver processes JavaScript in extensions Dreamweaver checks the Configuration/extension_type folder during startup. If it encounters an extension file within the folder, Dreamweaver processes the JavaScript by completing the following steps: • Compiling everything between the beginning and ending SCRIPT tags • Executing any code within SCRIPT tags that is not part of a function declaration Note: This procedure is necessary during startup because some extensions might require global variables to initialize. Dreamweaver performs the following actions for any external JavaScript files that are specified in the SRC attributes of SCRIPT tags: • Reads in the file • Compiles the code

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DREAMWEAVER CS3
Extending Dreamweaver
74
Reloading extensions
If you make a change to an extension while you are working in Dreamweaver, you can reload the extensions so that
Dreamweaver recognizes the change.
To reload extensions
1
Control-click (Windows) or Option-click (Macintosh) the Categories menu in the Insert bar’s title bar.
2
Select Reload Extensions.
Note:
Remember that in a multiuser operating system you should edit copies of configuration files in your user Config-
uration folder rather than editing master configuration files. For more information, see “Configuration folders and
extensions” on page 72.
Extension APIs
The extension APIs provide you with the functions that Dreamweaver calls to implement each type of extension. You
must write the bodies of these functions as described for each extension type and specify the return values that
Dreamweaver expects.
If you are a developer who wants to work directly in the C programming language, there is a C extensibility API that
lets you create dynamic link libraries (DLLs). The functionality that is provided in these APIs wraps your C DLLs in
JavaScript so that your extension can work seamlessly in Dreamweaver.
The documentation of extension APIs outlines what each function does, when Dreamweaver calls it, and what value
Dreamweaver expects it to return.
See the
Dreamweaver API Reference
for information about the Utility API and the JavaScript API, which provide
functions that you can use to perform specific tasks in your extensions.
How Dreamweaver processes JavaScript in extensions
Dreamweaver checks the Configuration/
extension_type
folder during startup. If it encounters an extension file
within the folder, Dreamweaver processes the JavaScript by completing the following steps:
Compiling everything between the beginning and ending
SCRIPT
tags
Executing any code within
SCRIPT
tags that is not part of a function declaration
Note:
This procedure is necessary during startup because some extensions might require global variables to initialize.
Dreamweaver performs the following actions for any external JavaScript files that are specified in the
SRC
attributes
of
SCRIPT
tags:
Reads in the file
Compiles the code