22.2 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.
22.2.1 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).
22.2.2 Overview of Developing an Extension
The following steps will help you start creating and distributing
your own extensions:
Create the JavaScript, HTML, and icons required for your extension.
Use the built-in Dreamweaver objects and commands as a starting
point. Consult the resources cited previously for information on the
API and Document Object Model (DOM) used by Dreamweaver.
Comply with the Macromedia UI Guidelines as described at http://dynamic.macromedia.com/MM/exchange/ui_guidelines.jsp.
Test your extension thoroughly on multiple configurations, including
various flavors of Windows, the Mac OS, and different browsers. See
the Macromedia web page "About Extension Testing and
Approval" at http://dynamic.macromedia.com/MM/exchange/about_testing.jsp
for a testing plan and steps necessary to receive Macromedia Approval
certification for your extension.
Move the relevant files to a staging area so they are easily
accessible when creating the package for distribution.
Write the installation file (an
.mxi file) that controls extension
installation. For a sample, see the Blank.mxi file in the ExtensionManagerSamples/Dreamweaver folder.
The .mxi file also defines how a
developer accesses the extensions features, such as via a keyboard
shortcut, menu item, or the Objects panel. For details on the
.mxi file format, see "The
Macromedia Extension Installation File Format," available at
http://download.macromedia.com/pub/exchange/mxi_file_format.pdf.
Use the Extension Manager's File Package Extension
command to create an Extension package (.mxp file) from the .mxi file created in Step 5. The same package
is used on both platforms in most cases. (Use a filename that is
valid on both Windows and Macintosh and does not contain spaces.) The
.mxp file contains compressed
versions of the necessary files, plus installation instructions used
by the Extension Manager.
Install the .mxp file on your own
machine using the Extension Manager's File Install
Extension command to ensure that the extension installs properly
(preferably, you should test it on a fresh machine to ensure that the
necessary files are installed by the package and are not simply left
over from your development efforts). Retest the extension's
features to verify that the installation is correct.
Submit the extension to the Exchange by using the Extension
Manager's File Submit Extension command by or going
directly to http://dynamic.macromedia.com/bin/MM/exchange/about_submission.jsp.
This action accesses the Macromedia Exchange site where you must log
in and follow on-screen instructions to submit your extension.
The next chapter covers the CourseBuilder extension, which simplifies
the creation of web-based training courses.
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