A.4 Help Creating Your Own Extensions

If you're excited by the possibilities of the Dreamweaver extensions discussed in Chapter 20, you may want to have a go at creating your own. You should be well-versed in JavaScript and have an interest in programming. To help you out, Dreamweaver includes a detailed electronic help system covering every aspect of extension development. Choose HelpExtensionsExtending Dreamweaver, which launches an electronic help system. You can view its table of contents or use a search feature.

In addition, you'll need to learn Dreamweaver's advanced programming interface (API). An API lets you use JavaScript to communicate with and control Dreamweaver. It's not for the faint of heart, however; take a look by choosing HelpExtensions API Reference.

Finally, after creating your extension masterpiece, you can learn how to prepare it for public consumption by choosing HelpExtensionsCreating and Submitting Extensions. You get a help screen explaining how to prepare your extensions in the .mxp format (the format used by the Extension manager) and how to submit them to the Macromedia Exchange for review.