MACROMEDIA 38028779 - Macromedia Dreamweaver - Mac, Using Manual, Page: 516 / 582

Chapter 22 516
Creating a simple object
You can create your own objects to add to the Objects panel. Many simple objects
require no JavaScript; they contain only the HTML source code to be inserted
into the document. (For basic information about creating more complex objects
using JavaScript, see “Extending Dreamweaver: Basics” on page 536.)
After you create an object, you can package it and distribute it on the Macromedia
Exchange site if you want other Dreamweaver users to be able to use it. For more
information, see the Macromedia Exchange for Dreamweaver site. To package an
extension, you must first download the Package Manager installer from that site,
then install the Package Manager with the developer option.
To create a simple object:
1
Create a new blank document in a text editor (such as BBEdit or HomeSite).
Note: When you create a new blank document in Dreamweaver, it contains several
default HTML tags, such as html , head , and body . If you want to use one of the
Dreamweaver code editors (the Document window’s Code view or the Code inspector)
as your text editor for creating a simple object, you must first delete all the default tags
that appear in the code editor when you create a new document.
2
Add the tags that you want this object to insert into your documents.
For example, type the following:
<p>
&copy; 2000 Z Productions, Inc.<BR>
All Rights Reserved
</p>
3
Save the file.
If you want the new object to appear in one of the existing Objects panel
categories, save it in one of the subfolders of the Objects folder. To create a new
category, create a new folder within the Configuration/Objects folder and save
your file there. Additional folders inside any category subfolder (such as folders
created inside the Characters subfolder) are ignored.
4
In a graphics or image-editing application (such as Macromedia Fireworks),
create an 18 x 18 pixel GIF image that will serve as the icon for your object in
the Objects panel.
If you create a larger image, Dreamweaver automatically scales it to 18 x 18
pixels. If you do not create an icon for your object, Dreamweaver displays a
generic object icon for your object in the Objects panel.