Dreamweaver dabbling
Here are some Dreamweaver extensions you might find useful. They all seem to work, but use at your own risk. Clicking on an extension name will download it as a .zip file.
Links marked with an * open in a new window which may be closed to return to this page.
(1)FrameJammer_hp teaches a page that should be in a frame how to open the frameset that "owns" it, then positions the page in the appropriate frame if it is ever opened directly in a browser window.
If you have a framed site, some of the pages can get indexed by search engine crawlers, then when users open them they don't look the way you want them to look, and the navigation is probably broken. This command fixes that.
Place both files (not the folder) into the Dreamweaver CONFIGURATION> COMMANDS folder or use the Extension Manager.
See the command interface* before you download it.
Click here* for a description of how to do it with JavaScript.
Downlaod FrameStuffer, FrameJammer without the temporary flash of the default frame page (see Help file included).
LIMITATIONS: Pages must be in the same directory or in subdirectories below the page with the frameset. Here's some additional information on working with frames*.
To see the JavaScript, use the link in my October E-Notes Web Tip.
Place the file into the Dreamweaver CONFIGURATION> BEHAVIORS> ACTIONS folder or use the Extension Manager.
popWindow_hp is a modified modifed version of the Macromedia 'Open Browser Window.' I've added:
- * 'creator to allow control of the opening window from
the popup, e.g., using "creator.location = 'someOtherUrl.htm'"
* changes the opener window content.
- * code that automatically brings popup windows to the front if they've been sent to the back by the user.See what the interface looks like* or just download it. It belongs in the BEHAVIORS> ACTIONS folder or use the Extension Manager.
jumpMenu_hp (3)creates a pulldown menu that allows you to specify different targets for each of the selection options. You can:
- open the link in the same frame or window
- open the link in any frame in the frameset
- open the link in a new window
- open the link in a new named window, allowing you to target it with other HTML code
You can see the object interface* before you download it. The documentation is here*. This is an object, so place the files (not the folder) into the Dreamweaver CONFIGURATION> OBJECTS> FORMS folder or use the Extension Manager.
Click here* for a description of how to do it with JavaScript.
LIMITATION: it works with a frameset page split any way you want it, but does not automatically target frames in a page in a frame. That probably requires more description, so here's some information about working with frames.
browserSniffer_hp is (4) a command that inserts flags (true/false variables like is_nav, is_ie) that tell you which browser and version the viewer is using.
This is based on info from the Netscape site, and includes a thorough test to make certain that a browser that says it's Netscape Navigator really is, and a flag that accurately tells you if the browser is IE 5+. Here's a bit more info*, or just download it. Put it in your CONFIGURATION> COMMANDS folder or use the Extension Manager.JavaScript snippets: nice as it is, Dreamweave can't do everything, and some people will want to dig in and add some hand-coding. This file includes a variety of functions I find useful when I need to get my hands dirty with code.
This is set up as a command that lets you select the snippets you want, then inserts them into the head of your page. It belongs in your CONFIGURATION> COMMANDS folder or use the Extension Manager.
noSpaces()- removes all spaces and tabs from a string
pathOnly()- removes the file name from a URL
fileOnly()- removes the path from a URL
subtractString()- one of my favorites, useful for things like subtracting the path to your site root from the path to individual files.
insertInString()- inserts text into a string at a specified location
leftTrim(), rightTrim()- remove spaces from the beginning and end of a string.(Webmonkey array functions for 3+ browers:)
arypush()- adds items to the end of an array
arypop()- removes the last itemofn an array
arycopy()- creates a copy of an array
aryunshift()- inserts item at the beginning of an array
aryshift()- removes first item of an array
aryconcat()- appends one array to another
I'd appreciate any feedback you care to provide, because this tech stuff is largely a hobby for me.
(5)In real life, I do killer advertising and marketing for high tech companies (if you know anyone who needs some, point them at my main site).
After you've downloaded what you want off this page, you might want to visit the main site, too. I have a few papers on Web site design in my Web Authoring section you might find interesting.
Hal Pawluk (626) 966-0058
http://www.pawluk.com/