Chapter 6 Insert Bar Objects; How Object Files Work - MACROMEDIA DREAMWEAVER MX 2004-EXTENDING DREAMWEAVER Manual

In Dreamweaver, objects insert specific strings of code into a user's document. Objects commonly
reside on the Insert bar, on the Insert menu, or both, so users can add content, such as images,
layers, and tables, by clicking icons or menu options. You can add items to the Insert bar
to automate repetitive tasks for your users or even create dialog boxes for users to set
specific attributes.
Objects reside in the Configuration/Objects folder inside the Dreamweaver application folder.
The Objects subfolders are grouped according to their location on the Insert bar, and you can
open these files to see the construction of current objects. For example, you can open the
Configuration/Objects/Common/Hyperlink.htm file to see the code that corresponds to the
hypertext link object button on the Insert bar.

How object files work

Objects have the following three components:
•
The HTML file that defines what is inserted into a document
The section of an Object file contains JavaScript functions (or references external
HEAD
JavaScript files) that process form input from the
added to the user's document.The
accepts parameters for the object (for example, the number of rows and columns to insert in a
table) and activates a dialog box for users to input attributes.
Note: The simplest objects contain only the HTML to insert, without a BODY and HEAD tag. For
more information, see "Customizing Dreamweaver" on the Macromedia Support Center.
•
The 18 x 18 pixel image that appears on the Insert bar
•
Additions to the insertbar.xml file. The insertbar.xml file defines where the object appears on
the Insert bar.
section and control what content is
BODY
of an Object file can contain an HTML form that
BODY
CHAPTER 6
Insert Bar Objects
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