March 28, 2002

XHTML modifications for Dreamweaver

I’ve gone and implemented all Dreamweaver updates for XHTML and Unicode character entities. Anyone wishing to do the same and want to save themselves some work can download all changed files here. You need Dreamweaver 4. Also included is a clip library with numeric character entities for use with Textpad. Update 10/4/02: More detailed instructions, and some additional files that have been modified, detailed below. The files in the ZIP are now also organised in the correct directory structure.

Thanks to:

• A List Apart: Modifying Dreamweaver to Produce Valid XHTML (This article also provides detailed instructions)
• A List Apart: The Trouble With EM 'n EN
• evolt.org: A Simple Character Entity Chart

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Find your Dreamweaver configuration folder (typically C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 3\Configuration), and back it up (e.g. make a zipfile of it.). You’ll only be altering a few files, but it’s much less hassle to just back up the whole thing.
2. Launch Dreamweaver, and make the following changes to the preferences:
   • lowercase tags (HTML Format)
   • save files as .html (General)
3. Install Configuration: Templates: Default.html: Updated 10/4/02
   • Default Doctype to XHTML
   • Remove body formatting handled by CSS, add link to CSS and alternate CSS, declare character set, add standard meta tags
4. Install Configuration: Objects: Common
   • Image.js, HR.htm
   • Line Break.htm Update: on some versions of Dreamweaver, e.g. the Mac, Line Break.htm is located under Objects: Characters, or possibly both Characters and Common. Make sure all existing instances is replaced by this one. It also appears that the Shift-Return keyboard shortcut in Design View on the Mac outputs <br> despite this update. No fix yet.
5. Install Configuration: Objects: Forms
   • Checkbox.htm, File Field.htm, Hidden Field.htm, Button.htm, Radio.htm, Text Field.htm, Image Field.js
6. Install Configuration: Objects: Characters
   • Change: Left Quote.htm, Right Quote.htm, Em-Dash.htm, Trademark.htm New
   • Add: Left Single Quote.htm, Right Single Quote.htm, En-Dash.htm (and GIFs for the Object palette)
7. Install Configuration: Objects: Head
   • Meta.js, Description.js New, Keywords.js New, Base.js New, Link.js New, Refresh.js New
8. Install Configuration: Commands
   • InsertEnt.htm, Rollover.js
9. Edit Configuration: Menus: Menus.xml Updated 10/4/02(Note: I do not recommend replacing your menus.xml with mine. Make the changes manually, using this text file or my menus.xml as reference.)
   • Create shortcuts for Left Quote ( Cmd+Shift+Q), Right Quote ( Cmd+Alt+Q), Em Dash ( Cmd+Alt+Shift+M)
   • Add, and create shortcuts for, Left Single Quote ( Cmd+Shift+W), Right Single Quote ( Cmd+Alt+W), En Dash ( Cmd+Alt+Shift+N)
   • Remove “show head elements” shortcut (Cmd+Shift+W)
   • Change B and I to ' strong' and ' EM' (find it by searching for Cmd+B, and use those cases)
10. Edit Configuration: Sourceformat.txt New (Note: again I do not recommend replacing your Sourceformat.txt with mine. Make the changes manually, using my file as reference. The <?attributes> section is at the end of the file.)
    • JavaScript attributes (e.g. “onAbort”) changed to lower case, which may be harder to read, but is valid XHTML.
11. Also provided: “HTML Characters Extended” clip library for Textpad, containing the entities
    • – en dash
    • — em dash
    • ‘ left single quotation mark
    • ’ right single quotation mark
    • ‘WRAP single quotation marks’
    • ‚ single low-9 quotation mark
    • ‘WRAP single high-low quotation marks‚
    • “ left double quotation mark
    • ” right double quotation mark
    • “WRAP double quotation marks”
    • „ double low-9 quotation mark
    • “WRAP double high-low quotation marks„
    • … horizontal ellipsis
    • • bullet
    • † dagger
    • ‡ double dagger
    • × multiplication sign
    • ÷ division sign
    • § section sign (SS)
    • ¶ pilcrow sign (paragraph)
    • ¹ superscript 1
    • ² superscript 2
    • ³ superscript 3
    • ¼ vulgar fraction one quarter
    • ½ vulgar fraction one half
    • ¾ vulgar fraction three quarters
    • ‹ single left-pointing angle quotation mark
    • › single right-pointing angle quotation mark
    • ‹WRAP angle quotation marks›
    • € euro sign
    • ˆ modifier letter circumflex accent
    • ˜ small tilde
    •   en space
    •   em space
    •   thin space
    • ­ soft hyphen

Here are the downloads:

• All changed Dreamweaver files (The folder structure reflect the configuration subfolders they belong in.) Updated 10/4/02
• Textpad add-on
• Text file showing my new Dreamweaver keyboard shortcuts (for both Dreamweaver 3 and 4) Updated 10/4/02

These come without any warranty whatsoever. Use at your own risk.

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