Customizing Dreamweaver Menus

Step 1: Close Dreamweaver

To customize your Dreamweaver menus, you have to be comfortable editing XML files. Why? Because Dreamweaver menus are now written in XML. To modify these files, you need to open the file without Dreamweaver running. Close Dreamweaver by selecting File, Exit (Alt-F4).

Step 2: Open Menus.xml

XML files are typical text files, and all you need to edit them is a standard text editor. Since the Menus.xml file is to large for Windows Notepad, you may want to open it in the tried and true DOS Edit program that Microsoft still sends. Open the c:/Program Files/Macromedia/Dreamweaver/Configuration/Menus/menu.xml file in your text editor.

Step 3: Save a Copy

It is never a good idea to work on your main copy of a configuration file. Make a copy of your menus.xml file by selecting the File Save As option on most Text editors. Now that you have a copy of the file, you can continue working; save your changes to the original file. This way, you always have a copy of the original to work from if your changes don't work properly.

Step 4: Move Menus

To move the order of the menus, you need to select an entire object and all of its child tags. Highlight the menu option that is to be moved. Cut it from the document using the options generally found on the Edit menu. Place your cursor in the location you wish the menu to be placed and select the Paste menu option.

Step 5: Add Separator

You can add a separator to your Dreamweaver menus as easily as adding a line of text into your menus.xml file by the addition of the statement . This statement can appear between any menu item, but not between menus.

Step 6: Add Menu Item

To add a menu item to your document, add a tag. This tag has a variety of attributes including "name" that shows the text for the menu, "key" that identifies the shortcut key, as well as additional options that control the effect that selecting that menu option will have.

Step 7: Save Changes

Be sure to save you additions and changes, and then reload Dreamweaver. You will be able to view the changes to your menu when Dreamweaver reloads.