Using the Macromedia Extension Manager

The Macromedia Extension Manager provides an easy and convenient way to install and delete extensions in Macromedia applications, and to find information about extensions you've installed. It also provides a convenient way to navigate to the Macromedia Exchange site, where you can find more extensions, get information about extensions, and rate extensions that you've used.

Note: The Extension Manager only displays extensions that are installed using the Extension Manager. Extensions that are installed using a third-party installer or local changes that you or someone else has made to your configuration files will not automatically appear in the Extension Manager.

• This document contains the following sections:
• About extensions
• Installing extensions
• Managing extensions
• Installing and managing extensions in multiuser environments

About extensions

An extension is a piece of software that can be added to a Macromedia application to enhance the application's capabilities. Macromedia offers several types of extensions. For example, Macromedia Dreamweaver extensions can include HTML code that can be added to the Insert bar and Insert menu, and JavaScript commands that can be added to the Command menu. They can also include new behaviors, Property inspectors, and floating panels. Macromedia Flash extensions include components that you can use to build projects, templates for designing Flash content, reusable ActionScript code snippets, additional symbol libraries, and more. Macromedia Fireworks extensions include everything from styles created by other users for the Styles palette, to Textures, Filters, Patterns, and Libraries. All Macromedia applications that support the Extension Manager can use font extensions that install a font on a computer.

The Macromedia Exchange website at www.macromedia.com/go/exchange is a repository for many types of extensions. Some extensions on the Macromedia Exchange website are created by Macromedia and some are created by other developers. If you find a non-commercial extension you're interested in, you can download it using your web browser and then install it in an application using the Extension Manager. Some extensions on the Exchange are commercial and cannot be downloaded immediately; the download link will redirect you to the author's website so you can obtain purchasing information.

Installing extensions

You can use the Extension Manager to install extensions.

Note: If you are installing extensions in a multiuser operating system, such as Windows XP or Mac OS X, see also Installing and managing extensions in multiuser environments.

Start by obtaining the extension you want to install. For example, if you find an extension you're interested in on the Macromedia Exchange site, you can download the extension file using a web browser. The extension filename ends with the .mxp file extension. This packaged extension file contains all the files you need to install and use the extension.

To save an extension you download:

1. Click the extension's link on the Macromedia Exchange website to begin the download.
2. Save the extension in the Downloaded Extensions folder in the Extension Manager application folder.
3. Install the extension by doing one of the following:
   • Select File > Install Extension in the Extension Manager.
   • Browse to the saved file in the Downloaded Extensions folder and double-click the file's icon.

To install an extension:

1. Start the Extension Manager using one of these methods:
   • Double-click the extension file in Windows Explorer (Windows) or in the Finder (Macintosh).
   • In Dreamweaver, Flash, or Fireworks, select Help > Manage Extensions.
   • In Windows, select Macromedia > Macromedia Extension Manager from the Start menu.
   • On the Macintosh, double-click the Extension Manager icon in the Applications/Macromedia Extension Manager folder.
2. From the Product pop-up menu in the Extension Manager toolbar, select a Macromedia product into which you want to install the extension.
3. Select File > Install Extension in the Extension Manager.
4. In the file-selection dialog box that appears, select an extension file ending with the .mxp suffix, and click Install.
5. Read the Macromedia extensions disclaimer and any third-party extension license that may be included.

   Select Accept to continue with the installation, or select Decline to cancel the installation.

6. If you already have another version of the extension installed, or another extension with the same name, the Extension Manager asks if you want to disable the one that's already installed.

   Select Yes to replace the previously installed extension with the new extension, or No to cancel the installation and leave the existing extension in place.

7. If you're asked if you would like to replace one or more existing files, select Yes or Yes to All to accept the version or versions included in the extension, or No to keep the current version of that file.

   If you click Cancel, the installation will be cancelled and no files will be installed or replaced.

If the Extension Manager doesn't encounter any problems, it informs you that the extension has been successfully installed.

Note: For some types of extensions, you must close and then restart the application for the changes to take effect.

Installing an extension installs the extension in a compatible application, if any such application is currently running. For example, if an extension is defined for Flash MX 2004, and Flash 8 is currently running, the extension will be installed into Flash 8. If no version of the application is currently running, the extension is automatically installed into the most recent, compatible product.

If an extension modifies a configuration file such as menus.xml, the Extension Manager creates a backup of the affected configuration file (for example, menus.xbk) before installing the extension. In the unlikely event that the configuration file is damaged by the extension, you can restore it with the backup file.

Caution: Macromedia recommends that you not modify configuration files by hand. Incorrectly modifying them manually can cause significant portions of the product to fail and prevent the installation of other extensions. Configuration files should only be modified by the Extension Manager.

Managing extensions

The first time you launch the Extension Manager, it searches for previously installed extensions and displays them. These extensions are disabled by default. You can enable any extension by clicking the On/Off checkbox.

Note: The information about installed extensions is stored the Configuration/Extensions folder in the Extension Manager application folder. If you delete this folder, the information is recreated the next time you launch the Extension Manager.

You can perform any of the following tasks with the Extension Manager to manage your extensions:

• Sort installed extensions
• Enable and disable installed extensions
• Remove extensions
• Go to the Macromedia Exchange
• Package and submit new extensions
• Obtain support information for an extension

This section describes how to perform each of these tasks.

To sort installed extensions:

• In the Extension Manager, click a column heading such as Version, Type, or Author.

  For example, to sort alphabetically by author name, click the Author column. To reverse the order of the sort, click the column heading again.

To enable and disable installed extensions:

• In the Extension Manager, select the checkbox in the On/Off column next to the extension you want to enable or disable, or select the extension and press the spacebar.

  A check mark in the On/Off column next to the extension indicates that it is enabled; if there is no check mark in the column, the extension is disabled.

If you have installed large numbers of extensions using the Extension Manager, you can selectively enable and disable them to help manage the application's performance.

To remove an extension:

1. In the Extension Manager, select a Macromedia application (such as Flash 8) from the pop-up menu that lists the installed programs.

   A list displaying that application's currently installed extensions appears.

2. Select an extension from the list of installed extensions.

   If an extension doesn't appear in the list, you can't remove it.

3. Select File > Remove Extension. Confirm that you want to remove the extension by choosing Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

   The extension is removed.

Note: If you want to remove an extension that has been disabled, select File > Remove Extension. Do not manually remove extensions from the Disabled folder. If you do, the necessary changes to your configuration files will not be made.

To obtain more information about an extension, rate an extension you've used, or find more extensions:

• In the Extension Manager, select File > Go to Macromedia Exchange.

The Exchange Manager starts your browser and loads the Macromedia Exchange website, where you can find information about any posted extension, rate extensions you've used, and search for and download a wide variety of extensions.

To package and submit a new extension:

1. Package the extension by selecting File > Package Extension.
2. Submit the packaged extension to the Exchange by selecting File > Submit Extension.

For more information, see Packaging and Submitting New Extensions.

Guidelines for writing and testing your extension can be found on the Macromedia Exchange website. For information on how to configure and test extensions, review the "How do I ensure that my extension will pass Macromedia testing?" section of the Macromedia Exchange site help. After you have written and tested your extension, you can package and submit it.

To obtain support information for an extension:

1. In the Extension Manager, select File > Go to Macromedia Exchange.

   The Macromedia Exchange web page appears in your browser.

2. In the Macromedia Exchange site, find the extension for which you would like to obtain support information and review the text under the Support Information heading.

If your issue is not mentioned or support contact information is not provided, try visiting the author's website (linked to from the extension detail view) for additional support or contact details.

Note: Many extensions are provided free of charge and their authors may have limited time to fix or respond to your issue.

Installing and managing extensions in multiuser environments

Macromedia's latest applications allow for multiple user configurations when installed on Windows 2000, XP, and Mac OS X. This allows individual users to install and manage their own sets of extensions, and maintain individual system configurations. The Extension Manager allows the current user of the system to view only the extensions installed in the current user's account. In addition, Dreamweaver allows an administrator to install and manage extensions for all users of a system. To accomplish this, the person must be logged in as Administrator on Windows 2000 and XP, and as "root" on Mac OS X.

The following sections describe how Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Flash install and manage extensions in multiuser environments:

• Understanding the configuration folders
• Installing extensions in Dreamweaver
• Installing extensions in Fireworks
• Installing extensions in Flash