Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS5 Bible

Chapter 34. Handling Server Behaviors

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Using server behaviors

• Altering applied server behaviors

• Working with Dreamweaver's server behaviors

• Adding new server behaviors

• Crafting custom server behaviors

Server behaviors are the heart of Dreamweaver, the essential engine that puts the dynamic in dynamic Web applications. Server behaviors insert server-model–specific code that handles everything from displaying dynamic data to authenticating users. Even the basic data source connection and the establishment of a recordset are, in reality, server behaviors. Without server behaviors, no dynamic capabilities would be possible in Dreamweaver.

Server behaviors are valuable for novices and veteran coders alike. They enable designers who have never heard of an ASP Request collection to gather information from a form — a procedure that utilizes the ASP Request collection — with point-and-click ease. Even serious code jockeys can appreciate the productivity potential of server behaviors, especially the capability to create their own. With the Server Behavior Builder, programmers can build a library of their custom functions, complete with fully functional dialog boxes for maximum flexibility. After these functions are crafted, you can drop any of the custom server behaviors directly onto the page — and, if need be, easily alter the parameters.

This chapter includes an overview of server behaviors as well as basic information about their use and management. For your reference, you also ...