Code view in DW CS3 (Mac) has vanished

Report · May 08, 2017

I'm using DW CS3 for Mac for my SCORM e-learning projects, but agreed to help review a template for a colleague using a more modern version of DW (likely one of the latest Windows versions) to make sure all her SCORM code was integrated properly.

I had her send me her template (based on one I'd sent her as a starting point) with the plan of reviewing it for her to make sure all her code was properly executed for the SCORM project we're working on. I set up a temporary site in DW and dropped her template into it (it uses the same graphics/stylesheets).

The code view was missing in viewing her template and worse yet, now the code view has vanished for all my projects (even those not associated with this particular template. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. All the Code and Split buttons are there and accessible, but the 'page' that should be filled with code is completely blank -- not just collapsed.

I've tried removing the preferences and deleting the workspace XML files -- neither solution worked. I really don't want to have to use a text editor to work on the code.

HELP PLEASE!

Report · May 08, 2017

If you viewed the scorm file in live view, then there is a possibility that it has caused problems with your user preferences file, or cache.

Try the solutions at -

https://forums.adobe.com/message/2260933

Report · May 08, 2017

Sorry to report that deleting the MacFileCache***.dat file didn't help. Still looking for a solution. Any other suggestions?

Report · May 08, 2017

What happens if you create a new file, does that work both before and after saving?

Report · May 08, 2017

I tried creating a new file both a folder (site) and individual file (within a designated site) from template and a new template file. Nothing restores the code view. I deleted preferences and the cache file. Did you mean a different kind of file?

Still no joy in Mudville.

Report · May 08, 2017

I know in older versions of DW, there was an option to turn on Head Items (I think that was the name, or something very similar, in the View menu I believe) that would turn a page to a blank gray with a handful of icons (if DW recognized the items in the <head> section of the page).

In that view, there was no access to the Code View, even if it was selected from the menu options. If I'm not totally mistaken, it would stay on no matter what file you open afterward until it was "unchecked" in the menu again (It has been gone for a long time in DW and my memory isn't what it used to be)

Could that be a possibility here?

Report · May 08, 2017

"View" (or "unview") head content has no effect. You've got a GREAT memory though!

Report · May 08, 2017

Try creating a new html file from the - files, new menu item, (html). Do not create a new site or use an old one, or create a template.

Report · May 08, 2017

Created a new file not associated with any directory (site). Inserted some Lorem Ipsum on it. Still no code view on the new html file.

Report · May 08, 2017

I don't really want to suggest this, as i know there can be problems with reactivation, but it may be necessary to do a clean reinstall.

Maybe Jon or someone else can suggest further possible solutions, before actually doing a clean reinstall.

Report · May 08, 2017

Yep, re-installing is my ultimate fall-back. Lesson learned. Never open anything in html pages created in newer versions directly in Dreamweaver. (sigh)

Report · May 08, 2017

Is the Code View window totally blank, or does it act like there's code but you just can't see it?

Basically, are there line numbers and a scrollbar as if the window were full of code, or is it acting like there's simply no code at all?

Another thought, is there a Code Inspector under the Window menu in that version (F10)? Maybe looking at the code from another angle will make it appear...

Report · May 08, 2017

This is perhaps the most frustrated I've ever been with DW -- and been using it for more than 15 yrs.

No scrollbars, no head/body tags, no line numbers. Code inspector looks the same (screenshot below). The only indication that there is code is the line in the footer. In actuality, there are 774 lines of code. It just invisible.

Report · May 08, 2017

I'm probably going to ask a stupid question now, but can you highlight the code with the cursor?

Report · May 08, 2017

It's not a stupid question.... but no. My cursor changes to an 'inset' cursor, just like it should, but it won't 'inset' anything. Doesn't even seem to touch the page in the code view. Anything I try to type into the 'code view' doesn't appear.

Report · May 08, 2017

I'm pretty sure it's going to be time to reinstall the program. Something strange has definitely gone wrong in there.

If you have any issues reinstalling, you could take a look at the free Brackets editor (what the newest versions of DW use). It's available here and might react a bit better to code created after CS3's expiration date...

Brackets - A modern, open source code editor that understands web design.

Report · May 08, 2017

I've put off updating to Creative Cloud for a long time. If the reinstall goes sideways, I guess I'll have to bite the bullet. The DW extensions I've accumulated over the years are just too important to my work process to let DW go. I'll download Brackets to see how it works, but the middle of several projects on deadline isn't the time to learn new software.

Thank you so much for the suggestion!

Kat

Report · May 08, 2017

Can you open the document in Brackets?

Brackets - A modern, open source code editor that understands web design.

Nancy

Nancy O'Shea— Product User, Community Expert & Moderator

Report · May 08, 2017

I can open the code view in Text Wrangler and edit it, but if I have to go new, I guess it's onto Creative Cloud. After taking a quick look at Brackets, it doesn't seem to offer the same kinds of sophisticated extensions that I've got installed in DW.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

Report · May 08, 2017

Which extensions are you using? The old extension file types won't work in newer versions of DW. Hopefully your extension developers have been updating their products for CC to the ZXP file type.

Project Seven & DMX Zone are on top of it. But I can't say the same for all.

Nancy

Nancy O'Shea— Product User, Community Expert & Moderator

Report · May 08, 2017

Not sure what extension developers updating their products for CC has to do with this discussion since the original poster clearly mentioned they were using CS3 both in the title of their topic and in the first sentence of their original post...

Report · May 08, 2017

Sorry the comments confused you and if the discussion got a little off-topic.

My copy of Dreamweaver CS3 is corrupted (I suspect). I am going to try to reinstall it to see if I can fix it. If not, I'll upgrade to Creative Cloud (rather than move to a new software like Brackets) because the extensions written for DW are vital to my work.

Hope that helps.

Report · May 08, 2017

Before you do something as crass as reinstalling or worse: buying a product subscription that you don't need to, do yourself a favor and try creating a new user account on your Mac and see if DW CS3 works as expected there.

Report · May 08, 2017

Thanks for the advice.

Uninstalling and reinstalling Dreamweaver worked and code view is restored. I'll have to reinstall my extensions and reset preferences but personally, I think it's easier than trying to manage two user accounts -- even if that may have worked.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help. I sincerely appreciate all the suggestions and the time y'all took to contribute to trying to solve my dilemma.

Report · May 09, 2017

Happy to hear it is now working again .

For future reference, should you decide to update to the Adobe cloud version, the reason Nancy asked about extensions is because in CS6, (may have been CS5) the file extension type used for Dreamweaver extensions changed, from an mxp file extension to a zxp file extension, and they are not interchangable.

That means it will be necessary for you to obtain new extension packages with the zxp file extension, for the CC versions of Dw. Also for CC versions both DMXZone and PVII have extension managers available, (free, and I prefer the PVII version) that you can download to install extensions to CC versions, as Adobe stopped offering an extension manager.

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Code view in DW CS3 (Mac) has vanished

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