Why is Chrome console not working with Dreamweaver?

[stanl48910434]

Mac OSX 10.13.6

Dreamweaver CC 2018

I have my site active in the Site Manager. When I view my html file in Chrome console, any javascript I type in there comes up as null. Same with Safari.

When I drag the file from the folder onto Chrome and run the same javascript, it works.

I tried resetting the preferences. No joy.

I tried using the menu item "Real Time Preview" as well as the little preview icon in the bottom right corner of the screen and control-click the file tab, but nothing works. It opens, just won't give me a result with a simple javascript string.

Any suggestions?

[Jon Fritz]

Sounds like you're using Real Time Preview. The old Preview in Browser is hidden in DW CC2018 and takes a little effort to get to.

It's easy to tell if you're using RTP... an IP address will appear in Chrome's location bar instead of a path on your hard drive or a localhost address.

Real Time Preview uses a frameset on Adobe's servers to show you changes to your page as you work. That frameset can confuse in-browser developer tools.

Right click the named tab of the file (if it's in tabbed windows) or the name of the file in the Files window and choose Open in Browser. That will give you a preview of your local file without Adobe's frameset.

[stanl48910434]

Ah, that explains the weird address in the browser that always ends in index.html, no matter what the file is called. I also saw that it's like that even with wifi turned off and the browser cache cleared.

I figured out the direct file opening, but hoped for a simple solution within Dreamweaver. Paying all that money and I have to use it like a free coding app.

As a matter of interest, how do you get at the older Preview in Browser method?

[Jon Fritz · Accepted solution]

Like I mentioned above, you can right click the named tab, or the file name in the Files window to choose Open in Browser (which is the old Preview in Browser). You can also make a modification to one of DW's program files to kill Real Time Preview entirely and go back to Preview in Browser (now called Open in Browser)...

1. Close DW and go to...

    Windows: C: > Program Files > Adobe > Adobe Dreamweaver CC 2017 > configuration > Menus > MM

    Mac: Applications > Adobe Dreamweaver CC 2017 > configuration > Menus > MM

    (I think, I don't have a Mac to test)

2. Open the file "PIB_Dynamic.js"

2a. As always, make a backup in case something goes sideways. Add _old at the end of the back-up's file name.

3. Search for the text "dw.browseDocument". There are 3 spots with that code, but the first two are just comments. The right one should be on or about line 433, and change the text "isPIB" to "true"

The finished line of code will look like...

dw.browseDocument(dw.getDocumentPath('document'),theBrowser, "-1"/*help argument*/, false /*use temp doc*/, true);

4. Save the file to your desktop

5. Drag the file into the original location from Step 1. You will be prompted for your Admin credentials in order to make the copy/replacement

In DW CC2019, they finally gave us a toggle under Edit > Preferences > Real-time Preview to check Default to Static Browser Preview (use preview in browser) instead of RTP.

[stanl48910434]

Thanks heaps. Will start digging.