MACROMEDIA DREAMWEAVER MX 2004-EXTENDING DREAMWEAVER User manual

Extending Fireworks

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Acknowledgments
Project Management: Gary White
Writing: David Jacowitz and Gary White
Editing Management: Rosana Francescato
Editors: Linda Adler, Rosana Francescato, Mary Kraemer, Noreen Maher, Antonio Padial, Lisa Stanziano, Anne Szabla
Production Management: Patrice O'Neill
Multimedia Development: Aaron Begley
Production: Adam Barnett, John Francis, Jeff Harmon
Special thanks to Hiroshi Miyazawa, Brian Edgin, Robbie San Juan, and Andy Finnell
First Edition: September 2003
Macromedia, Inc.
600 Townsend St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

3
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: Extending Fireworks Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing an extension. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
What’s new in Extending Fireworks MX 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Conventions used in this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Additional resources for extension writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
CHAPTER 2: The Fireworks Object Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Using the Fireworks Object Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Global methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Core objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Fireworks object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Objects within Fireworks documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
HTML export objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Working with selected objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
CHAPTER 3: Cross-Product Extensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Cross-product architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Flash panels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
CHAPTER 4: Auto Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
How Auto Shapes work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Creating an Auto Shape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
CHAPTER 5: Fireworks JavaScript API . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Using Fireworks API functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Document functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Fireworks functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Property inspector functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
History panel functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Using the common API. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

4 Contents

5
CHAPTER 1
Extending Fireworks Overview
To extend Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004, you must write JavaScript code. You can use
JavaScript to write your own objects and commands that affect Fireworks documents and the
elements within them. To accomplish these tasks, you must be proficient in JavaScript and
in Fireworks.
This guide introduces the Fireworks Object Model, explains how to write cross-product
extensions (extensions written in, or for, other Macromedia applications), and discusses the
JavaScript Auto Shape construction. The final chapter is a reference to the Fireworks JavaScript
application programming interface (API)—the custom JavaScript functions that are built
into Fireworks.
Prerequisites
Because Fireworks extensions must be written in JavaScript, this guide assumes that readers are
familiar with JavaScript syntax and with basic programming concepts such as functions,
arguments, and data types. It also assumes that readers understand the concept of working with
objects and properties. This guide does not attempt to teach programming in general or
JavaScript in particular.
Anyone who wants to extend Fireworks should have a good JavaScript reference to help with
syntax questions (for example, is it substring() or subString()?). Useful JavaScript references
include JavaScript Bible by Danny Goodman (IDG), JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David
Flanagan (O’Reilly), and Pure JavaScript by R. Allen Wyke, Jason D. Gilliam, and Charlton Ting
(Sams). For a free JavaScript reference, see: http://devedge.netscape.com/library/manuals/2000/
javascript/1.5/reference.

6 Chapter 1: Extending Fireworks Overview
Installing an extension
As you start learning the process of writing extensions, you might want to explore the extensions
and resources already available through the Macromedia Exchange website
(www.macromedia.com/exchange). By installing an existing extension, you will become familiar
with some of the tools that you need to work with your own extensions.
To install an extension:
1Download and install the Extension Manager, which is available on the Macromedia
Downloads website (www.macromedia.com/software/downloads).
2Log on to the Macromedia Exchange website (www.macromedia.com/exchange).
3Click the Fireworks Exchange link.
4From the available extensions, select one that you want to use. Click the Download link to
download the extension package.
5Save the extension package in a directory on your machine.
6In Fireworks, choose Commands > Manage Extensions to start the Extension Manager (or,
you can start Extension Manager, located in the Macromedia program group, independently
from Fireworks).
7In the Extension Manager, choose File > Install Extension, and choose the extension package
you just saved.
The Extension Manager automatically installs the extension into Fireworks.
You cannot begin using some extensions until you restart Fireworks. If you are running Fireworks
when you install the extension, you might be prompted to quit and restart the application.
To view basic information on the extension after its installation, go to the Extension Manager
(Commands > Manage Extensions) in Fireworks.
What’s new in Extending Fireworks MX 2004
Fireworks MX 2004 includes the following new features and interfaces that you can use to
develop extensions for the product:
•Cross-product JavaScript communication
Cross-product JavaScript communication allows any application to control Fireworks by
sending JavaScript instructions directly to Fireworks encoded in XML through a local socket.
Through this connection, Fireworks can do anything that is supported in the Fireworks API.
•Event handling for SWF panels
Third-party command panels developed in Flash for Fireworks (SWF command panels) can
listen and respond to events that happen inside Fireworks MX 2004. So, if you develop a SWF
command panel that creates a specific object for the user (such a spiral pattern), you can also
leverage the new Fireworks event handling so the user can inspect the object and adjust the
object properties.
•Auto Shapes
Along with the new Auto Shapes implementation, the Fireworks M X 2004 API lets you define
an Auto Shape entirely in JavaScript. (For information about working with Auto Shapes in
Fireworks, see Using Fireworks Help.)

Additional resources for extension writers 7
Conventions used in this guide
The following typographical conventions are used in this guide:
•Code font indicates code fragments and API literals, including class names, method names,
function names, type names, scripts, SQL statements, and HTML and XML tag and
attribute names.
•Italic code font indicates replaceable items in code.
•The continuation symbol (¬) indicates that a long line of code has been broken across two or
more lines to fit on the page. When copying the lines of code, eliminate the continuation
symbol and type the code as one line.
•Curly braces ({ }) around a function argument indicate that the argument is optional.
The following naming conventions are used in this guide:
•You refers to the developer who is responsible for writing extensions.
•The user refers to the person using Fireworks.
•The visitor refers to the person who views the graphic that the user created.
Additional resources for extension writers
To communicate with other developers who are writing extensions, you can visit the Fireworks
Online Forums. The Fireworks Online Forums are available through www.macromedia.com/
support/fireworks/ts/documents/fwnewsgroup.htm.

8 Chapter 1: Extending Fireworks Overview

9
CHAPTER 2
The Fireworks Object Model
If you want to extend the functionality of Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004 by writing or
modifying a JavaScript extensibility file, you must become familiar with the objects that
Fireworks makes available through JavaScript. The hierarchy of these objects makes up the
Fireworks Object Model, containing the following major components:
•Five global methods that are available from any part of the application and need not be
declared as methods of a particular object. These methods are described in “Global methods”
on page 12.
•Four core objects: Document, Errors, Files, and Find. These objects and their properties and
methods are described in detail in “Core objects” on page 12. (The App object that was used in
Fireworks 3 is supported for backward compatibility, but its use is deprecated in favor of the
Fireworks object.)
•The Fireworks object, which is described in “The Fireworks object” on page 22.
•Numerous objects associated with Fireworks documents, such as ExportOptions, Guides, Path,
Image, and Text. These objects and their properties are described in “Objects within Fireworks
documents” on page 26.
•A set of objects that you can use to specify the format of HTML code when exporting from
Fireworks. These are described in “HTML export objects” on page 64.
Using the Fireworks Object Model
When scripting extensions for Fireworks, you write JavaScript commands that send calls to the
Fireworks Object Model to determine or change the current settings for a Fireworks document.
For example, the following command calls the Fireworks object (fw) to obtain the path to the
Export Settings directory (appExportSettingsDir), which is expressed as a file://URL. In other
words, fw references the Fireworks global object, of which appExportSettingsDir is a property
(see “The Fireworks object” on page 22), so a JavaScript command can assign the resulting value
to a variable, as follows:
var expSetDir = fw.appExportSettingsDir;

10 Chapter 2: The Fireworks Object Model
Accessing a Fireworks document
All the functions listed in “Document functions” on page 104 are methods of the Document
object, which represents a Fireworks document. To perform a function on a Document object,
you must first get the Document Object Model (DOM) of the document. You then call the
functions as methods of that DOM.
Note: You can use methods that operate on a document’s DOM only on open documents.
•To use a DOM function with a document other than the active document, use the following
syntax; note that documentIndex is a zero-based index that specifies which document the
command will affect.
fw.documents[documentIndex].functionName();
•To use a DOM function with the active document, use
fw.getDocumentDOM().functionName(), see fw.getDocumentDOM().
Passing values
For all properties that are not read-only, you can pass values to change elements of a document.
For example, the following command sets the fifth brush in the third open document to a
square shape:
fw.documents[2].brushes[4].shape = "square";
The preceding example includes the following properties:
•documents is a property of the Fireworks object and contains an array of Document objects.
•brushes is a property of the Document object and contains an array of Brush objects.
•shape is a property of the Brush object.
Note: Throughout this manual, optional arguments are enclosed in {braces}.
Fireworks Object Model calls and API calls
In some cases, you can use Fireworks Object Model calls or API calls to perform the same
operations. In other cases, a certain function might be available in either the Fireworks Object
Model or the API, but not in both.
For example, if the first open document is the current document, the first code fragment has the
same effect as the second and third code fragments. The fw.getDocumentDOM() function
references the current document (see “Accessing a Fireworks document” on page 10).
fw.getDocumentDOM().setDocumentResolution({pixelsPerUnit:72, units:"inch"});
fw.documents[0].resolution =72;
fw.documents[0].resolutionUnits ="inch";

Using the Fireworks Object Model 11
Formatting nonstandard data types
In addition to the standard data types that can be passed to functions as arguments, or used as
properties, such as integer, string, and so on, Fireworks accepts other data types.
•Some functions accept values that are Fireworks objects. For an explanation of these objects,
see “The Fireworks Object Model” on page 9.
•Some functions accept a string in a specific format. Others accept value types that are not
Fireworks objects but are JavaScript object types that are specific to Fireworks. These types of
arguments are described next, in alphabetical order.
Color string data type
Functions that accept colors as arguments use the HTML syntax "#rrggbb". You can
specify a color with an alpha (transparency) component by passing a longer string of the
form "#rrggbbaa".
Mask data type
The format for a mask is {maskBounds: rectangle, maskKind: string, maskEdgeMode:
string, featherAmount: int, maskData: hex-string}.
•maskBounds specifies the bounding rectangle of the mask area.
•Acceptable values for maskKind are "rectangle", "oval", "zlib compressed",
"rle compressed", or "uncompressed".
•If the value of maskKind is "rectangle"or "oval", the maskData string is ignored, and a
mask of the right shape is constructed that fills maskBounds and that has the edge specified by
maskEdgeMode and featherAmount.
•If the value of maskKind is "zlib compressed", "rle compressed", or "uncompressed", the
maskData string is presumed to contain 8-bit mask data in hexadecimal format that precisely
matches the maskBounds to define the mask.
Matrix data type
The format for a matrix is {matrix:[float, float, float, float, float, float, float,
float, float]}. This guide assumes that you know how to use these nine values to construct a
three-by-three transformation matrix; discussion of the construction of transformation matrices is
beyond the scope of this manual.
Point data type
The format for a point is {x: float,y: float}. For instance, dom.addNewLine(startPoint,
endPoint)could look like the following example:
fw.getDocumentDOM().addNewLine({x:64.5, y:279.5}, {x:393.5, y:421.5});
Rectangle data type
The format for a rectangle is {left: float, top: float, right: float, bottom: float}.
For instance, dom.addNewOval(boundingRectangle)could look like the following example:
fw.getDocumentDOM().addNewOval({left:72, top:79, right:236, bottom:228});

12 Chapter 2: The Fireworks Object Model
Resolution data type
The format for resolution is {pixelsPerUnit: float, units: string}. Acceptable values for
units are "inch" or "cm". For instance, dom.setDocumentResolution(resolution)could look
like the following example:
fw.getDocumentDOM().setDocumentResolution({pixelsPerUnit:72, units:"inch"});
Global methods
The following table lists the global Fireworks methods, along with their argument data types and,
where appropriate, acceptable values and notes.
Core objects
This section describes the four core objects that are always available: Document, Errors, Files,
and Find.
Note: For information on how to format nonstandard data types, such as rectangle or point, see
“Formatting nonstandard data types” on page 11.
Method Data type Notes
alert(message) string Displays a string in a modal alert box, along
with an OK button. Returns nothing.
confirm(message) string Displays a string in a modal alert box, along
with OK and Cancel buttons. Returns true if
OK is clicked, false if Cancel is clicked.
prompt(caption, text)string, string Prompts the user (with the string that is
specified by text) to enter a string in a modal
dialog box; the dialog box is titled with the
string that is specified by caption. Returns
the string entered if OK is clicked, null if
Cancel is clicked.
write(arg1, arg2, ..., argN)string Same as WRITE_HTML; WRITE_HTML was
created to let you differentiate HTML output
calls from other JavaScript calls in
your code.
WRITE_HTML(arg1, arg2, ..., argN)string Available only when exporting. Converts
each argument to a string and writes it to the
HTML output file. To enter an end-of-line
character, use "\n"; this is converted to the
correct line ending for your platform. For
more information, see “HTML export
objects” on page 64.

Core objects 13
Document object
The following table lists the properties of the Document object, along with their data types,
acceptable values and notes. Read-only properties are marked with a bullet (•). You can also use
many API calls to work with documents. For more information, see “Document functions”
on page 104.
Property Data type Notes
backgroundColor string A color string that specifies the document
canvas color (see “Color string data type”
on page 11).
backgroundURL string Sets a general URL for a document that uses
a Hotspot. Everything that is not covered by
the Hotspot has the background URL.
brushes • array Array of Brush objects that are available for
use in the document (see “Brush object”
on page 26).
currentFrameNum zero-based index The index of the current frame.
currentLayerNum zero-based index The index of the current layer.
defaultAltText string Default Alt text for the output images. It
works for single and sliced images. Sliced
images get the default, unless specific text is
specified for a slice. Corresponds to the text
that is specified in File > HTML Properties >
ImageMap > AltImageDescription.
docTitleWithoutExtension string The title of the document file, without any file
extension. If the document has not been
saved, this string is empty.
exportFormatOptions object Identical to exportOptions. Included for
backward compatibility with Fireworks 2.
exportOptions object ExportOptions object (see “ExportOptions
object” on page 46).
exportSettings object ExportSettings object (see “ExportSettings
object” on page 49).
filePathForRevert string The path to the file from which this document
was opened, which is expressed as file://
URL, or null if created from scratch.
filePathForSave string The location to which this document was
saved, which is expressed as file://URL, or
null if never saved.
fills • array Array of Fill objects that are available for use
in the document (see “Fill object”
on page 51).
frameCount integer The number of frames in the
current document.

14 Chapter 2: The Fireworks Object Model
frameLoopingCount integer –1 — don’t repeat
0 — repeat forever
> 0 — repeat this number of times
frames • array Array of Frame objects in the document (see
“Frame object” on page 52).
gammaPreview Boolean If set to true, the document should be
previewed in opposite-platform gamma.
If set to false, the document colors
are unadjusted.
gradients • array Array of Gradient objects that are available
for use in the document (see “Gradient
object” on page 53).
gridColor string A color string that specifies the color of the
grid display (see “Color string data type”
on page 11).
gridOrigin point Used to set the origin of the grid.
Corresponds to the point set when dragging
the ruler origin from the upper left of the
document when rulers are visible.
gridSize point gridSize.x is the horizontal grid size;
gridSize.y is the vertical grid size.
guides • object Guides object (see “Guides object”
on page 53).
height integer Total height of the document, in pixels.
To find the bottom edge of the document,
use document.
top + document.height.
isDirty Boolean Set to true if the document was modified
since the last ti me it was saved.
isPaintMode • Boolean Set to true if the document is currently in
paint-mode editing, false otherwise.
isSymbolDocument • Boolean Set to true if the document is a Symbol or
Button document, false if it is an ordinary
document. You might see this when looking
through the list of open documents and one
is a symbol-editing window.
isValid Boolean Set to true if the document is open in
Fireworks; false otherwise. (Occasionally
the JavaScript object that is associated with
a document lingers after the document
closes; this property lets you check for
that eventuality.)
Property Data type Notes

Core objects 15
lastExportDirectory string The path to the last directory to which the file
was exported, which is expressed as file://
URL, or null if the file was never exported.
For instance, if the document was last
exported to "file:///files/current/
logo.gif", it returns "file:///files/
current".
lastExportFile string The name that was used the last time the file
was exported, or null if the file was never
exported. For instance, if the document was
last exported to "file:///files/current/
logo.gif", it returns "logo.gif".
layers • array An array of Layer objects in the document
(see “Layer object” on page 54).
left integer Coordinate of the left edge of the document,
in pixels. To find the right edge of the
document, use document.left +
document.width.
mapType string Acceptable values are "client", "server",
and "both". Corresponds to the image-map
type selected in File > HTML Properties >
ImageMap.
matteColor string A color string that corresponds to the matte
color specified in the Optimize panel (see
“Color string data type” on page 11). This
string is used by the useMatteColor property.
onionSkinAfter integer Number of frames after the current frame to
show through onion skinning. Corresponds
to the onion-skin controls in the left edge of
the Frames panel. A value of 0indicates no
onion skinning; a very large value (such as
99,999) indicates onion skinning of all frames
after the current frame.
onionSkinBefore integer Similar to the onionSkinAfter property,
but refers to the number of frames to show
through onion skinning before the
current frame.
patterns • object List of internal pattern names.
pathAttributes object PathAttrs object (see “PathAttrs object”
on page 54). This object specifies default
attributes that will be applied to all newly
created objects.
pngText object A structure that can be used to store various
chunks of text in a well-known format. For
more information, see “The pngText object”
on page 16.
Property Data type Notes

16 Chapter 2: The Fireworks Object Model
The pngText object
Fireworks maintains the following fields for use with the pngText object:
You can edit these or add your own fields, and they will be preserved across file saves.
The pngText object corresponds directly to the 'tEXt' chunk of the document’s PNG structure.
Errors object
All Errors object properties are read-only strings that are used to simplify the localizing of
scripts. They return localized error messages appropriate to the specific error. For example, the
English version of Fireworks returns "Memory is full." for the EOutOfMem property.
resolution float Document resolution, in pixels per unit (see
resolutionUnits). The range is 1 to 5000.
resolutionUnits string The units to be used with the resolution
property. Acceptable values are "inch"
and "cm".
textures • array Array of Texture objects that are available for
use in the document (see “Texture object”
on page 44).
top integer Coordinate of the top edge of the document,
in pixels. To find the bottom edge of the
document, use
document.top + document.height.
useMatteColor Boolean If set to true, the matteColor property is used
when exporting documents with transparent
backgrounds. If set to false, the matteColor
property is ignored in this situation, and the
exported file is matted against the
document’s canvas color.
width integer The width of the document, in pixels. To find
the right edge of the document, use
document.left + document.width.
Field name Value
CreationTime The date and time the document was created.
Software The software used to create the document. The current version of
Fireworks always sets this value to “Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004.”
Property Data type Notes

Core objects 17
Here is an alphabetical list of the properties of the Errors object:
EAppAlreadyRunning, EAppNotSerialized, EArrayIndexOutOfBounds,
EBadFileContents, EBadJsVersion, EBadNesting, EBadParam, EBadParamType,
EBadSelection, EBufferTooSmall, ECharConversionFailed, EDatabaseError,
EDeletingLastMasterChild, EDiskFull, EDuplicateFileName, EFileIsReadOnly,
EFileNotFound, EGenericErrorOccurred, EGroupDepth, EIllegalThreadAccess,
EInternalError, ELowOnMem, ENoActiveDocument, ENoFilesSelected,
ENoNestedMastersOrAliases, ENoNestedPasting, ENoSliceableElems,
ENoSuchElement, ENotImplemented, ENotMyType, EOutOfMem, EResourceNotFound,
ESharingViolation, EUnknownReaderFormat, EUserCanceled, EUserInterrupted,
EWrongType
Files object
The following table lists the methods of the Files object, along with their data types and, where
appropriate, acceptable values and notes.
Method Data type Notes
close() none Closes the file referred to by this Files
object. You are not required to use this
method (the file is closed when the Files
object is destroyed), but it is useful for
controlling access to a file.
copy(docname1, docname2)string, string Copies the file specified in the first argument
to the file specified in the second argument.
Each argument must be the name of a file,
which is expressed as file://URL. Only files
(not directories) can be copied. The files do
not need to reside on the same drive, and the
method does not overwrite a file if it already
exists. Returns a value of true if the copy is
successful; false otherwise.
createDirectory(dirname) string Creates the specified directory. Returns true
if successful; false otherwise.
createFile(fileURL, fileType,
fileCreator)
string, string,
string
Creates the specified file. The file must not
already exist. The first argument is the name
of the file, which is expressed as file://URL.
The last two arguments let you specify the
file type and file creator strings. The fileType
and fileCreator strings should each be
strings of exactly four characters in length, for
example:
Files.createFile(newFile,".txt","FWMX");
deleteFile(docOrDir) string Deletes the specified file or directory.
Returns true if successful; false if the
file or directory does not exist or cannot
be deleted. Compare with
deleteFileIfExisting().

18 Chapter 2: The Fireworks Object Model
deleteFileIfExisting (docOrDir) string Deletes the specified file or directory.
Returns true if successful; false if the file or
directory cannot be deleted. Unlike
deleteFile(), this method returns true if the
file or directory does not exist.
enumFiles(docOrDir) string Returns an array of file URLs. If docOrDir is
a directory, the array contains an entry for
every file or directory that is contained in
the specified directory. If docOrDir is a file,
the array contains a single entry (the
file passed in).
exists(docOrDir) string Returns true if docOrDir refers to a directory
or file that exists; false otherwise.
getDirectory(docname) string Returns only the directory name from
docname, which is expressed as file://URL.
For example, Files.getDirectory("file://
work/logo.png") returns "file:///work".
getExtension(docname) string Returns the filename extension, if any, of
docname. For example,
Files.getExtension("birthday.png")
returns ".png". If the filename has no
extension, an empty string is returned. A
filename that is expressed as file://URL
is acceptable.
getFilename(docname) string Returns just the filename from docname,
which is expressed as file://URL. For
example, Files.getFilename("file:///
work/logo.png") returns "logo.png".
getLastErrorString() none If the last call to a method in a Files object
resulted in an error, returns a string that
describes the error. If the last call succeeded,
returns null.
getTempFilePath ({dirname}) string The argument, if used, must be expressed as
file://URL. Returns a file URL in the
Temporary Files directory or in the specified
directory. This method does not create a file;
it simply returns a unique file URL that does
not conflict with existing files in the directory.
If dirname is passed and is not null, the URL
that is returned indicates a file in the specified
directory rather than in the Temporary
Files directory.
isDirectory(dirname) string The argument must be expressed as file://
URL. Returns true if the specified URL
refers to a directory that exists;
false otherwise.
Method Data type Notes

Core objects 19
makePathFromDirAndFile(dirname,
plainFilename)
string, string The first argument must be expressed as file:/
/URL. Concatenates the two arguments to
return a file URL that references the
specified filename in the specified directory.
For example,
Files.makePathFromDirAndFile("file:///
work/reports", "logo.png") returns "file:/
//work/reports/logo.png".
open(docname, bWrite) string, Boolean The first argument must be expressed as file:/
/URL. Opens the specified file for reading or
writing. If the second argument is true, the
file opens for writing; otherwise it opens for
reading. If the file cannot be opened, returns
null; otherwise, returns a Files object.
readline() none Reads the next line from the file that is
referred to by the current Files object and
returns it as a string. The end-of-line
character(s) are not included in the string.
Returns null if end-of-file is reached or if the
line is more than 2048 characters.
rename(docname,
newPlainFilename)
string, string The docname argument is a file path or a file
URL to the file that you want to rename.
The newPlainFilename argument is the new
name to assign to the file.
The rename method returns a URL path of the
newly renamed file if successful; otherwise
Fireworks returns null.
setFilename(docname,
newPlainFilename)
string, string The first argument must be expressed as file:/
/URL. Returns a file URL with docname
replaced by newPlainFilename. For example,
Files.setFilename("file:///work/
logo.png", "oldlogo.png") returns "file://
/work/oldlogo.png". This method does not
affect the file on disk; it simply provides a
convenient way to manipulate file URLs. To
change the name on disk, use rename().
swap(docname1, docname2) string, string Each argument must be expressed as a file://
URL. Swaps the contents of the two
specified files, so that each file contains the
contents of the other file. Only files (not
directories) can be swapped, and both files
must reside on the same drive. Returns true
if the swap is successful; false otherwise.
write(textString) string Writes the specified string to the file that is
referred to by the current Files object. No
end-of-line characters are appended; to
include one, use "\n".
Method Data type Notes

20 Chapter 2: The Fireworks Object Model
Find object
There are several ways to specify a Find object, depending on what you want to find and replace.
Use the whatToFind property to specify the type of find operation, along with the properties that
are associated with each legal value for whatToFind. These properties are listed in the following
tables. Read-only properties are marked with a bullet (•).
Finding and replacing text
Finding and replacing fonts and styles
Property Data type Notes
whatToFind string In the format: "text"
find string Text to find.
matchCase Boolean If set to true, the search is case-sensitive.
Defaults to false.
regExp Boolean If set to true, the find and replace text is
interpreted as a regular expression. The
default is false.
replace string Text to use as replacement text.
wholeWord Boolean If set to true, only whole words matching the
search text are found. The default is false.
Property Data type Notes
whatToFind string In the format: "font"
find string Name of font to find.
replace string Name of font to use as replacement.
findStyle integer Number that represents the style to find:
AnyStyle = -1
Plain = 0
Bold = 1
Italic = 2
BoldItalic = 3
Underline = 4
BoldUnderline = 5
ItalicUnderline = 6
BoldItalicUnderline = 7
replaceStyle integer Number that represents the style to be used
as replacement.
findMinSize integer 0 to 9999
findMaxSize integer 0 to 9999
replaceSize integer 0 to 9999, or pass -1 to leave size as is