Matching tags highlighting

[MReaction]

I've been waiting for years for Dreamweaver to have this option, does anyone knows if there's an option or an extension to activate this very helpful option? When you click on a <div> it will highlights it as well as its closing </div>, same thing for all tags.
I'm using PSPad (freeware) just because of this functionality that is so helpful. I can't believe Adobe never thought of it, even in CS4 I couldn't find it.

Please let me know if you are aware of such a function.

Thanks a lot.

[Newsgroup_User]

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:54:43 +0000 (UTC), "MReaction"
<webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote:

>I've been waiting for years for Dreamweaver to have this option, does anyone
>knows if there's an option or an extension to activate this very helpful
>option? When you click on a <div> it will highlights it as well as its closing
></div>, same thing for all tags.
> I'm using PSPad (freeware) just because of this functionality that is so
>helpful. I can't believe Adobe never thought of it, even in CS4 I couldn't find
>it.
>
> Please let me know if you are aware of such a function.
>
> Thanks a lot.

In the bar just below the code window, click on an opening tag and its
matching closing tag and everything in between will be selected.

Win
--
Win Day
Wild Rose Websites www.wildrosewebsites.com
winday@wildrosewebsites.com

[MReaction]

Thanks, I didn't know that, it's better than nothing but is there an option that does this automatically, no need to click anywhere and that highlights only the tag not the entire page and it turns red when there's no closing matching tag?

[Newsgroup_User]

There is a function that will highlight (in yellow) code errors found in
code view. Look on the code view toolbar to find that one.

--
Murray --- ICQ 71997575
Adobe Community Expert
(If you *MUST* email me, don't LAUGH when you do so!)
==================
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==================


"MReaction" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:g96plo$d35$1@forums.macromedia.com...
> Thanks, I didn't know that, it's better than nothing but is there an
> option
> that does this automatically, no need to click anywhere and that
> highlights
> only the tag not the entire page and it turns red when there's no closing
> matching tag?
>

[fizz351]

The answer is: You can't do it.

Not sure why Newsgroup_User has replied twice with answers that are not solutions at all!

Finding a matching tag in an HTML editor should be a standard and basic function. Has nothing to do with code validation. Sometimes you just want to see where a tag begins and ends. When looking at a closing tag, you might just want to see which opening tag it belongs to. On large HTML files, it can be a challenge to see what belongs to what.

In homesite, you would just click CTRL-M on any tag, opening or closing, and it would jump to the matching tag and highlight it. VERY useful as you're coding. It has nothing to do with validating and checking the document as a whole - which would come at the end. It's purely a visual aid, as you go, and a very useful one at that.

[MurraySummers]

Newsgroup user actually gave the answer.  Click within the tag pair, and select the tag name on the tag selector bar.  The opening and closing tags and all content between will be highlighted.  What I'm puzzled about though is why you chose to respond to this nearly 1-year old post.

[fizz351]

Ok, so that does work, as clumsy as it is, I never noticed this code bar thing, and that it could be clicked. But this solution still lacks a keyboard shortcut. There's no way I'm going to be clicking the tiny tag names in the code bar just to find a matching tag! Clicking the wrong tag accidently, means you lose your place in the code. There must be a better way.

And there is. I have since discovered the "select parent tag" function under the Edit menu, or CTRL [. This is a much easier and quicker way to find the matching tag.

Dreamweaver is therefore off the hook on this issue. Although, both ways still don't jump you to the matching tag, so highlighting everything in between will have to do, even though I have no need for everything in between to be selected. Still prefer Homesite's CTRL-M for the literal interpretation M for 'Match'.

Year old post? So what? Better to reply to an existing unaswered topic than create a new one. Status is "possibly answered" anyway.

[sethwb]

Thank you fizz for the thoughtful response!  I've been using CTRL + [ since I read your post and it was the only thing keeping me from using dreamweaver at the time.

Honestly I still find this a disadvantage and would prefer to see the closing and opening tags highlighted automatically when you click on them or when your insertion mark is on the tag.  It saves a lot of time in the long run and I also can't believe adobe did not think of it earlier. Let's go Adobe!

Also I'd like to add that in some documents, such as XSL's in CS4 - the option to click the tag name at the bottom of the window is not available.  The only consistent solution I have found so far is the CTRL + [ method.

[fizz351]

I've moved onto Notepad++ now as my primary HTML editor. Funnily

enough, even that didn't have the jump-to matching tag feature without

installing a plugin. It has highlightling as Dreaweaver does, but not

jumping to the matching tag. Luckily, the plugin was easily

available, can install from within Notepad++ and now to jump to the

matching tag I just press CTRL-T, which is what you want!

Just to clarify all this, the OP only wanted highlighting of matching

tag, which Dreamweaver does, so case closed on that. But my point was

that jumping to the matching tag in even better, done in one step with

a shortcut key is very useful. Often, for example, you want your

cursor at the point where the current div ends and the next one

starts. Hence finding and jumping to the matching tag in one step is

so useful as you edit. It's amazing that most HTML editors don't do

this. Homesite did it. Notepad++ does it after you install the plugin

called "HTML Tag".

[Guest]

I have to necro bump this...

Where is dynamic tag highlighting in CS6??  It's been four years...

[sergey_s1]

I am very surprised that this is not in new CS6...

Matching tags/brackets highlighting on click very necessary thing in manual hard code.

Stay on pspad and do not buy dream, sorry adobe. Not make functions that are in the other editors for past year's - not good.

[Superflumatam]

Same there!

Its a shame. We could make a chance.org petiton. Maybe it will help? Adobe please can put the tags highlighter? Your competitors put it.

[Nancy OShea]

Gosh, such an old discussion from 2008 no less!

In Code view, Select Parent Tag. See Screenshot.

Nancy O.

[John Waller]

Select Parent Tag has been discussed further up in the thread but what's being requested is automatic highlighting of the closing tag when you click on any opening tag.

Homesite and Notepad++ have it. Would be a useful addition to Dreamweaver.

[Superflumatam]

Yes! Its a bit more helpful for hardcoders

It's not the same Nancy O.

[3DVIZ_Studio]

She was right about one thing though...we have been waiting for over 5 years for some basic features.   Luckily there are some great alternatives out there...

[kirkbross]

Yes... Dreamweaver fails on so many basic levels, it's astonishing.

[tcnguyenvu]

In Dreamweaver CC 2014, go to Edit > Preferences > Code Coloring - Check the Enable tag highlighting box. Boom!