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Syntax Highlighting for LESS CSS in Dreamweaver CS5.5

Community Beginner ,
Jun 05, 2011 Jun 05, 2011

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This article describes how to add the .less extension to Dreamweaver so that it views it as CSS and thus performs proper syntax highlighting.

I'm using Dreamweaver CS5.5 and following those steps still doesn't work for me. It works perfectly fine in CS5 and earlier versions but not CS5.5.

Do you have any ideas? I'm modifying the following file as the above link suggests:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5\configuration\DocumentTypes\MMDocumentTypes.xml

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 05, 2011 Jun 05, 2011

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Answering my own question, but I figured it might be useful for someone...

It seems that Dreamweaver CS5.5 also keeps the MMDocumentTypes.xml file in the user's AppData folder:

C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Dreamweaver CS5.5\en_US\Configuration\DocumentTypes\MMDocumentTypes.xml

Adding less to the css type there as the link describes did the trick.

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Guest
Jul 07, 2011 Jul 07, 2011

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Thank you for the answer, I was running into the same problem.

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New Here ,
Jun 12, 2012 Jun 12, 2012

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Thank you for your help Lex Fridman. This is the solution for CS5.5

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New Here ,
Oct 13, 2011 Oct 13, 2011

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I'm using Dreamweaver CS5.5 on a Mac and cannot get this to work.

I am specifically trying to get the syntax highlighting working with Sass (.scss) files.

Any thoughts?

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New Here ,
Oct 18, 2011 Oct 18, 2011

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me too. The above isn't working for CS5.5 on OSX Lion Maybe there is a second file like there is on Windows?

UPDATE: thought so. the two files to edit are also found here, and it fixed the issue for me.

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CS5.5/en_US/Configuration/DocumentTypes/MMDocumentTypes.xml

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Dreamweaver CS5.5/en_US/Configuration/Extensions.txt

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Guest
Oct 28, 2011 Oct 28, 2011

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Just activate this extension and BOOM you got LESS syntax highlight !
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/download/e2756522

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Explorer ,
Jul 27, 2012 Jul 27, 2012

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AndreTFO1,

thanks for the link. This is however not working quite as expected – see screenshot.

Best

Markus

Bildschirmfoto 2012-07-27 um 22.43.39.png

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New Here ,
May 20, 2013 May 20, 2013

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LATEST

To see the code highlighted correctly you can add //} at the end of the first line as a comment (in the example above after color:#069; for example) so you can see the next lines properly and when you compile the .less into .css, this will go away. This it's not clean but a least you can see the sintax better until a solution appear

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New Here ,
Sep 06, 2012 Sep 06, 2012

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Enthusiast ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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Yeah, I tried this extension, don't bother.

Yes, it makes DW recognize a LESS file and open it, but then it inappropriately assumes that CSS syntax and LESS syntax are the same (which they are not).  As you start nesting rules and doing other things that LESS supports, you see the code coloring break and go wonky, even though the file still compiles as valid LESS.

It's sad that such prominent and modern CSS frameworks syntax highlighting like LESS and SASS aren't natively supported by Dreamweaver.  DW is supposed to be a FLAGSHIP product.

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Explorer ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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@Aegis

I totally agree – it’s sad. But then DW lacks so many other essential coding tools, this is just another line on the tab.

Now that Adobe is pushing Muse as the code-agnostic designer’s weapon of choice, I really wonder who they think will go for DW? Certainly nobody who actually writes code …

And just to put that straight: the golden raspberry goes to Adobe and certainly not to Lex or any other contributor here …

Markus

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Mentor ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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1. CSS Preprocessing is not a standard. It's one of those buzzword, faddish things that have people on both sides of the issue.

2. Wait a version as Adobe tends to jump on trends

3. Wait a little longer until the process is perfected. If it then is adaopted by the W3C, it will become an actual standard.

4. Learn to write CSS really efficiently and you might find preprocessing a big waste of time and effort, as I do

--

Al Sparber - PVII

http://www.projectseven.com

The Leader in Responsive Dreamweaver Tools

Extending Dreamweaver Since 1998

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Explorer ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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1. Nobody said it’s a standard.

2. I don’t care about trends, I care about tools that let me design better and more efficiently.

3. Why should that happen? Preprocessors are just tools to write CSS and not an alternate stylesheet language.

4. Thanks for the hint, but I know how to write CSS efficiently and still consider proprocessors extremely useful.

That being said, I ditched DW by now. So no need to convert me back …

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Mentor ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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Thanks. You gave me a good laugh for the day!

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Explorer ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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That makes me a very happy man. Have fun.

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Enthusiast ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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Sorry, Al, but I couldn't disagree more.  Where I respect the fact that, as coders, we're rather ingrained with our workflow processes and, at times, hesitant to change, I've found LESS' benefits to be very worthwhile.

The syntax alone is worlds more organized and intuitive than the spec specified by W3C.  The functions extended to it (via its JS counterpart or server-side preprocessor) extend the power and functionality of the tool beyond what's available while staying centric on its role of specifying presentation.

I respect the W3C and value validation as much as the next person.  But LESS and SASS are very popular, and for a code editor to simply support the ability to properly parse the file and provide proper code syntax highlighting isn't beyond a reasonable scope for a "Cutting Edge" HTML IDE like DW to support IMO.

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Mentor ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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Aegis Kleais wrote:

Sorry, Al, but I couldn't disagree more.  Where I respect the fact that, as coders, we're rather ingrained with our workflow processes and, at times, hesitant to change, I've found LESS' benefits to be very worthwhile.

No need to apologize. Preprocessing is a topic on which there are differing opinions. You have one. I have one. There are advocates:

http://blog.urbaninsight.com/2012/04/12/ten-reasons-you-should-be-using-css-preprocessor

There are those who are not sold:

http://blog.millermedeiros.com/the-problem-with-css-pre-processors/

http://www.skybondsor.com/blog/css-preprocessors

There are those mostly sold:

http://css-tricks.com/musings-on-preprocessing/

There are even those who have been converted (but who might reverse at some later point):

http://cognition.happycog.com/article/preprocess-this

Heck, even I might be converted someday - or not

Bottom line for me, right now? I know I can write CSS that is better than most, more efficient than most, and easier to follow than most, and a preprocessor would add unwanted complexity. But that's for me. For someone not able to be organized intutively, or for a large - but carefully coordinated - team, a preprocessor could be a positive.

But not for me.

There are evolving trends - popular aspects of the technology that may and should find themselves being adapted into CSS. But I've been around this business as long as CSS has. I've seen buzzwords and trends and I've historically been spot-on in predicting the one that will stick. I think preprocessing will stick - but only insofar as it will be a catalyst for features in future versions of CSS. As a separate technology it makes no sense - to me

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Enthusiast ,
Mar 18, 2013 Mar 18, 2013

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Wow.  An individualist.  I thought our type was nearing extinction. 

And I hear you on "Buzzwords"  In the reality of it all, I actually am very defensive against hype.  It seems everyone and their grandmother wants to make up a new catchphrase or acronymn so that they can take responsibility and have something on their resume touting they started some kind of revolution.

In the world of web development, it is already an "adapt or die" environment, and I can agree that we don't need to add superfluous knowledge of things that pretty much just boil down to "Best Practices".

I like to think that every Pro has a Con.  I love LESS, and use it with JS-implementation rather than server-side preprocessing.  But if a visitor visits with JS disabled, my CSS will not be interpreted, and will fail. 

I also like the idea of being open to betting myself in these practices, but like you, have to be "wowed", or in other terms "impressed" with something well enough to alter my own workflow.  So many times I say "I use ColdFusion" and people go "Wow!  ColdFusion?  Is that still around?"  Each time I show them how little code it takes to do something, I can see they are impressed.  If my will was weak (or I too stubborn?), I would let their barbs get to me and change to the masses, but CF has repeatedly taken care of business for me, and I am impressed by what I can do with it, even if it is as not a prominent tech (often due to expense) as others.

Kudos on ya, Al.

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Guest
Mar 19, 2013 Mar 19, 2013

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Brain onanism and overwhelming egos.

2013/3/18 Aegis Kleais <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

**

Re: Syntax Highlighting for LESS CSS in Dreamweaver CS5.5

created by Aegis Kleais <http://forums.adobe.com/people/Aegis+Kleais> in *

Dreamweaver* - View the full discussion<http://forums.adobe.com/message/5158238#5158238

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