CakePHP is a marvelous PHP framework, but if you use Dreamweaver 8 as your editor, you'll need to make a few configuration changes.

The main thing you'll notice is that .thtml files (CakePHP views) are not supported by Dreamweaver 8. Here's how to make Dreamweaver recognize that file type:

Step 1: Extensions.txt

The first step is to go to the C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 8\Configuration directory and edit Extensions.txt

On the first line, right before :All Documents, type in ,THTML so that the end of the line looks like this:

...,VTML,INC,JAVA,EDML,WML,THTML:All Documents

Next, find the line with :PHP Files and edit it similarly so that it looks like this:

PHP,PHP3,PHP4,PHP5,TPL,THTML:PHP Files

Another copy of Extensions.txt can be found in C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Application Data\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 8\Configuration - we suggest that you make both these changes in that file as well, just for good measure.

Step 2: MMDocumentTypes.xml

Next, go to the C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 8\Configuration\DocumentTypes directory. Edit the file MMDocumentTypes.xml

Add the thtml extension to the PHP_MYSQL documenttype declaration line so that it looks like the following:

<documenttype id="PHP_MySQL" servermodel="PHP MySQL" internaltype="Dynamic" winfileextension="php,php3,php4,php5,thtml" macfileextension="php,php3,php4,php5,thtml" file="Default.php" writebyteordermark="false">

Save the file and restart Dreamweaver - now you can create Cake PHP views within Dreamweaver!