Coldfusion

Consuming Amazon Webservices with Coldfusion MX

2006-08-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

Web services are one of the most exciting emerging technologies. Macromedia ColdFusion MX makes it easy to create and publish a web service. A web service is a new way to perform remote procedure calls. This article will step you through the process of using ColdFusion MX to create a web service that will allow Amazon.com associates to access an XML resource feed.

To use this, you must be an Amazon.com associate. You can sign up to become an associate at Amazon.com.

Understanding the Amazon.com affiliates XML feedIn March of 2002, Amazon.com began offering an XML feed of their products to people, companies, and websites that have signed up to be affiliates. Using these special URLs, an affiliate can search or browse through Amazon.com products.

* You can use the Amazon.com XML feed with either a keyword search or a browse search. The URL is slightly different depending on which type of search you want to perform. These are the elements of the URL:
http://rcm.Amazon.com/e/cm: This is the URL that you can use to access the resource feed. This will be a static value.

* ?t=[Associates ID]: The query string of the URL starts with the Associates ID, as specified by the letter t.

* &mode=[product line]: The mode URL variable is used to specify books, software, music, or other Amazon.com search areas. Affiliates can get a complete list of mode values from their sign in area at Amazon.com. The mode value accepts a string value.

* &browse=[browse ID]: The browse parameter specifies the type of products that you wish to browse through. The browse variable accepts a numerical value. This parameter cannot be used with the search parameter.

* &search=[subject keyword]: You can use the search URL variable to specify what you want to search on. This parameter cannot be used with the browse parameter. Multiple search parameters can be used if you separate each keyword with the plus sign.

* &l=st1&p=102&o=1&f=xml: The remainder of the query string contains these static values. The documentation for the Amazon.com resource feed does not discuss using these values, but if you do not specify them, an error is returned.
By combining these elements, you can create a URL to retrieve an XML feed from Amazon.com. Browse the following URL. It will return ColdFusion books in an XML feed format:
http://rcm.Amazon.com/e/cm?t= instantcoldfu-20&mode=books&search=ColdFusion
&l=st1&p=102&amp;amp;amp;o=1&f=xml
The URL returns an XML document, which you can manipulate in any way that you wish.

Allaire Spectra 1.01 Hot Fixes

2006-08-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

"Hot fixes are quick, downloadable code fixes to specific issues. From time to time, Allaire may add additional hot fixes to this page when problematic issues are identified and testing of the hot fix is completed. Hot fixes are meant to be interim solutions to issues that will be included in an upcoming maintenance release or patch. Allaire strongly recommends installing hot fixes in your test/staging environment prior to deployment in your live production systems."

Invoking the Google web service through a Java CFX tag

2006-08-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion developers and abstract the object-oriented details. A CFX tag presents a much simpler version of what might otherwise be very complex Java code to a ColdFusion developer.

There are four steps to building a Java CFX tag:
Write the Java code.
Compile the Java code.
Configure ColdFusion Server.
Write the ColdFusion code.

In writing a Java CFX tag to wrap the Google Web APIs, you will appreciate the simplicity of both the ColdFusion and the Google interface. To create a CFX tag on the ColdFusion side, implement the com.allaire.cfx.CustomTag interface and provide an implementation for the processRequest() method. You can find the library file (JAR) for CFX tags at {CFMX Install Directory}\lib\cfx.jar.

Coldfusion & AJAX

2006-08-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion Main Ajax Main > ColdFusion Articles Ajax Articles > CFAjax
CFAjax= CF + AJAX
What is AJAX ?
Asynchronous JavaScript + XML. It's a whole new way of looking at the web where HTML page makes asynchronous calls to the server using JavaScript and loads the data in bits and pieces as needed read more...
What is CFAjax?
CFAjax (ColdFusion Ajax) is the AJAX implementation for coldfusion. It makes coldfusion method calls on server directly from HTML page using JavaScript and return backs the result to the calling HTML page. CFAjax comes with simple to use JavaScript API and simple coldfusion implementation that marshal's the response between your CF methods and HTML page. Using CFAjax ( Ajax and ColdFusion) you can create highly interactive websites with greater performance and usability.

Showcase Finder

2006-08-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

Business Loan Express
Leading lender boosts broker services and accelerates loan application processing using Adobe LiveCycle solutions
Industries Financial Services
Children’s Hospital Boston
Harvard’s pediatric medical complex uses Macromedia® Breeze® software from Adobe to bring staff training in-house and enable web-based collaboration throughout the organization
Industries Other

ColdFusion Hosting Partners

2006-08-09T02:37:00.000-07:00

CFXHosting, now a division of Hosting.com, a world leader in web hosting, is one of the leading ColdFusion hosting companies. CFXHosting is a recipient of the ColdFusion Developer’s Journal Readers’ Choice Award for excellence in ColdFusion web hosting, providing evidence that CFXHosting is a recognized leader in ColdFusion hosting among developers.

HostMySite has a track record for leadership in the ColdFusion community. Offering advanced technologies such as Sandbox Security, custom and CFX tags, and comprehensive server monitoring, HostMySite.com provides the ideal plan for anyone looking for complete ColdFusion hosting. HostMySite.com pioneered the adoption of Macromedia ColdFusion MX as a hosting platform, and offered full support immediately from product launch.
Learn more ›

ColdFusion TechNote

2006-08-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion hot fixes (MX 7 and higher)
Hot fixes are quick, downloadable code fixes to specific issues. From time to time, Adobe may add additional hot fixes to this page when problematic issues are identified and testing of the hot fix is completed. Hot fixes are meant to be interim solutions to issues that will be included in an upcoming Updater or product release.

We strongly recommend installing hot fixes in your test/staging environment prior to deployment in your live production systems.

ColdFusion MX Migration Overview

2006-08-09T02:18:00.000-07:00

Identify all the areas you should consider in developing your ColdFusion MX migration plan.

Configuring ColdFusion MX for Multi-homed IIS Servers
Learn how best to configure ColdFusion MX for complex IIS deployments.

Tips for CFMX-ifying ColdFusion Applications
Update your older ColdFusion apps to the MX version and improve maintainability and functionality.

Internationalizing Macromedia ColdFusion MX Applications
Set the character encoding and language of input and output data in an application.

Migrating Your Application to ColdFusion MX
Make your transition from ColdFusion 5 to ColdFusion MX trouble-free.

Migrating Apps to ColdFusion MX 7

2006-08-09T02:16:00.000-07:00

Read about important changes in ColdFusion MX 7 and how to address them in your applications for migration

ColdFusion Developer Center

2006-08-09T02:08:00.000-07:00

Migrating to ColdFusion MX 7

Migrating to ColdFusion MX 7 from a previous release of ColdFusion? Use this single point of reference to quickly and reliably transition your servers to the most powerful release of ColdFusion yet. If you're new to ColdFusion, try the Getting Started With ColdFusion MX 7 area, or if you're switching from another programming language, check out Switching to ColdFusion MX 7 from Other Technologies.

CFCs are objects, kind of

2006-08-09T02:06:00.000-07:00

To understand CFCs it's important to understand a bit about objects.
But first, a necessary qualification—CFML is not an object-oriented language, and CFCs don't provide all the features and functionality typically provided by OOP languages. This isn't a bad thing—actually, I think the opposite is true. Objects have too long been the exclusive property of languages and syntactical rules that are unnecessarily complicated. There's no reason for developers using rapid development languages, like CFML, not to be able to leverage this type of technology too. Thus the CFC.
At their simplest, and at the risk of offending OOP purists, objects are simply reusable application bits. They are black boxes—magical things that do stuff, whatever you define that stuff to be. If this sounds a bit like custom tags, well, there are similarities,but objects typically do more than custom tags. For example, they often contain not just code (like custom tags) but also data, allowing data and any code that accesses it to be cleanly encapsulated. Objects usually have multiple entry points (methods). They provide a mechanism to automatically run initialization code regardless of the entry point (a constructor). Objects can be adapted and modified, leveraging existing code without actually modifying (and potentially breaking) any of it in the process (inheritance).

ColdFusion Article

2006-08-09T02:05:00.000-07:00

Introduction to ColdFusion Components

Macromedia Cold-Fusion MX features lots of incredible new technologies and features. But the one I think is most important (in terms of how it will, or should, impact your development) has to be ColdFusion Components. This month (and continued next month) I'd like to explain in depth what CFCs are and how they should be used.

Community Resources

2006-08-09T01:30:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion Third-Party Websites

A catalog of community-built and community-maintained online technical resources for ColdFusion developers.
If you maintain a site that helps ColdFusion developers better communicate or find the technical resources they need to remain productive, submit it to devpages@macromedia.com. If we agree, we'll post your site's logo along with a brief description to this page.

EasyCFM.com
Pablo Varando runs EasyCFM.Com, which publishes at least three new tutorials each week.

Forta.com
Ben Forta, author of the ColdFusion MX Web Application Construction Kit offers tip of the day and numerous other ColdFusion resources.

cfargument

2006-08-09T00:29:00.001-07:00

Description
Creates a parameter definition within a component definition. Defines a function argument. Used within a cffunction tag.

cfapplication

2006-08-09T00:29:00.000-07:00

Description
Defines the scope of a ColdFusion application; enables and disables storage of Client variables; specifies the Client variable storage mechanism; enables Session variables; and sets Application variable timeouts.

Caching in ColdFusion

2006-08-09T00:28:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion allows you to cache data in several ways and is very simple to implement. Using caching features often produces a dramatic positive effect on overall site performance. Given these facts, it is strange the caching strategies are often an under-appreciated and under-used feature of ColdFusion.
You have two basic ways to cache in ColdFusion, one is in the CFML you write, and the other is in settings in the ColdFusion Administrator. In CFML, you can cache at the query level or at the page level. At the query level you can use either the cachedwithin or cachedafter attribute of the cfquery tag. At the page level you use the cfcache tag. In the ColdFusion Administrator there are three settings that deal with caching. All of these topics will be covered in this article.
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/coldfusion/articles/cfcaching.html

cfapplet

2006-08-09T00:27:00.000-07:00

Description
This tag references a registered custom Java applet. To register a Java applet, in the ColdFusion Administrator, click Extensions > Java Applets.
Using this tag within a cfform tag is optional. If you use it within cfform, and the method attribute is defined in the Administrator, the return value is incorporated into the form.

cfabort

2006-08-09T00:25:00.000-07:00

Description
Stops the processing of a ColdFusion page at the tag location. ColdFusion returns everything that was processed before the tag. The tag is often used with conditional logic to stop processing a page when a condition occurs.

CGI environment variables

2006-08-09T00:22:00.000-07:00

When a browser makes a request to a server, the web server and the browser create environment variables. In ColdFusion, these variables are referred to as CGI environment variables. They take the CGI prefix regardless of whether the server uses a server API or CGI to communicate with the ColdFusion server.
Environment variables contain data about the transaction between the browser and the server, such as the IP Address, browser type, and authenticated username. You can reference CGI environment variables for a given page request anywhere in the page. CGI variables are read-only.

Standard CGI variables

2006-08-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

The CGI variables that are available for your use vary with the web server and configuration. Some of the following variables may not be available.

ColdFusion tag-specific variables

2006-08-09T00:20:00.001-07:00

Some ColdFusion tags return data as variables. For example, the cffile tag returns file size information in the FileSize variable, referenced as CFFILE.FileSize.
The following tags return data that can be referenced in variables:cfcatch
cfdirectory
cferror
cffile
cfftp
cfhttp
cfindex
cfldap
cfpop
cfquery
cfregistry
cfsearch
cfstoredproc

Scope-specific built-in variables

2006-08-09T00:20:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion returns variables, such as those returned in a cfdirectory or cfftp operation. A variable is usually referenced by scoping it according to its type: naming it according to the code context in which it is available; for example, Session.varname, or Application.varname. For more information on ColdFusion scopes, see Using ColdFusion Variables in ColdFusion MX Developer's Guide
You use the cflock tag to limit the scope of CFML constructs that modify shared data structures, files, and CFXs, to ensure that modifications occur sequentially.

Reserved words in queries

2006-08-09T00:19:00.000-07:00

The following table lists SQL keywords that are reserved in ColdFusion queries of queries. This list includes all reserved words in the SQL standard, and should be avoided in variables used in all queries. Do not use these keywords as variable names in any queries.

Reserved words in forms

2006-08-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

You must also not create form field names ending in any of the following, except to specify a form field validation rule using a hidden form field name.
_integer
_float
_range
_date
_time
_eurodate

Reserved words

2006-08-09T00:17:00.000-07:00

The following list indicates words you must not use for ColdFusion variables, user-defined function names, or custom tag names. While some of these words can be used safely in some situations, you can prevent errors by avoiding them entirely.
Any name starting with cf. However, when you call a CFML custom tag directly, you prefix the custom tag page name with cf_.
Built-in function names, such as Now or Hash
Scope names, such as Form or Session
Operators, such as NE or IS
The names of any built-in data structures, such as Error or File
The names of any built-in variables, such as RecordCount or CGI variable names
CFScript language element names such as for, default, or continue

Reserved Words and Variables

2006-08-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

This chapter provides information on Macromedia ColdFusion reserved words, and lists scope variables.

ColdFusion Tags

2006-08-09T00:05:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) includes a set of tags that you use in Macromedia ColdFusion MX 7 pages to interact with data sources, manipulate data, and display output. CFML tag syntax is similar to HTML element syntax.

Variables

2006-08-08T23:33:00.001-07:00

Variables let you store data in memory on the server. Variables always have a name and a value. You can assign a value to a variable, or you can instruct ColdFusion to assign variable values based on data that it retrieves from a data source, such as a database table.

Functions

2006-08-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

Typically, a function acts on data. It can generate a value or a set of values, usually from some input. You can perform the following operations (actions) with functions:

Manipulate data and time values
Examine a value or variable
Display and format information
Manipulate string data
Retrieve system information and resources
Perform mathematical operations

About CFML elements

2006-08-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

CFML consists of two primary language elements: tags and functions. Tags let you perform operations such as accessing a database. Functions can return data and do other operations like retrieving the system date. Almost everything that you want to accomplish with ColdFusion involves using tags and functions.
You use another important element known as a variable. Variables are an important part of most programming languages and are equally important with CFML. Variables let you store information in memory and enable you to pass data

Saving your ColdFusion page

2006-08-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

In order for the ColdFusion server to process the page, you must save the ColdFusion page on a computer where the ColdFusion MX is installed. If you are creating your pages on a local server (on which ColdFusion is running), you can save the pages locally; if you are using a remote server, you must save your pages on that server.
If you are using the ColdFusion MX J2EE configuration, you typically save ColdFusion pages under the ColdFusion web application root. For example, in the default directory structure when you use the J2EE configuration with JRun, you save pages under jrun_root/servers/cfusion/cfusion-ear/cfusion-war. When you use JRun, you can also run the Web Server Configuration Tool and save pages under your web root directory.
Tip: ColdFusion MX on Macintosh OS X uses the J2EE configuration.
To save the code that you typed to create a ColdFusion page:
Create a directory called test under the web_root or web_application_root directory.
In the test directory, save the file as cfpage.cfm.

Creating a ColdFusion page

2006-08-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Creating a ColdFusion page involves using tags and functions. The best way to understand this process is to create a ColdFusion page.
In the following procedure, you will create a simple ColdFusion page by using HTML tags, one ColdFusion tag, and two ColdFusion functions. The following table briefly explains the ColdFusion tags and functions:
Element
Description
Now()
A function supported in CFML that you can use to retrieve information from your system.
You will use the Now() function in the following procedure to return the current date that is retrieved from your system.
DateFormat()
A function that instructs ColdFusion to format the date returned by the Now() function.
cfoutput
A ColdFusion tag that you use to return dynamic data (data retrieved from a database) to a web page.

Working with ColdFusion pages

2006-08-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion pages are plain text files that you use to create web applications. You can create your ColdFusion applications by writing all the code manually or by using wizards (provided with some editors) to generate the majority of the code for you.
You can use the following editors to create your ColdFusion pages:
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX
Macromedia HomeSite+
Macromedia ColdFusion Studio
Any HTML editor
Windows Notepad
Vi or Emacs (UNIX systems)
The best choice for creating ColdFusion pages is Macromedia Dreamweaver MX. Dreamweaver MX includes many CFML features for building applications, such as rapid visual development, robust CFML editing, and integrated debugging. Dreamweaver MX also includes a copy of HomeSite+ for users who are familiar with developing their application code using ColdFusion Studio or HomeSite 5. HomeSite+ combines all the features of ColdFusion Studio and HomeSite 5, along with support for the latest ColdFusion MX tags.

Building applications with CFML

2006-08-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

You build ColdFusion applications as a series of pages that use CFML. Developers can extend this language by creating their own custom tags or user-defined functions (UDF), or by integrating COM, C++, and Java components, such as Java Server Page (JSP) tag libraries.
Interacting with data sources
ColdFusion applications can interact with any database that supports a JDBC technology-based driver. A JDBC technology-based driver uses an Application Programming Interface (API) to execute SQL statements to databases on most platforms. However, ColdFusion is not limited to JDBC data sources. You can also interact with existing Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data sources by using ODBC Socket, a driver that interacts with an existing ODBC driver.
Interacting with mobile devices
ColdFusion MX 7 lets you create applications that can respond to events and messages from diverse sources, including instant messaging, mobile phone Short Message Service (SMS) text messages, Internet socket requests, and system events. Development tools
You can code your ColdFusion application with NotePad or any HTML editor; however, Macromedia recommends that you build your applications using Macromedia Dreamweaver MX. Dreamweaver MX offers features and wizards that enhance ColdFusion development.

How ColdFusion processes pages

2006-08-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

The following steps explain how the ColdFusion server processes a ColdFusion page:
The ColdFusion server looks at the content of the page and searches for the following ColdFusion instructions:
Tag names that begin with cf.
Variables and functions that are always surrounded by number signs (#).
If the ColdFusion server finds any HTML or plain text in the page, the ColdFusion server returns it to the web server unchanged.
The ColdFusion server processes all the ColdFusion instructions found, and returns any remaining results to the web server. The web server then sends the entire output to the browser.

The ColdFusion MX Administrator

2006-08-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

You use the ColdFusion MX Administrator to configure and maintain the ColdFusion application server. It is a web-based application that you can access using any web browser, from any computer with an Internet connection.
You can manage the following configuration options with the ColdFusion MX Administrator:
ColdFusion data sources
Debugging output
Server settings
Application security

The ColdFusion application server

2006-08-08T22:23:00.001-07:00

The ColdFusion application server is itself a web application that typically resides on the same computer as your web server software. It is the program that parses (reads and interprets) and processes supplied instructions. These instructions are passed to ColdFusion through ColdFusion pages, which use a .cfm or .cfc filename extension. A ColdFusion page looks like an HTML page, but contains special tags that instruct the ColdFusion server to perform specific operations.

The ColdFusion Markup Language

2006-08-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) is a tag-based language similar to HTML that uses special tags and functions. With CFML, you can enhance your standard HTML files with database commands, conditional operators, and high-level formatting functions, and rapidly produce easy-to-maintain web applications.
CFML looks similar to HTML: it includes start and end tags, and each tag is enclosed in angle brackets. All ending tags are preceded with a forward slash (/) and all tag names are preceded with cf.

About ColdFusion MX

2006-08-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

ColdFusion MX is a powerful web application server that lets you create robust sites and applications without a long learning curve. ColdFusion MX does not require coding in traditional programming languages (for example, C, C++, Java, XML), although it supports these traditional programming languages.
ColdFusion MX consists of the following core components:
ColdFusion application server
ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML)
ColdFusion MX Administrator
The following sections describe these core components in more detail. In addition, the Getting Started Experience, which you can view by opening the Macromedia ColdFusion MX Administrator and clicking Getting Started, provides introductory information about ColdFusion and code snippets that highlight the new features of ColdFusion MX 7.

Introducing ColdFusion MX

2006-08-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

This chapter introduces the core technologies that are the foundation for Macromedia ColdFusion MX. In addition, it introduces the basic concepts about ColdFusion MX, how it works, and the various components that comprise it.

Coldfusion

2006-08-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

You like Coldfusion? Maybe you know it as Macromedia ColdFusion, Adobe ColdFusion, Cold Fusion, CF, CFM, CFML, CF MX, or a host of other acronyms. No matter what you know it as, you're still in the right place.

Convention of Macromedia's line of products. ColdFusion MX was completely rebuilt from the ground up and was based on the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) platform. ColdFusion MX was also designed to integrate well with Macromedia Flash using Macromedia Flash Remoting MX.

Starting from the MX (6.0) release, ColdFusion is compiled to bytecode, like JSP and ASP.NET. The compiled .class files are readily accessible, and are cached until their source changes, like JSPs.

With the release of ColdFusion MX, the CFML language was also extended to support basic OOP. Apart from the tag-based CFML syntax, ColdFusion supports embedded scripts that can be written in a JavaScript-like language, known as CFScript.
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/coldfusion