Omar Guerra

OverviewThis language compares to JavaServer Pages

(JSP), ASP.NET, or PHP, and resembles HTML in syntax.

The most distinguishing feature is its associated scripting language, ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML).

ColdFusion supports programming languages other than CFML, such as server-side Action script and embedded scripts that can be written in a JavaScript-like language, known as CFScript.

OverviewColdFusion is most often used for data-driven

web sites or intranets, but can also be used to generate remote services such as SOAP web services or Flash remoting.

It is well suited as the server-side technology to the client-side Flex.

ColdFusion can also handle asynchronous events such as Short Message Service (SMS) and instant messaging via its gateway interface.

OverviewWhat is ColdFusion capable of?

Query a database Allow users to upload files Create/read files on the server (for example, the files that

your users upload) Have a "member's area" (i.e. via a login page) Have a shopping cart Present a customized experience (for example, based on

users' browsing history) Create a "member's area" (i.e. via a login page) Send emails (for example, newsletters to a mailing list) Schedule tasks to run automatically (for example, your

email newsletters) FTP files to/from another server Publish web services

Overview (Disclaimer)Down sides to using ColdFusion

Expensive. Costs $1,299 full version, $649 upgrade version.

Not as popular as PHP, ASP.NET, or JSP. Most companies use one of these 3 technologies. Limited job search.

Primarily used in corporate environment.Not all web hosting companies support it.Those that do (www.godaddy.com) charge

extra for using it ($1.99 / month).

Main FeaturesClient and server cache management.Client-side code generation, especially for form widgets

(GUI that displays an information arrangement changeable by the user, such as a window or text box) and validation.

Conversion from HTML to PDF and FlashPaper (virtual printer ; all files printed from FlashPaper become Flash or PDF files).

Data retrieval from common enterprise systems such as Active Directory, POP, HTTP, FTP, Microsoft Exchange Server.

Platform-independent database querying via Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) or Java Database Connectivity (JDBC).

XML parsing, querying, and validation.

Other Programming LanguagesColdFusion and Java

ColdFusion can be deployed to servlet containers such as Apache Tomcat and Mortbay Jetty.

ColdFusion is a Java EE application Enterprise Edition: builds on the solid foundation of Java

Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE) and is the industry standard for implementing enterprise-class service-oriented architecture (SOA) and next-generation web applications.

Its code can be mixed with Java classes to create a variety of applications and utilize existing Java libraries.

It has access to all underlying Java classes, supports JSP custom tag libraries, and can access JSP functions after retrieving the JSP page context.

Other Programming LanguagesColdFusion and .NET

ColdFusion 8 natively supports .NET within the CFML syntax.

Developers can simply call any .NET assembly (partially compiled code library for use in deployment, versioning and security) without needing to recompile or alter the assemblies in any way.

Data types are automatically translated between ColdFusion and .NET.

Offers ability to access .NET assemblies remotely through proxy which allows users to leverage .NET without having to be installed on a Windows operating system.

InstallationBefore installing, it is a good idea to shut

down your firewall. Some firewalls may cause installation errors.

Step 1: After confirming the language on first screen, the ColdFusion installation process begins.

InstallationStep 2: Confirm the license agreement:

InstallationStep 3: Select the installation type.

If you have a purchased copy, then enter the serial number at this screen.

In most cases, selecting “Developer Edition” is fine.

InstallationStep 4: Installer Configuration

The first option (“Server Configuration”) is the most common option.

InstallationStep 5: Subcomponent Installation

Select the subcomponents you want to install. By default, all subcomponents are selected.

InstallationStep 6: Select Installation Directory

Select the directory you would like to install into. It is recommended to leave this as default.

InstallationStep 7: License Agreement

This screen only appears if you previously selected Adobe LifeCycle Data Services ES (at step 5):

InstallationStep 8: Adobe LifeCycle Data Services ES

InstallationIf you have a serial number for Adobe

LifeCycle Data Services ES, enter it here. Otherwise leave it blank:

InstallationStep 9:Previous ColdFusion Installation

DetectedIf you do, you can choose to have both versions

co-exist on your computer, or to overwrite the previous version.

InstallationStep 10: Configure Web Servers/Websites

If you run your own web server (such as IIS or Apache), this screen allows you to select which websites should be configured to use ColdFusion. Click on “All IIS websites”:

InstallationStep 11: Choose ColdFusion Administrator

LocationThis screen lets you choose where to put the

files for the ColdFusion Administrator. The CF Administrator is usually accessed at http://localhost/cfide/administrator

InstallationStep 12: Administrator Password

You are required to enter a password for accessing the CF Administrator.

InstallationStep 13: Enable RDS

As a general rule, disable RDS on production servers. Only enable RDS if you need to access the server remotely for development purposes. In this demonstration, it is important to ENABLE RDS:

InstallationPre-Installation Summary

Review your settings. If all is correct, click “Install”:

InstallationStep 15:

Once it has been installed, a notification window tells you installation was completed successfully. If not, you will be notified of any errors that occurred during installation:

Tag SyntaxColdFusion Syntax refers to a set of rules that

determine how the ColdFusion application will be written and interpreted by the CF Server.

These rules are referred to as the ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML).

CFML consists of a number of tags.Similar to HTML, these usually consist of an

opening tag and a closing tag, and are surrounded by greater than (>) and less than (<) symbols .

Tag SyntaxColdFusion tags use the following format:

<tagname attribute=“value”> Code/text that is affected by the

surrounding tags.</tagname>

Code Example:<cfoutput query=“myQuery”>

#firstname#<br /></cfoutput>