1 ColdFusion Sandra Cadena-Torres IS-373 ~ Spring 2010

2 What is ColdFusion? Application Development Platform (similar technologies: PHP, ASP, Ruby) ColdFusion Markup Language  #variable# ColdFusion Builder (Eclipse-based IDE) Produced and sold by Adobe Systems Also produced as Open Source  Railo, BlueDragon

3 Popularity > 21,000 internet sites “One of the most downplayed, best kept secrets in the development world when it comes to building applications.” –rip747

4 Usage Rapid development of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs)  Flash Intranet sites, custom modules  Training, Content Management  > 75% Fortune 100 companies Data-rich sites  E-commerce 2 Editions:  Standard……$1299  Enterprise…..$7499 Web Services generation  SOAP, Flash remoting, SMS, IM Vast interoperability

5 Specs: Environment Operating Systems  Windows, Solaris, Linux, Mac OS Web Servers  Apache, IIS, Sun Web Server Databases  Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL, MySQL, IBM Informix

6 Specs: Architecture Java-based, installation runs on a Java application server J2EE Servers supported  JBoss, Oracle WebLogic, IBM WebSphere Not created as an OO language  Does not support multiple inheritance

7 CFML Core Libraries  Tags > 100, Functions > 200  Built-in interoperability: PDF, Office functionality Extensible: Custom tags  File manipulation: Extensions  File:.cfm /.cfml  Component:.cfc Scripting languages  ActionScript  CFScript: similar to Javascript

8 CFML Snippets Inserting data to a database:   INSERT INTO name_table (NAME, TELEPHONE)  VALUES  ('#Form.NAME#', '#Form.TELEPHONE#')  Outputting data to a table:   #NAME#  #TELEPHONE#  Source:

9 CF History Created in 1995: Brothers J & J Allaire Original application web server  Allow HTML connectivity with databases  Initially DBML extensions Both a language and an application server V.2: Full platform IDE & scripting language < V.6: built on Microsoft Visual C++ V.6: Flash integration Macromedia owned in 2001 Adobe owned since 2005

10 Governing Standards Body Original proprietary (de facto) Becoming less closed  Open Source CFML: Railo, BlueDragon  Open DB integration, XML files & Java architecture Licensing costs high  No costs for CF compatibility Main development run by Adobe

11 Advantages Ease of use  Easiest tool to learn after HTML  Quick Web services (CFCs) & DB connectivity  Versatility with multiple O/S support Interoperability  Adobe family  Competitor technologies:.NET  Popular tools: MS & OpenOffice,,  Code mixing with Java Libraries & classes

12 Advantages Robustness  Built upon J2EE Enhanced performance & resourceful functionality  Scalability Server clustering Pervasiveness  Adobe family support Flash as Presentation component  Backward compatibility Supports Windows after Java switch

13 Drawbacks  Lesser Popularity  Licensing costs Open Source options, lower licensing $ Site in ASP $15,000 / CF $3,000  Poorer developer skills Not as many developers, lesser competition Poorer programming practices  Poorer community support Lesser communication than similar technologies Some support in forums, events, publications

14 Conclusion ColdFusion has low popularity but strong pervasiveness  Less time to code more robust applications  Strong support by Adobe “When I convince a client to take ColdFusion, I simply tell them that if they don’t see the savings in time and benefits in results, I will buy their license from them. I’ve never had to buy one.” –Jas Panesar

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