Introduction to ColdFusion

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Introduction to ColdFusion

• By Tom Dubeck

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Overview

• What is ColdFusion?
• How does it compare to other scripts?
• Some example code.
• Why you might want to use it.
• Installing ColdFusion.
• Controlling ColdFusion.

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What is ColdFusion?

• ColdFusion ! Cold Fusion, it will not power your
  computer or win you a Nobel Prize in Physics
• It will however, let you write powerful web
  applications relatively quick and straightforward
  as compared to some other web scripts.

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Other language Comparisons Perl

• Interpreted on a character basis
• Any shared data must go through hidden HTML field
  or manually created cookies.
• Both HTML and Headers must be spelt out using
  Print commands
• Syntax similar to C but with a lot more
  punctuation characters in weird places.
• Object Oriented?

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Other Language ComparisonASP/VBscipt

• Interpreted on a Character basis
• Pages are loaded individually, but can be easily
  connected through Session and Application
  variables.
• ASP code is inserted in between normal HTML with
  special lt gt tags (much like JSP).
• Very different Syntax than C/Perl/etc, but very
  human readable.
• Barely Object Oriented

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Other Language ComparisonColdFusion

• Interpreted on a Tag basis. Also administered by
  local Admin page.
• Like ASP, has Session, Application, and other
  scopes that can share information from page to
  page.
• Each Logic control or Data structure is
  represented by its own HTML/XML-ish tag, highly
  intermingled.
• Structures and Custom tags, not quite objects

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Source Comparison
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Tag based Code

• ltcfsetgt to declare/set variables
• ltcfloopgt for any kind of loop, index/while/contain
  er
• ltcfoutputgt for both plain printing and
  containers/lists
• ltcfquerygt for database access
• ltcfparamgt for easy form field or argument
  validation and access

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Operators

• In CFML, ltgt already used in tags.
• - is, equal, or eq
• ! - is not, not equal ne
• gtltgt- gt, lt, greater than or equal, gte
• XOR, EQV, IMP, and MOD supported as well.

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Make your own tags, kind of like OOP

• Define a template MyClass.cfm
• Use ltcfparamgt to take in attributes
• Use thistag.executionmode to set behaviors for
  endtags
• Tag is calledltcf_MyClassgt.

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Why ColdFusion?

• Very high interactivity and support with
  Macromedia products include Flash and
  Dreamweaver.
• Verity Search Engine takes all the work out of
  full text searches.
• Admin page keeps important system settings
  (Databases, error handling) standardized between
  pages and hidden from those that dont need to
  know.
• Very powerful query control
• Easy to use variable validation.

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ColdFusion in ActionVerity Search through
Database

• ltcfquery name"descriptions" dataSourceStore"gt
• Select ItemNumber, Description
• From MainInventory
• lt/cfquerygt
• ltcfparam nametxt" defaultnothing"gt
• ltcfindex collection"ProductSearch"
  body"Description" key"ItemNumber"
  query"descriptions"gt
• ltcfsearch name"Products" collection"ProductSearc
  h" criteria"txt"gt
• ltcfquery nameresults" datasourceStore"
  dbtype"ODBC"gt
• Select From Products
• Where key in (ValueList(Products.Key))
• lt/cfquerygt

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ColdFusion in ActionQuery of Queries

• ltcfquery namealldata" dataSourceStore"gt
• Select
• From MainInventory
• lt/cfquerygt
• ltcfquery nameGetByType" dbtypequery"gt
• Select ItemNumber, Description
• From alldata
• Where typeElectronics
• lt/cfquerygt

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Query of Queries

• Uses the Query object instead of the database.
• Greate for narrowing results or re-ordering.
• Although it supports it, not a good idea to join.

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In case you dont like CFML

• ltcfscriptgt tag- works like ltscriptgt tag for
  JavaScript or ltgt for SP.
• Supports for, while, do while loops identical to
  JavaScript.
• Function to declare functions, var to declare
  varibles, return anything you want. In other
  words, just like JavaScript.
• No print command, have to return a string and
  ltcfoutputgt

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Installing ColdFusion

• Can be done with or without a previous Web
  server.
• Can get a free developers version to tinker with
  on your machine from www.macromedia.com.
• Default settings generally work.

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ColdFusion Admin

• Conveniant place to control your Data Sources,
  Verity Collections, System settings, and
  Debug/Error handling.

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ColdFusion Resources

• Macromedias Developers Forum
• Various online tutorials
• Various books