Transcript Here is the Power Point Presentation on Cold Fusion

Introduction to ColdFusion
By Tom Dubeck
Overview
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What is ColdFusion?
How does it compare to other scripts?
Some example code.
Why you might want to use it.
Installing ColdFusion.
Controlling ColdFusion.
What is ColdFusion?
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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.
Other language Comparisons
Perl
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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?
Other Language Comparison
ASP/VBscipt
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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 <% %> tags (much like JSP).
Very different Syntax than C/Perl/etc, but
very human readable.
Barely Object Oriented
Other Language Comparison
ColdFusion
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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
Source Comparison
Tag based Code
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<cfset> to declare/set variables
<cfloop> for any kind of loop,
index/while/container
<cfoutput> for both plain printing and
containers/lists
<cfquery> for database access
<cfparam> for easy form field or
argument validation and access
Operators
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In CFML, <>= already used in tags.
= - is, equal, or eq
!= - is not, not equal ne
><>=- gt, lt, greater than or equal, gte
XOR, EQV, IMP,^ and MOD supported
as well.
Make your own tags, kind of
like OOP
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Define a template MyClass.cfm
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Use <cfparam> to take in attributes
Use thistag.executionmode to set
behaviors for endtags
Tag is called<cf_MyClass>.
Why ColdFusion?
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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 don’t need to
know.
Very powerful query control
Easy to use variable validation.
ColdFusion in Action
Verity Search through Database
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<cfquery name="descriptions" dataSource=“Store">
Select ItemNumber, Description
From MainInventory
</cfquery>
<cfparam name=“txt" default=“nothing">
<cfindex collection="ProductSearch" body="Description"
key="ItemNumber" query="descriptions">
<cfsearch name="Products" collection="ProductSearch"
criteria="#txt#">
<cfquery name=“results" datasource=“Store" dbtype="ODBC">
Select * From Products
Where key in (#ValueList(Products.Key)#)
</cfquery>
ColdFusion in Action
Query of Queries
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<cfquery name=“alldata" dataSource=“Store">
Select *
From MainInventory
</cfquery>
<cfquery name=“GetByType" dbtype=“query">
Select ItemNumber, Description
From alldata
Where type=“Electronics”
</cfquery>
Query of Queries
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Uses the Query object instead of the
database.
Greate for narrowing results or reordering.
Although it supports it, not a good idea
to join.
In case you don’t like CFML
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<cfscript> tag- works like <script> tag for
JavaScript or <%%> 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 <cfoutput>
Installing ColdFusion
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Can be done with or without a previous
Web server.
Can get a free developer’s version to
tinker with on your machine from
www.macromedia.com.
Default settings generally work.
ColdFusion Admin
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Conveniant place to control your Data
Sources, Verity Collections, System
settings, and Debug/Error handling.
ColdFusion Resources
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Macromedia’s Developers’ Forum
Various online tutorials
Various books