Transcript An Introduction to Cold Fusion - McKillop Library

An Introduction to
Allaire's ColdFusion
Olga Verbeek
McKillop Library
Salve Regina
University
Allaire’s ColdFusion
What can it do?
What is it?
In Action!
How to get started …
Putting it together …
Resources
What can ColdFusion do?
Create interactive, database-driven Web
solutions
Dynamically serve Web pages
Create cross-platform, dynamic Web
applications
Examples
What can ColdFusion do?
Example 1.
ColdFusion and Databases
Dynamically serves pages from content that
resides in a database.
Access databases using OLE DB and ODBC.
Native drivers for Oracle, Sybase, and others.
More
What can ColdFusion do?
Example 2.
ColdFusion and Headers & Footers
Other .cfm pages can be included within the
current .cfm page
(similar to server-side includes)
Put web site headers & footers in separate
.cfm page and “include” them into content
page.
More
What can ColdFusion do?
Example 3.
ColdFusion and Forms
Simple CFML tags replace the need for scripts.
Enable users to add records to a database,
customize pages, and perform searches and
more ...
What is ColdFusion?
TAG based pages that uses CFML tags
e.g. <cfquery>
...
</cfquery>
CF functionality is within the tags
e.g. SQL statements
HTML tags interleaved with CFML tags
HTML page is the result
What is ColdFusion?
Note: no ColdFusion tags are returned to the
user
What is ColdFusion?
Bottlenecks - limitations to performance
resource bound - queries to databases
interpreted - each line needs to be translated
and executed
middleware - speak with a multitude of
different servers and protocols.
ColdFusion In Action!
Real website that uses ColdFusion:
http://www.ovid.com
How to get started …
Load Personal Web Server 4.0
http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ntop
tionpack/askwiz.asp
Home directory will be
c:\Webshare\Wwwroot
URL: http://127.0.0.1
Download ColdFusion Express 4.5
http://www.allaire.com
Major directories are: CFIDE & CDOCS
Putting it together …
Create a database in MS Access
Tie the database to the CF server
In CF Administrator: Click on ODBC link
Putting it together …
Create a serials’ title listing:
--- just the “g’s”
The Database
Database: db1.mdb
Datasource: serials_g
Table: sample_g
Connected in
CF Admin.
Putting it together …
Create a .cfm file
1. CFML tag: cfquery using SQL
2. CFML tag: cfoutput
3. More complex query ...
Putting it together …
Create header & footer includes:
header: myheader.cfm
footer: myfooter.cfm
Content page: h&f_gs.cfm
Resources
MS Personal Web Server 4.0
http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ntopt
ionpack/askwiz.asp
Allaire’s ColfFusion
http://www.allaire.com
ColdFusion Site - Database aggregator OVID
http://www.ovid.com
Resources
Help & Book Sources from EZWebdesign
http://www.ezwebdesign.com/coldfusion.html
Tutorials from CFVault
http://www.cfvault.com/index.cfm/mode/
ContentPage/Element/tutorials_full_index
Tutorials from the Curry School Of Education, UV
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/teacherlink/
infotech/database/coldfusion/home.html
Resources
Advanced ColdFusion 4.0 Application
Development by Ben Forta
Published by Que, Indianapolis, IN
1999.
Available from: netLibrary