ColdFusion Studio 4.5

Richard Price
April 2000

If you want to develop dynamic database driven Web sites you have two options. Use a system based on legacy client/server technology, or try something like ColdFusion Studio 4.5.

ColdFusion is a tag-based scripting language, CFML (ColdFusion Markup Language), with over 60 tags and 200 functions that look similar to HTML, and is easy to learn.

A ColdFusion application, like any other static Web page is a collection of pages and components, but, the application needs to be processed with ColdFusion Server. When a ColdFusion page is requested by a browser, ColdFusion Server processes the CFML - interacting with backend systems to dynamically generate the Web page that is returned to the browser.

Installing and setting up ColdFusion Studio 4.5 is probably a little more complicated then normal. To get the full benefit of ColdFusion Studio 4.5, and test the applications you develop, you need to turn your computer into a Web server. I use Microsoft Personal Web Server, but any similar program should work.

You also need to install and configure the ColdFusion Application Server which interprets the CFML. A single-user version is included with ColdFusion Studio 4.5. I had a bit of trouble getting everything working at first. It seemed important to install ColdFusion Application Server and test it, before installing ColdFusion Studio 4.5.

It also helps to ensure whatever personal Web server you are using is switched on and running otherwise the ColdFusion server cannot process the application pages needed to verify the installation.

You also need to configure ColdFusion to recognise your data sources. Once you have managed all that the rest is really quite easy.

You don't have to be a database guru to get the most out of ColdFusion Studio 4.5, but you need to know a few basic concepts. You also need to be a bit more technically literate, but if you can get around HTML and understand databases enough to perform a basic query, you will get by.

For advanced users there is the Cold Fusion Application Programming Interface where you can extend ColdFusion's capabilities with C/C++ components.

Anyone who is familiar with Allaire HomeSite's WYSIWYN (What You See Is What You Need) interface will be quite at home with ColdFusion Studio 4.5.

You have choice of three views for each document.

Edit Mode
edits tags and content

Browse Mode
displays the page in the default browser

Design Mode
for those more familiar with WYSIWYG editors. All changes you make are reflected in the HTML code.

ColdFusion Studio's complete set of tools, and open integration with databases, email, directories, XML and other enterprise systems lets you build complex applications involving online stores, e-commerce, and business-to-business communication.

Together with the server technology in ColdFusion Server, you get a total platform for developing and delivering complex Web applications easily.

There are many new features and enhancements to ColdFusion Studio 4.5. You can now create and edit style sheets and image maps. There is also a set of WML (Wireless Markup Language) for building wireless Web applications.

If you do not want to get you hands too dirty with HTML, you can avoid it as much as possible by using a program like DreamWeaver 2.0 which comes with a basic set of ColdFusion Objects. Once configured, you can easily switch between the two programs.

ColdFusion Studio comes with three comprehensive manuals and a quick-reference guide. Online documentation is comprehensive and easy to reach. Included in the package are example applications that demonstrate some ColdFusion techniques. They are fully functional and could easily be adapted to your needs. Download a trial version from their Web site and take it for a test ride.

www.allaire.com

By Richard Price, Editor, EnergyME.com

For information on getting a product reviewed email richard@energyme.com