ColdFusion
| ColdFusion: With ColdFusion, you can build and deploy powerful web applications and services with far less training time and fewer lines of code than ASP, PHP, and JSP. Version 7.0 introduces powerful new application services including rich Flash forms generation, structured reports, and dynamic generation of printable documents. Coupled with version 6.1’s simplified installation and migration, updated key features, and increased in runtime performance, these features open up a new world of applications beyond the browser. | |
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CALL US Toll-Free at 800-745-3043 or Chat Live More info | | |   | Your source for web success. Broaden your reach and increase sales with Yahoo's comprehensive set of web-based solutions. More info | | | - What is ColdFusion?
ColdFusion is a program based on the CFMX programming language that builds and deploys powerful web applications and services. With proven tag-based methodology, ColdFusion’s features allow web developers to easily harness the power of the Java Platform to deliver powerful Internet applications to millions of people worldwide. ColdFusion is a server side language, which is executed by a ColdFusion application server. It works by executing CFM templates (which is a mixture of HTML and ColdFusion instructions) to return normal HTML to the requesting browser. The ColdFusion MX Enterprise software suite provides all the necessary software to create large-scale websites, applications, and hosting environments, and is available for either a stand-alone installation for web developers or for industry-level deployment on J2EE application servers.
- The true power of ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML)
The core functionality of ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) is centered on the use of tags. These server scripting tags give ColdFusion its speedy development applications for the web. CFML is quite simple to learn, but is powerful enough to handle even the most complex and demanding web applications. Processed entirely on the server, CFML uses syntax closely resembling that of HTML and XML. CFML consists of two primary language elements: tags and functions. Tags let you perform operations such as accessing a database. Functions can return data and do other operations like retrieving the system date. Tags, functions and operators make up expressions. Building expressions in ColdFusion is easy and can include simple as well as complex elements. The ways in which these expressions and elements are used determine how ColdFusion processes your program.
- Is ColdFusion easy to learn?
Out of the many different methods used to develop and build web applications, pages, and services, ColdFusion is by far the easiest to learn and use. For ColdFusion 7.0, Macromedia has created a helpful ‘Getting Started Experience’ interface that gives the new user access to tutorials, whitepapers, topic index, and even two sample applications to play with. There is no other language or product as well suited to web developers as ColdFusion. Easy-to-use visual tools and an intuitive server scripting environment allow new users to easily pick up the CFML language.
- Windows, UNIX, or Linux…which Should I Use To Run My Website?
Macromedia ColdFusion MX supports most operating systems including Windows, Unix, Linux, IBM AIX and HP-UX. Below is a list of operating system versions and system requirements for the latest ColdFusion version:
Windows OS
Intel Pentium processor or higher
256 MB RAM but 512 MB is highly recommended
400 MB of hard disk space available
Works on MS Windows 98 / ME / NT 4 / SP6A / 2000 /SP3 / XP/ 2003
Linux OS
Intel Pentium processor or higher
256 MB RAM but 512 MB is highly recommended
400 MB of hard disk space available
Red Hat Linux 7.2 / 7.3 / 8.0 / 9 / AS & ES 2.1 / AS & ES 3.0
SuSE Linux 7.2 / 7.3 / or 8X
Turbo Linux 8 Server ( Japanese Only)
Unix
SPARC, PA-RISC 1.1 / 2.0 / Power 3 processor
Sun Solaris 7 / 8 / 9
256 MB RAM but 512 MB is highly recommended
400 MB of hard disk space available
HP-UX 11i
IBM AIX 5L 4.3 / 3 / 5.1 / 5.2
Apple Mac OS X
- What Databases and Web Servers are supported with ColdFusion?
ColdFusion MX supports most major databases including Microsoft SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DB2, Sybase and IBM Informix. In addition, CFMX can run on most major web servers including IIS, Apache and Sun One.
- What are the differences between the ColdFusion 7.0 editions?
Standard Edition: This edition is for single web application or small workgroup environments. It builds accessible, high-quality rich forms, transforms existing HTML content into PDF or FlashPaper 2 formats, creates structured business reports for workgroup applications, delivers charts and graphs, and increases text searching capabilities. Enterprise Edition: This edition is ideal for the quickly growing business. It includes all the features of the Standard Edition as well as scalability, performance, and enterprise management capabilities for larger web and business applications. The Enterprise Edition has multi-instance deployment and management, clustering, high-speed enterprise database drivers, server security J2EE packaging and deployment, and high-performance e-mail delivery. Yet the most anticipated feature of this edition is the event gateway, which enables ColdFusion applications to connect to mobile phones and instant messaging.
- How does ColdFusion run on application servers?
The ColdFusion MX runtime environment is actually a Java application that takes advantage of the many powerful services in the J2EE platform. What this J2EE platform does is connects the various databases, manages its own security, as well as processes the requests sent in by the application itself. When ColdFusion MX is installed in the J2EE configuration, the compiled infrastructure will be on top of the application server in order to execute the language’s applications. This configuration will allow developers to cultivate and set out pages, as well as manage the MX server settings using the ColdFusion Administrator.
- What are the advantages & disadvantages of using custom tags in ColdFusion?
Using custom tags within ColdFusion has its advantages and disadvantages. Custom tags written in CFML primarily try to achieve a simple balance between three aspects; taking argument statements, having body tags begin and end with the appropriate tag, and ensuring proper processing when a beginning tag is encountered by the ColdFusion program. If designed properly, these custom tags will also be able to be called recursively (meaning that it will have the functionality to call itself within the body tag). Although a custom tag in ColdFusion will call a page included the CFinclude tag, the disadvantage is that the code must be recursive, have developed complex functionality, and must be convenient for others (although often times code is not convenient). If creating either a User Defined Function (UDF) or a custom CFML tag, weigh the options carefully, since invoking a UDF requires less system overhead than using a custom tag.
- What are the new features for ColdFusion 7.0?
ColdFusion 7.0 brings a whole new level of features to developers. With better web application creation, new server management and deployment options, and a new class of applications, users are able to quickly create powerful Internet applications without spending a lot of time or money. Macromedia developed the new features to help web developers be more efficient in performing routine tasks such as structured business reporting, Flash-rich forms, and PDF and FlashPaper 2 document generation. ColdFusion Report Builder, a tool that helps users develop detailed business reports, will create sub reports, charts and graphs, automatically generate subtotals, and much more. ColdFusion 7.0 simplifies the form building process with the new Rich Flash and XML Forms capabilities. The new CFDOCUMENT feature eliminates chopping page printing with a single tag that transforms web pages into PDF or FlashPaper 2 formats.
- How do I purchase my own copy of ColdFusion?
The ColdFusion MX suite is available directly from Macromedia, local computer software resellers, licensing programs and some web hosts. | | |
| What Do I Need To Know About Getting A Merchant Account?
A merchant account is a relationship you have with a bank. In this trust, the bank agrees to allow you to charge people’s credit cards for goods and/or services you provide. The bank in turn, has the responsibility for debiting the funds from the customer(s) and depositing it into your account. When you acquire a merchant account from a bank, you are expected to uphold your promises to your customers by fulfilling your end of the business transaction in a timely manner.
Selecting a merchant provider is a critical element when doing e-commerce on the Internet. It is important to understand the fundamentals of what a merchant account is, and how it will affect your business. Armed with this information, selecting a merchant provider from the many available will be an easier task.
Typically, you have two options when it comes to acquiring a merchant account. First, the normally preferred method, is to acquire your own merchant account. This gives you the most flexible relationship possible when it comes to accepting credit cards as payment. The second option, is to use a third-party merchant account. This means that another party allows you to accept credit cards using their merchant account. This is typically more expensive, percentage-wise, but is a viable option for people with very low volume or who are unable for some reason to get their own merchant accounts. Side by side comparison of advantages/disadvantages | YOUR OWN MERCHANT ACCOUNT | THIRD PARTY MERCHANT ACCOUNT | | Advantages | Advantages | | • | Lower credit card percentage fee | | • | Ability to use own ordering system (shopping cart, etc) | | • | More control over transactions | | • | Don’t have to go through a third party | | • | Able to sell any kind of products/services | | • | Much shorter wait time for money | | • | Fees refundable on returns | | | • | Able to get if turned down for your own merchant account | | • | Less hassle, don’t need to deal with bank directly | | • | Less initial investment than own merchant account (usually) | | | Disadvantages | Disadvantages | | • | Larger startup fee | | • | A few monthly fees involved (depends on provider) | | | • | Higher percentage fees | | • | Much longer wait for money | | • | Higher chance of being down by using another company’s service | | • | Less control over transactions | | • | Complexity of going through another company | | • | Must use their shopping cart | | • | Overall higher costs per item | | • | Usually only limited to tangible items | | There is no “magic” when getting a merchant account. You do not dial a phone number and 10 minutes later have the ability to accept credit cards. First, there is an approval process that needs to be followed. Depending on your provider, this could take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few days. Once you have been approved, your merchant account can be ready for use in less than a week.
Even when your merchant account has been approved and is ready for use, there is still the matter of logistics. How will you process your credit card transactions? Will you manually type your transactions into a software program or a credit card terminal? Or will you opt for real-time credit approval, and automate your website to process the transactions automatically? The first option requires that you purchase software or equipment to process the credit cards. If you purchase equipment, it needs to be programmed by your merchant provider to authenticate with their network and utilize your merchant account. If you choose to utilize the real-time option, you must affiliate yourself with an Internet “gateway”, who will charge a fee (typically a flat monthly fee) to be your connection to your merchant.
When accepting credit cards through a merchant account, there are a number of fees involved. It is important to understand these fees, as it will help in the selection of an appropriate merchant provider. | • | Startup Fee. There is a startup cost when setting up a merchant account. This fee is a one-time cost and can range anywhere from $99 and up, depending on the merchant provider you go with. | | • | Credit Card Fee. There is a credit card fee charged by the major credit card carriers directly. Visa and MasterCard typically charge less than American Express and Discover. Expect anywhere from 1.5% to 4% deducted from each sale, depending on the card type used, and the percentage rate that you have negotiated for that card. This credit card fee is taken off the top, and is deducted from the charge amount before the money is depositing into your account. | | • | Transaction fee. In addition to a percentage on each sale, there is also a transaction fee. This fee is charged by your merchant provider to cover their costs of network usage, equipment, etc. These fees can range anywhere from 10 cents to $1 per transaction, depending again on your merchant provider. This fee, like the credit card fee, is taken off the top and deducted before the money is deposited in your account. | | • | Additional fees. Depending on whom you sign up with, there may be additional fees associated with your account. These may include monthly statement fees, minimum traffic fees, charge-back fees, and more. It is important to review a complete schedule of features and fees before signing up with a merchant provider. | In summary, there are many merchant providers available to assist you in obtaining the ability to accept credit cards as payment for your goods and/or services. Having a basic understanding will allow you to make an educated decision when it comes to selecting the right provider to help make your business successful.
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Coldfusion 
