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 | | |   | FREE Domain & Setup! Register today with Web.com! In 3 easy steps you can post your photos, your blog, and more. Be seen on the web tonight. Only $11.95/month. 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. | | |
| Linux Web Hosting Frequently Asked Questions ›› Where can I find reliable Unix & Linux Web hosting?
›› What is Unix?
›› Who invented Unix?
›› What is Linux?
›› Who invented Linux?
›› Do I have to purchase licensing fees to operate my site on Unix?
›› What is Apache, and what can it do for me?
›› Why should I choose to host my website on a Unix-based machine?
›› What scripting languages are available for Unix?
›› What databases are available for my Unix website?
›› Is it more or less expensive to host my site on a Unix or a Windows platform?
›› How does Unix hosting compare to Windows hosting?
›› Glossary of terms.
Where can I find reliable Unix & Linux Web hosting?
itsALLnet.com features 10 highly rated Unix & Linux Web hosting companies offering excellent service and customer support. We limit our listings to 10 hosts per category because our site provides users with quality and not quantity. We display cost, features, support and more on our site so that choosing a Unix or Linux Web host is easy. ˆ back to top What is Unix?
Unix is a computer operating system. Unix was created in the late 1960s, in an effort to provide a multi-user, multitasking system. The philosophy behind the design of Unix was to provide simple, yet powerful utilities that could be pieced together in a flexible manner to perform a wide variety of tasks. ˆ back to top Who invented Unix?
Unix was created in 1969 by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at Bell Laboratories. Unix, as we know it today, actually began as an exercise to port a game called “Space Travel” onto a PDP-7 computer. The lack of required functionality required the authors to create floating-point arithmetic routines, an assembler, and even a file system. The “Space Travel” effort therefore evolved into the creation of a self-sustaining operating system with a local file system, on a computer that could previously only load software from a paper tape. ˆ back to top What is Linux?
Linux is a complete operating system that is similar but not identical to Unix. It runs on a wide variety of hardware, ranging from Intel and AMD CPUs to more exotic hardware such as Digital Alpha computers, PowerPCs, and Silicon Graphics workstations. Probably the most unique characteristic of Linux is that it is freely distributable. Freely distributable means that the source code for the kernel and most software cannot be withheld. It does not mean that companies cannot charge for it. By means of comparison, hosting a website on Unix or Linux is nearly identical. ˆ back to top Who invented Linux?
A young student, named Linus Torvalds, from the University of Helsinki in Finland, created Linux in 1991. Since it’s inception, Linux has been developed by thousands of developers from all over the world. Developed under the GNU General Public License, the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone, making it an attractive alternative to the pricey Windows platform. ˆ back to top Do I have to purchase licensing fees to operate my site on Unix?
A majority of the software written for Unix and Linux is developed under the same GNU General Public License as the operating systems. What this means, is that it is fairly simple to locate and install the software you need with minimal, if any, out of pocket expense. Compared to the Windows platform, this is a big plus for the Unix and Linux markets. ˆ back to top What is Apache, and what can it do for me?
Apache is the name of the software that allows you to run a web service on a Unix server. Apache is very popular and provides access to most web sites on the Internet. ˆ back to top Why should I choose to host my website on a Unix-based machine?
Unix has a proven track record of performance, stability and security. It has been in a state of constant refinement since its inception 30 years ago, and is based on open standards, allowing easy access to operating system features and applications. Unix is, by default, text-based and does not use a graphical user interface (GUI), which means it can dedicate the full power of the server to your web site. ˆ back to top What scripting languages are available for Unix?
There are many options available when it comes to writing CGI scripts on a Unix machine. The most common at the time of this writing are PHP and PERL. There are many introductions, tutorials, and even sample scripts available on the Internet when it comes to PHP and PERL. ˆ back to top What databases are available for my Unix website?
That depends mostly on the web hosting provider you select to host your website. There are many flavors of databases that run on Unix, but the most prevalent among web host providers are mSQL, MySQL., and PostgreSQL. These databases are all relational in nature, and allow highly optimized communication with your website for quick retrieval of information. ˆ back to top Is it more or less expensive to host my site on a Unix or a Windows platform?
That depends on what you mean by “hosting your site”. If you plan to host the site yourself, and you own the web servers or the software on them, then Unix (or Linux) would definitely be a less expensive option. If you plan to sign up with a web hosting company, and they own the servers and the software installed on them, you will find that there are excellent hosting options available for each platform at very comparable prices. ˆ back to top How does Unix hosting compare to Windows hosting?
Here is a short comparison of key features, and which are available for the Unix and Windows platforms. | MS FrontPage 2000, 2002 | X | X | | Flash | X | X | | Shockwave | X | X | | Real Audio/Video | X | X | | Cgi Scripts | X | X | | Perl | X | X | | PHP | X | X | | SSH (Secure Telnet) | X | X | | MySQL | X | | | Web-Based Control System | X | | | Anonymous FTP | X | | | Web Site Graphical Statistics | X | X | | Web-Based Email System | X | X | | SQL 2000 | | X | | Miva/XML | X | X | | Cold Fusion | X | X | | ASP (Active Server Pages) | X | X | | MS Access | | X | | Visual Basic Scripts | | X | | Windows Media | | X | |
ˆ back to top
Glossary of terms:
Apache
Web Server software freely available for both Unix and Linux. CGI
Common Gateway Interface. In Layman’s terms, a CGI program is a program that can be executed as part of a web server process. Cold Fusion
Special software package that simplifies the creation of database driven web sites. GNU General Public License
An agreement by the author of certain software to offer his or her software for free, and to abide by the stipulations of copyleft. Specifically, the copyleft philosophy stipulates that anyone redistributing free software must also pass along the freedom to further copy and change the program, thereby ensuring that no one can claim ownership of future versions and place restrictions on users. Kernel
The kernel is the essential center of a computer operating system, the core that provides basic services for all other parts of the operating system. PERL
Perl is a script programming language that is similar in syntax to the C language and that includes a number of popular Unix facilities. PHP
In Web programming, PHP is a script language and interpreter that is freely available and used primarily on Linux Web servers.
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Coldfusion 
