Programming ColdFusion MX, 2/e

ColdFusion has enjoyed widespread use among developers as a powerful, easy-to-learn platform for creating and deploying dynamic web applications. ColdFusion's simple, tag-based language makes it easy to handle basic tasks, like processing form data and querying databases, but the language is also powerful enough to deliver highly scalable, robust applications. And now that Macromedia has integrated ColdFusion into its MX family of technologies, ColdFusion is capable of interacting with Flash MX applications, which opens up even more possibilities.

The first edition of this book has been praised as "the best reference book available on the subject." This new edition, Programming ColdFusion MX, 2nd Edition, goes even further, documenting new techniques for using ColdFusion MX 6.1 to develop and serve dynamic web page content. This exhaustive guide covers everything from the basics to advanced topics, with numerous examples that you can use for your own applications. Contents include:

• Sharing application data using the web application framework and shared scope variables
  
• Accessing databases, maintaining database records, and advanced database techniques such as drill-down queries, query caching, and query of queries
  
• Integrating applications with ColdFusion MX's new security framework
  
• Interacting with other data sources, including LDAP directories, email servers, and other web servers
  
• Extending ColdFusion with user-defined functions (UDFs), custom tags, and ColdFusion Components (CFCs)
  
• Advanced topics such as working with XML, consuming and producing web services, and integrating ColdFusion with Flash via Flash Remoting
  
• Reference material for all the tags and functions that comprise CFML, the ColdFusion Markup Language

Programming ColdFusion MX, 2nd Edition, covers ColdFusion MX 6.1, the latest release of ColdFusion, and is packed with advanced strategies, insider hints, tips, and tricks for creating effective web applications. If you are a ColdFusion developer, you need this book to help you make the most out of ColdFusion MX.

Table of Contents

Preface 

1. Introducing ColdFusion

      What Is ColdFusion? 

      ColdFusion Architecture 

      Getting Started with ColdFusion 

2. ColdFusion Basics

      Getting Started 

      Datatypes 

      Variables 

      Expressions 

      Writing Output 

      Conditional Processing 

      Looping 

      Including Other Templates 

3. Passing Data Between Templates

      Passing Parameters Via URL 

      Passing Data Using Forms 

      Dealing with Nonexistent Parameters 

4. Database Basics

      Configuring Data Sources 

      Introducing cfquery 

      A Quick SQL Primer 

      Retrieving and Displaying Data 

      Sorting Query Results 

      Grouping Output 

      Looping Over a Query Result Set 

      Formatting Techniques 

5. Maintaining Database Records

      Inserting Records 

      Updating Existing Records 

      Deleting Records 

6. Complex Datatypes

      Lists 

      Arrays 

      Structures 

      Query Objects 

7. Maintaining State

      Setting Up the Web Application Framework 

      Using Shared Scope Variables 

      Browser Redirection 

      Portal Example 

8. Security

      Security Basics 

      Implementing Security from Scratch 

      Taking Advantage of ColdFusion MX's New Security Framework 

9. Error and Exception Handling

      Basic Exception Handling 

      Custom Exception Handling 

      Rethrowing Exceptions 

      Error Handling Within the Web-Application Framework 

      Server-Wide Error Handling 

10. Dynamic Form Controls

      Combining HTML and CFML Form Controls 

      Basic Input Controls 

      Textual Input 

      A Selection Control 

      Sliders 

      Grids 

      Trees 

      Preserving Input 

      Custom Controls 

11. Advanced Database Techniques

      Display Techniques 

      Drilldown Queries 

      Query Caching 

      Advanced SQL 

      Query of Queries 

      Calling Stored Procedures 

      Transaction Processing 

12. Manipulating Files and Directories

      Working with Directories 

      Dealing with Files 

      Performing FTP Operations 

      Executing Command-Line Programs 

13. Working with Email

      Sending Email 

      Dealing with Undeliverable Email 

      Retrieving Messages 

      Building a Web-Based Email Client 

14. Interacting with Other Web Servers Using HTTP

      Retrieving Information 

      Parsing Data 

      Generating Static HTML Pages 

      Posting Information 

      cfhttp Considerations 

15. Interfacing with LDAP-Enabled Directories

      LDAP Basics 

      Querying an LDAP Directory 

      Modifying LDAP Entries 

      Modifying the Distinguished Name 

16. Working with the Verity Search Interface

      Creating Collections 

      Populating Collections 

      Searching Collections 

      The Verity Search Language 

      Updating Collections 

      Maintaining Collections 

      Advanced Techniques 

17. Graphing and Charting

      Creating a Simple Graph 

      Working with Dates 

      Charting Dynamic Data 

      Charting Multiple Data Series 

      Drilling Down on Graph Data 

      Saving Charts to a Variable 

      Working with the Chart Cache 

18. Regular Expressions in ColdFusion

      Regular-Expression Syntax 

      Finding Strings 

      Replacing Strings 

      Backreferences 

      Useful Regular Expressions 

      Regular Expression Tester 

19. Scripting

      Scripting Syntax 

      Writing Output 

      Flow Control and Looping 

      Error and Exception Handling 

20. User-Defined Functions

      UDF Basics 

      Calling User-Defined Functions 

      Advanced Topics 

      Function Libraries 

      Script-Based UDFs 

21. Creating Custom Tags

      Getting Started 

      Calling Custom Tags 

      Passing Data 

      Returning Data 

      Attribute Validation and Error Handling 

      Advanced Techniques 

      Protecting Your Tags 

      CFX Tags 

22. ColdFusion Components

      Basic Concepts 

      Creating Components 

      Using Components 

      Advanced CFC Topics 

23. XML and WDDX

      Working with XML 

      Using WDDX 

24. Web Services

      Web Services Overview 

      Consuming Web Services 

      Producing Web Services 

      Web Services Security 

25. Working with the System Registry

      Getting Registry Keys and Values 

      Setting Registry Keys and Values 

      Deleting Registry Keys and Values 

26. Using the ColdFusion Scheduler

      Scheduling Tasks with the ColdFusion Administrator 

      Scheduling Tasks with cfschedule 

      Additional Considerations 

27. Interacting with COM, CORBA, and Java

      Working with COM 

      Calling CORBA Objects 

      Integrating ColdFusion and Java 

28. Flash Remoting

      Getting Started with Flash Remoting for ColdFusion MX 

      Interacting with ColdFusion Pages 

      Interacting with ColdFusion Components 

      Interacting with Server-Side ActionScript 

      Flash Remoting with Java Objects Hosted on the ColdFusion MX Server 

A. Tag Reference

B. Function Reference

C. Example Database Tables

D. ColdFusion Resources

Index