ColdFusion 8 Developer Tutorial [Paperback]

John Farrar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2008

Adobe ColdFusion is an application server, renowned for rapid development of dynamic websites, with a straightforward language (CFML), powerful methods for packaging and reusing your code, and AJAX support that will get developers deep into powerful web applications quickly. This book is the most intense guide to creating professional ColdFusion applications available. Packed with example code, and written in a friendly, easy-to-read style, this book is just want you need if you are serious about ColdFusion. This book will give you clear, concise and, of course, practical guidance to take you from the basics of ColdFusion 8 to the skills that will make you a ColdFusion developer to be reckoned with. ColdFusion expert John Farrar will teach you how about the basics of ColdFusion programming, application architecture, and object reuse, before showing you a range of topics including AJAX library integration, RESTful Web Services, PDF creation and manipulation, and dynamically generated presentation files that will make you the toast of your ColdFusion developer town. This book digs deep with the basics, with real-world examples of the how and whys, to get more done faster with ColdFusion 8. This book also covers the new features of ColdFusion 8 Update 1.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John started working with computer programming around 1977. He has had the opportunity to work on projects used by Apple, Blue Cross, Brunswick Recreation, Casio, GVSU, Johnson Controls, Sprint, and many others. This history covers over 30 years of knowledge and experience in the industry. He started doing web development over 10 years ago. In the early days of the Web ColdFusion stood out to him not just as a way to make web pages into web applications but as a maturing solid platform good for the developer, site owner, and end users. He started at version 4.5 and has been enjoying each version upgrade more and more. John owns a company called SOSensible. His company does work for large companies but has a special focus on also making sure technology is approachable beyond the enterprise. They have developed a number of Open Source solutions including COOP. COOP is a mix of Custom Tags and CFCs that provides structure while keeping development simpler. It demonstrates his love for the things that make ColdFusion/CFML a delightful language to build websites. He has spoken at national and regional conferences, online meetings, and area user group meetings. He is also an Adobe User Group manager. John knows that community is a viable and productive tool to build developers and the companies they serve. He has learned much from great resources in the community including bloggers, books, conferences, and resources to great in number to mention here. He blogs at sosensible.com for the community.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Packt Publishing (July 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847194125
• ISBN-13: 978-1847194121
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,026,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Farrar is the owner of SOSensible. His work includes doing projects for Apple, Johnson Controls, Sprint vendor integration to many projects for small business applications. He is a skilled ColdFusion (since version 4.5), AJAX/JavaScript (including jQuery) business application developer and consultant. He also supports the community as an Adobe User Group manager and a conference speaker. His work was honored by Adobe adding him to the official list of "Adobe Community Experts" in 2009. He has also created a number of free open source projects to assist others in day to day struggles of software development.

Long time interests and history include being active in musicals and chorus in high school years. His family has also gathered a love for music with many of his children sharing both parents love of good music. John also has a love for science, sustainable living with things like square foot gardening and round houses. He and his wife are faith oriented and try to live according to principles around the life of Jesus for their personal life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Content in This Book, July 13, 2008

By 

Will Tomlinson Web Development (Greensboro, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ColdFusion 8 Developer Tutorial (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading most of this book. I say most, because I haven't gotten through it all - there's a lot of content here!

I was surprised by the range of material covered in one book. The CFC's section is excellent, AJAX, and such.

It looks like John Farrar spent quite a bit of time developing his content, and he delivers it in an easy-to-read fashion.

Thanks for a great ColdFusion book!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is a good ColdFusion Book these days?, May 1, 2009

By 

Pablo N. Varando "Pablo Varando" (Morrisdale, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ColdFusion 8 Developer Tutorial (Paperback)

You know, I read books on ColdFusion all the time (I fly a lot) to stay up to par with things, but mostly to get different perspectives on how people see and use ColdFusion in their own lives. We all have our own perspective and uses; and I like to see how others use it and/or teach it.. (the teach it part intrigues me, because I teach it too.. so i do my best to learn from others and see what works and what doesn't so I can do it better myself).

Recently, I got my hands on a copy of John Farrar's [ColdFusion 8 Developer Tutorial] and I have to say.. I think it's clearly written...it covers a broad range of subjects, but I think what I like the most is that it goes above and beyond most books. He clearly focuses on the readers and does everything possible to get you to get it... (if that makes sense).

I am not one to recommend books, I think tutorials and "demonstrations" work better when it comes to learning things, but I think that this book can teach people quite a bit and really get them to understand and master the coding logic that is needed to become a good developer.

If you have yet to read this book, I suggest you pick up a copy.. It's not only worth the cash.. but will also be a good reference later on.. Lots of Ajax in there too.. which I haven't seen in many other books (other than WACK... but that is another story!).

Overall, I would give this book a 4.5 (out of 5 stars) because it delivers a good range of topics, clear communication, and most importantly it helps with next steps!

Great Job John!

Keep them coming!

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very poorly written and extremely disorganized, May 22, 2009

By 

PK (Prague, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: ColdFusion 8 Developer Tutorial (Paperback)

The author has a very clumsy writing style: indeed, it is difficult to believe that he is a native speaker of English. Even simple concepts are explained so badly that they are difficult to understand:

"You can nest structures inside the structures in addition to actual variable storage containers. It is the first step towards packaging your data inside the application."

He is trying to say that structures can contain other structures, and that this can help to organize data.

Here's another gem:

"Most of the failed web pages come when we start getting interactive."

He is explaining that people sometimes make mistakes when they program in ColdFusion.

Despite all this verbiage, when there is a need to explain something properly, he doesn't bother. For example, it is important to know when to use # in CF. His explanation is:

"This is required for functions to work properly."

Since # is not usually used inside functions - and the example he gives is actually a tag rather than a function - the reader isn't any the wiser.

Here's more:

"Computers see upper case letters differently from lower case letters. So THIS proved the point that strings are case sensitive."

[In English] The function find() searches for sub-strings and is case sensitive.

Note that he doesn't explain what the function find() actually does: indeed, at this point in the book (p.14) he hasn't even introduced functions.

I seriously doubt that anyone could learn anything useful from this book: it's truly dreadful. Even the cover picture makes no sense (cold fusion - i.e., fusion at low temperatures - is supposed to take place at room temperature. It doesn't need ice.) Buy Ben Forta's books, which are more coherent, more accurate and much better written. Or use the manuals which are free to download from Adobe.com.

Packt is a publisher to be avoided. I have read another one of their books - Object Oriented JavaScript - and that also had obviously not been properly proof-read.