Customer Reviews

ColdFusion MX: From Static to Dynamic in 10 Steps

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a reviewer of books, I find myself ensconsed in a lot of material that is dry, difficult to follow and that finds me jumping from section to section quickly and out of order.

10 Steps is an easy read, easy to follow and has found me working with ColdFusionMX faster than I could have imagined. I've long been a part of the Flash community and there is no easy way to explain how Macromedia has worked to pull all of their products together.

If you're hoping to use any of the MX tools in the future, this certainly isn't a bad place to start. Even better are the real-life examples that allow you to expand to your own needs and to give you a further understanding of the tool.

I've monkeyed around with .ASP for years and have never felt comfortable developing in the tool, but do feel very well-versed in HTML.

Barry Moore's writing style and examples have caught me up to speed in literally no time at all.

Amaze yourself with what can be accomplished with ColdFusionMX and 10 Steps!

Barry Moore's book "Cold Fusion MX: From Static to Dynamic in 10 Easy Steps" is an excellent introduction to Cold Fusion. The 10 steps are: an overview of how CFML (Cold Fusion Markup Language) works; variables; databases and SQL queries; conditional program flow; forms; database manipulation; email; the Cold Fusion application framework; user security; and lists, arrays, and structures.

There is no attempt to deal with any HTML authoring, it is assumed that the reader will already know how to code and develop static web pages. The book progresses in logical steps as an already existing site is "madeover" into a dynamic database powered site.

The book is treated as a companion to material presented and available on [internet site]. This site contains links and other supporting material for users and readers of the book; and it also contains a set of files that are to be used in the practical exercises in the book.

Each step or chapter introduces the problem to be addressed. The issues are dealt with in a clear and straightforward style with examples of code and resulting web page. While CFML is deceptively easy, there are a few tips and tricks that need to be known and if not applied can trip many a new developer. These are handled clearly in sidebars or notes that are obvious and easy to refer back to.

At the conclusion of each chapter, the lessons learnt are applied to the original site. Using the files downloaded from [internet site] the user is directed to make various changes. The editing directions are provided in free form; but backed up by a full listing of what the final page should look like. I did found these sections took time and care and I did need the full code listing to assist in the process.

This aspect of the book has been handled in a way to accommodate users whether they complete the exercises or not. In the downloaded files users get: the original site; snippets of files to edit; final edited files; and the final madeover site. This means that if you do not wish to do the exercises, you can simply choose to test the new site; examine the Cold Fusion pages and pull the CFML code to pieces. If you have difficulties completing the exercises, the solutions are available for you.

The book is an introductory book for Cold Fusion and concentrates on the Cold Fusion development framework. The chapter on user security is based on the way user security is handled in Cold Fusion MX and users must refer to the web site for changes to the text. The book was based on a beta version of Cold Fusion MX and there are alterations for the coding for this chapter. Many of the new features for Cold Fusion MX are left to the end of the book and only briefly explained as they are complex and powerful and beyond the scope of this book and its purpose. Difficulties in installing Cold Fusion and configuring the server are also provided at the end of the book and steps to change settings explained there.

The language of the book is clear and concise. There is an engagement and directness in the style that makes the material easy to read, and understand. I would recommend this book as a first introduction to Cold Fusion as it is simple yet comprehensive in the material it covers. I particularly liked the chapter on the application framework as that provides an excellent treatment on what is quite a complex and baffling area for many new developers. With the help of the links in the book and the web site; there is enough support to whet the appetite and direct users who wish to learn more about the power and versatility of Cold Fusion MX.

Written in an easy to read style, this book is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to dynamicise their website using Coldfusion. The book is hands-on, choc-a-bloc full of practical examples and useful tips.

Many HTML developers or Dreamweaver users need to start creating database-driven websites and web applications; unfortunately for people without any programming background, the learning curve is step. Barry Moore clearly understands how to deliver a well-organized, succinct and enjoyable learning experience even to people totally new to the world of server-side developing

My first MattReview, WooHoo...

You are a developer and you have been working on HTML for years, now you are feeling the squeeze. Customers want more from you. They want shopping carts, they want to know who their customers are, they want to be able to show their catalogs and they don't want to have thousands of static pages. What do you do? You look at an application server. ColdFusion is a great choice if you are from the HTML tag based world.

The 10 steps in the book are a good breakdown of the basics of the technology. Chapter 1 has a good explanation of the basics of what CFMX actually is and how it fits into your Web site with a set of simple pages that give you some idea of what can be done.

From there, he covers how to use include files for code reuse between pages, setting and using variables, how to use SQL to connect to a database and to return data to the browser. Moore covers flow control - if, when and loop clauses - forms, updating inserting and deleting database records and using email with CFMX.

In the last three chapters or steps, Moore covers what I need the most help with - the overall application framework, security and complex variables like lists, arrays and structures. This is the part where I turn the music down, open a can of coke and really dig in.

What I personally like best in the book though, is his thorough explanation of how to use the CGI variables. I can never remember these and they are dang important to know. They are covered well in the book, but there is a more complete CF reference at the web site.

My math teacher in high-school, Mr Faure, said that you need to get in and get your hands dirty to learn anything and you will be doing that here. Moore talks about Dreamweaver MX and ColdFusion Studio, but the entire book is set up for hand coding.

"Well if it is all hand coding, why are you recommending it as a Dreamweaver guy?!"

Simple. To be successful. Really successful. You HAVE to know the code you are generating. That holds true for HTML and it holds true for CFML, the language for ColdFusion MX.

Once you know how to hand code, you know how to debug and you know how to create code for situations that aren't covered with prebuilt server behaviors and objects.

What could use a little more work in the book is the first chapter. There are some larger looking code examples there. Even though they are really just exactly enough to show off the concept, there are a little daunting. Moore uses these examples well, but I don't think I would go into so much detail at the very beginning. Rather than showing the date format function (DateFormat()) simply, he takes the opportunity to show all the formats available. Small criticism...

I would probably have one chapter to look at how DMX works to do some of the same things that you learn through hand coding in the book. One chapter at the end to tie it to DMX a little more, not to really go in depth, but to show how it all ties together.

The Review...

Overall review? I think I give it 7 out of 10 Matts... Recommended reading for intermediate CF developers and a must have for beginning CF developers. Well worth the money.

...it didn't disappoint. It's rare that a "beginner's book" turns out to be just that, but this one is a rare exception. The book does such a wonderful job "introducing" you to ColdFusion, it makes you wonder why all tutorials can't be written this way. Moore does a superb job of breaking (what I thought was a monster of a language) ColdFusion down to its simplest terms and made it VERY easy to digest. I've not yet completed the book (currently on step 8), but I have already ordered a more advanced book for further study - he writes in a way that MAKES you want to learn more (as well it should)!
Bravo, Mr. Moore! Excellent introduction to ColdFusion - highly recommended reading for anyone wanting to take their design and site management to the next (necessary) level.

I recently attended a three day Fast Track to ColdFusion MX workshop from a certified Macromedia trainer. Let me advise you to save the money and buy this book instead. It is a series of clearly written tutorials and makeover exercises that anyone with modest web experience can easily follow. And if you get hung up, the author is extremely prompt about answering questions via his web site. After you read this book, grab a copy of the CF-WACK (Forta, et. al) and you should be all set to begin developing for real. I created my first application based off of the tutorials in this book and was done in record time. I can't say enough positive things about this text.

This book is limited in its scope; it only deals with the basics of ColdFusion. What's great is that it's limited in scope and deals only with the basics of ColdFusion. It takes the topic and does what I feel is a perfect job. There are no mistakes in the book and I looked for them.
If you have someone who needs to learn ColdFusion, this is the book they should start on.

Barry has produced what every beginner wants an to easy to follow and easy to understand guide to Cold Fusion MX. His examples are clear and concise; with the 'make over' examples building to a 'real' basic commerce site. It leaves the student with a sense of achievement.

Barry has stuck a good balance, I liked his "not too heavy, not too light" way of explaining the how to use Cold Fusion MX in a practical way.
I would recommend this text to any person considering Cold Fusion as means to build flexible dynamic sites that work.

This is a must have for anyone looking to move from static web design into dynamic web development with ColdFusion. I am not the fastest reader, but Barry's writing style made this book very easy to read and understand. Each of the book's 10 steps cover topics that logically "fit" together for a seamless transition from one step to the next.

This book offers the best explaination of "#" sign usage and the ColdFusion application framework that I have seen to date. And Barry doesn't stop with just presenting the necessary information, he also provides invaluable tips along the way.

I just wish this book had been around when I first started with ColdFusion!