Core ColdFusion 5 (With CD-ROM) [Paperback]

Eben Hewitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0130660612 | ISBN-13: 978-0130660619

Written from the perspective of an expert ColdFusion developer, this comprehensive introduction to ColdFusion 5.0 development shows readers exactly how to create robust database-driven Web applications, hands-on. Readers master ColdFusion by building a series of increasingly complex, real-world subsystems, and then integrating them into a single, enterprise-class application. This concise, practical guide introduces ColdFusion 5.0's most powerful new features, including user-defined functions, query-of-queries, and data-driven Macromedia Generator graphs. Eben Hewitt provides realistic "notes from the field" to help you cut through the hype and jumpstart your own application development. Among the key topics covered: writing ColdFusion custom tags; building secure application frameworks; content serialization with XML, deploying ColdFusion applications in wireless environments; directory and file management; Web e-mail; database integration, and more. The book also contains a complete ColdFusion 5.0 tag and function reference. The CD-ROM contains 30-day evaluation copies of ColdFusion 5.0 Enterprise Application Server for Windows, Linux, and Solaris; ColdFusion Studio 4.5 ; HomeSite 4.5; Macromedia Spectra 1.5 Application Framework; and JRun 3.0.1; plus an unlimited copy of ColdFusion Express, and all of the book's source code.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The project-based guide to enterprise ColdFusion 5 development!

• Develop serious applications with ColdFusion 5—fast!
• Practical, project-based coverage delivers skills and code you can use right now
• Database integration, Flash graphs, XML, wireless development, and much more
• New ColdFusion 5 features: user-defined functions, query-of-queries, and data-driven graphs
• Complete, working applications include an e-commerce site, a banner ad management system, a WML address book application, a site search, an intelligent agent, a ColdFusion 5 certification practice test, and much more!
• Includes complete CFML tag and function reference
• CD-ROM: 30-day evaluation copies of the latest Macromedia ColdFusion 5 products, plus an unrestricted copy of ColdFusion Express, and all source code

Core ColdFusion 5 is a relentlessly practical, project-focused guide to the specific techniques and skills you need to build serious enterprise applications with ColdFusion 5.

Certified ColdFusion expert Eben Hewitt walks you through constructing and integrating several increasingly complex, real-world applications. Every project delivers critical skills you'd otherwise have to learn through trial and error—and provides rock-solid code you can use in your own projects.

Hewitt's realistic "notes from the field" cut through the hype, helping you jump start your own projects—and build working systems fast. From the fundamentals of CFML to advanced database integration, to building a complete e-commerce site and XML-based content serialization, there's no better book for developers who just want to get the job done.

• Preparing your ColdFusion environment and installing ColdFusion 5
• CFML fundamentals: variables, templates, expressions, conditional logic, structures, arrays, lists, and functions
• Designing and working with relational databases
• Building a secure application framework and providing for state management and personalization
• All of the new ColdFusion 5 features: user-defined functions, query-of-queries, and data-driven graphs
• Deploying ColdFusion applications in wireless environments
• Includes a complete ColdFusion 5 tag and function reference-plus step-by-step guidance on creating your own custom tags

CD-ROM INCLUDED

The accompanying CD-ROM contains completely unrestricted copies of ColdFusion Express and Macrodmedia Flash Toolkit for ColdFusion, all of the book's source code, plus 30-day evaluation copies of all these Macromedia enterprise development tools:

• ColdFusion 5.0 Enterprise Application Server for Windows, Linux, and Solaris
• ColdFusion Studio 4.5
• HomeSite 4.5
• Macromedia Spectra 1.5 Application Framework
• JRun Java Server 3.0.1 for Linux and Windows

About the Author

EBEN HEWITT is a Macromedia Certified ColdFusion Developer, a certified Microsoft SQL Server Administrator, and Director of Production for Creative Services at Cybertrails.com. A frequent ColdFusion Developer's Journal columnist, Hewitt is also on the faculty of the ColdFusion Edge. Every month, nearly two million people visit the enterprise ColdFusion Web sites he has created.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 992 pages
• Publisher: Pearson Education (October 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130660612
• ISBN-13: 978-0130660619
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,923,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eben Hewitt is the Director of Application Architecture at a publicly traded international corporation, where he is focused on Service Oriented Architecture and enterprise applications. He has worked in IT for more than ten years, working on large-scale web and SOA integration projects, event-driven architecture, rules engines, distributed software, and messaging systems.

Hewitt is the author of several technical books, including Cassandra: The Definitive Guide and Java SOA Cookbook, and he is a contributor to 97 Things Every Software Architect Should Know, all for O'Reilly.

He is a popular speaker at international conferences, a TOGAF certified architect, and a certified Scum Master with several other programming certifications.

Follow Eben on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ebenhewitt or visit http://www.ebenhewitt.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars more than worth the money, November 3, 2001

By 

jim connelly (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Core ColdFusion 5 (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

This book is great. It has all of the code for the things that I want to do. So many books like this you get a bunch of code that you can't do anything with. This has so many things you can use right out of the box.

What I like most probably is the writing style. This almost reads like a regular book, not a technical manual. Probably 10 times when I was reading I read a paragraph and thought "well what about this?"--and then it was answered in the next paragraph!

with all the code and how clear Hewwitt talks this book is more than worth the money

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Focused, well Organized---refreshing, December 31, 2001

By 

snazz (richmond, va) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Core ColdFusion 5 (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

First off, this book doesn't cover every aspect of Cold Fusion. It doesn't pretend to. I agree wholeheartedly with the author's choice of what to cover. You won't find much information about little-used ldap connections in here or what I've come to see as frankly cheesy aspects of coldfusion like CFUPDATE. Maybe it would be nice if they could be covered, but it makes other books are so big that they make nice references but not the best learning tools.

This book is the best way to learn Cold Fusion I've seen. It walks beginners through so they really understand each step of the way. And once you're done, you know enough about how CF really works that you can do the things it doesn't cover on your own.

The other thing is that it focuses on showing you the kinds of apps you need to build in the real world, and tying those in. It doesn't try to win you over by being cutesy and cracking jokes. If you're not a beginner, the code makes it worth a read.

I espcially like the discussion of lists, arrays and structures. Far clearer than in Mr Forta's book which I also have read. Also good is the custom tags chapter.

And I have to say this because it gets on my nerves when I see it. This book has probably the fewest typos of any new computer book I've seen. Though it does have a few, they're obvious.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good intentions, not the best results., January 14, 2002

By 

Robert Kaplinsky (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Core ColdFusion 5 (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

If you are using this book as a reference for Cold Fusion tags and examples, this may NOT be the book for you.
Some basic tags are missing from the appendix, while more importantly there are significant mislabeling that make understanding the book difficult. An example is with <CFFILE ACTION="UPLOAD">. The attributes are all mislabeled making understanding the examples difficult. Unfortunately this isn't an isolated case.

The examples presented are mainly in the context of an online store. It is up to you to interpret how do use them for your own uses. I think more generalized examples would be helpful.

In summary, the book is fairly informative but confusing enough to leave you frustrated.