Customer Reviews

Fusebox : Methodology & Techniques, ColdFusion Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

First of all, I want to say the techniques outlined in this book will make you a much, much better ColdFusion programmer. There is no question that Fusebox makes the entire programming process in ColdFusion easier and more controlled. It also means that you write code that is easier to modifiy, reuse, and debug. My programming skills have increased dramatically since learning Fusebox, and the projects I am able to work on are much more complex and powerful.

That being said, I consider this to be a somewhat poorly written book. Steve Nelson is a brilliant programmer, but he is not the best writer, and this is demonstrated in the prose of this book. Demand and pressure for a book about Fusebox meant that this book was printed before it was ready. I'm not sure whether a professional editor was ever brought in to go over this book.

I want to be clear: the content itself is not difficult to understand, and allows a firm grasp of Fusebox techniques. I highly recommend that if you are a ColdFusion programmer, that you purchase this book. However, you may find (as I did), that the overall presentation of the content comes off as amateurish, especially in the layout of the book and in its writing style. It's the ideas in the book that make it worth it; Fusebox isn't just about naming conventions or directory structures--it's a complete methodology of software development.

The introduction by Hal Helms, who is a pretty good writer, is predictably eloquent with a slight scholarly kick.

By the way, if you're starting out in ColdFusion, I would recommend that you get your hand on one of Ben Forta's books first. He provides the best introduction to ColdFusion; this book assumes some familiarity with ColdFusion.

Reading through this book, I didn't realize that it was for the 2.0 version of this methodology. Version 3.01 is out now and is dramatically different from 2.0--almost to the point where this book is unusable. However, it did help me understand what Fusebox is all about, which I was able to apply to the 3.0 version.

I recommend waiting till the authors update their book to the 3.0 version of fusebox. ...

First, fusebox is great. I started using it and I am doing more with less code. I have been programming web apps for about 3 years and fusebox is the best methodology for WEB programmming because of its various levels of implementation and open-source approach...now, about the book...

I will say I commend the authors/editors for publishing a fusebox book, but I wish they had more time to edit and organize it. It has good content, but is hard to follow because it is not clearly organzied. In addition, some areas stop short of discussing each point involving a method in fusebox. For example, CF_ReuseForm has three different usages, but NONE are THOROUGHLY explained. Save some dough and get the PDF version.

I guess the first edition/version of some books turn out better in future editions, and here is hoping that Steve, etal, create a more clear and organized book for version 3 of fusebox.

Where's the beef?

If you think that the fusebox methodology will be discussed in its entirety, very thoroughly and completely, with real world expamples for things like user and form validation, error handling, etc. Forget it, you will be totally disappointed.

The authors gloss over every topic.

Some books can cover a technical topic in 199 pages (including the index) and due a terrific job of it. This book isn't one of them.

In total, there are approximately 65 pages of the 199 page book that actually discuss Fusebox techniques-- incompletely. The rest of the book, contrary to what the authors might think, is filler. The author's spent almost two chapters hyping and selling the fusebox methodology; which is sort of like preaching to the choir.

It is, however, better than nothing-- but not by much.

This book should be rewritten by a professional technical writer, be at least 500 pages long, so that some detail can be gone into, and all buyers of this book should get a FREE upgrade.

Come on, fellas, you should take a course on becoming a five-day book writer.

This is more in response to the review 'a waste of pulp' than anything.

1) "tries so hard to make components of even the simplest ColdFusion application fit within the analogy of a household circuit"

response: To hold the methodology so rigorously to the name is silly.

2) "I remember when beer had that effect on me."

response: This actually makes no sense whatsoever.

3) "I mean, come on, these guys act like they INVENTED piping content through a central template."

response: Actually Fusebox is modeled after a 'MAIN' file in languages like C++ and JAVA. The authors make no claim to have invented this style, only transported it to web programming.

4) "And that four hundred line Switch statement that FuseBox encourages within the index.cfm file? That's clunkier than bag of rocks. Even Ben Forta has criticized this aspect of FuseBox."

response: If you are making your switch statements 400 lines long, your doing it wrong.

5) FuseBox, as a methodology, was designed by a couple of illiterate ninnies...who don't know very much about electricity."

response: Do the authors have to understand electricity to make a web methodology?

6) "While any methodology is better than none, and while FuseBox has caught on in a mild way despite it's crippling simplicity."

response: Actually Fusebox has caught on in a BIG way and its simplicity is to credit for it. Who is it that stated programming has to be difficult?

6) "...the kind of fuse boxes alluded to throughout this book are against electrical code in most states. They've been deemed UNSAFE."

response: This matters why? The word "analogy" means "Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar." If you wanna learn about electricity read a book about electricity.

For a level headed review read "A reasonable introduction."

Fusebox is an amazing methodology. But the book is aweful. These guys skipped the design stage and went straight to the typewriter. It is extremely unfocused. Lots of unnecessary spelling errors. Explainations are short and unfinished. Essentially, there's the possibility of a thousand-page-well-written book butchered to fit 196 pages. I'm sorry I bought this book. Go to the website, its better.

Fusebox is a perfect candidate for O'Reilly to publish. Maybe O'Reilly will come up with something better.

While I am currently learning Fusebox 3.xx and this book covers 2.xx, it still has value as an introduction to a common method of web programming. I have created a couple of web applications using this method and it works.

If you are a one-man programming shop, you may or may not find a common method of great value. Personally, it helped me develop a framework and style to simplify my everyday coding tasks. I'm not that organized of a person, but this method makes me look like I am.

If you work in development teams or just need a backup programmer, a common method of development pays great dividends. When a new programmer joins my team, they start by reading this book. They have very few questions about my code afterwards. I have very few questions about how they did their assignment when they are done. The method works and works very well. The previous critical review was obviously done by someone who hasn't tried this method or read through the entire book. I am waiting for this book to be updated with the 3.xx version, since it is a bit more complex and robust.

This book is an expansion of the Fusebox specifications and will get someone up and running with the methodology.

Well if you own the old one like I did and won it at a CF meeting than its ok , but if you had to pay for it , its not worth the paper its written on. The grammatical errors and spelling is enough to return the book, let alone the people that did a half A__ job of completing everything in the book, too many open holes.

This book rocks the rocking horse!