We've come a long way in the past couple of years. Not that long ago I was teaching how to write simple custom tags and encouraging developers to experiment with them.

At the Developer's Conference a few months back I was fortunate enough to introduce and first demonstrate the next major version of ColdFusion - CF5. However, time constraints prevented me from going into as much detail as I would have liked. As this issue of CFDJ is all about databas...

Fourteen columns ago in CFDJ (Vol. 1, issue 6) I wrote about wireless computing having finally come of age, the importance of WAP, and that ColdFusion developers could leverage this new and exciting technology quickly and easily.

In this article we describe how combining WML, ColdFusion, and the Fusebox methodology enables wireless data updates of the data- base of a working e-commerce Web site. To provide some context, we begin with a discussion of what this Web site is and what it does.

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In my last two columns we looked at JavaServer Pages (JSP) and compared ColdFusion development to JSP development. As explained, JSP is designed to dramatically lower the cost of entry into the Java development world, and JRun, in particular (with its tag libraries), does even more to ...

As I explained last month (and in several columns earlier this year), Java is here to stay, and Allaire is fully embracing the technology. For ColdFusion developers this is a scary proposition. The thing we love most about CF is that it's easy, simple, and rapid - and those arent adjec...

Java is a reality. But for many CFers the buzz and hype surrounding Java is cause for much concern. For those of us who love ColdFusion because of its simplicity, Java can indeed seem intimidating. Much of that concern is legitimate. The fact of the matter is, there's no way you'll lea...

It's been about five years since I inscribed my 'Ten Commandments of ColdFusion Development' for my first ColdFusion book, and as Commandments should, they've remained the same (more or less) with each subsequent revision.

ColdFusion features support for several different types of variables you can use in your applications...some types are simpler than others to use. When determining the type to use, simplicity and ease of use shouldn't be the only deciding factors. Use the wrong type...and performance c...

We all know that locking is important. Most of us even understand why locks are needed. But exactly where to use a lock, which lock type to use and what code to put within the lock remains confusing at best.

One of CFML's most misunderstood (and thus least used) features is the tag and its supporting scripting language. At the request of several readers (yes, I do take requests, and my e-mail address is at the end of the column), this month we'll spend a little time together exploring thi...

As a rule I try to avoid the Access/CF discussion as it in-evitably provokes strong debate and even stronger emotions. Besides, the truth is - regardless of what I might suggest - Access remains an inexpensive and easily implemented solution. So why am I writing about Access now? Becau...

Personalization is the hottest trend in Web application development and for CF developers implementing basic personalization isn't difficult at all. In this month's column I'd like to explain what personalization is, why you should implement it and how to go about doing so.

Last month I stated that server-side Java was an ideal way to extend ColdFusion, and that Java would be playing a key role in ColdFusion's future. This month I'd like to continue this discussion with an overview of what Java is, what some of those acronyms mean — and what all this has ...

Yes, you read the title correctly, and no, I'm not losing it. I really do believe there are times when you should not use ColdFusion. And before crowds start gathering in the streets to burn my effigy, let me explain.

Doing so gave me the chance to clean up lots of old code (updating it to use new CF features in the process) while rethinking the organization and management of code to facilitate better reuse of common code and components. Code organization and reuse are important topics, and judging...

I'm not talking about the obvious enhancements, things like: Linux version Native Solaris code Service-level failover Cisco LocalDirector integration Server-side Java support

Wireless computing isn't a new concept. In fact, almost every year of this decade has been proclaimed as the year in which wireless will finally catch on. And each year has come and gone without that happening. Wireless computing, it seems, is always just beyond the scope of the mains...

No one wants to write buggy code, at least no one I choose to know. Bugs are annoying, bugs are embarrassing. And bugs can cost you (and your clients) lots of time and money. Bugfree code is the ideal all developers strive for - at least should strive for - but it's a lofty goal not e...

Barely a day goes by without someone wanting me to reassure them that ColdFusion scales. Whether it's Web administrators who are experiencing poor application performance, partners who want to be sure ColdFusion can handle their anticipated load, developers whose bosses are threatening...

In my last column (CFDJ Vol. 1, Issue 2) I discussed database query caching - how to improve application performance by eliminating unnecessary database access. While caching query results will improve application performance, optimizing your application doesn't stop there.

There's nothing that can kill your application's performance as quickly as database access. This is a shame, considering that almost every ColdFusion application you'll ever write will incorporate some sort of database integration.

There are lots of ColdFusion developers out there - that's good for us. There are also lots of ASP developers out there - that's good for them. ColdFusion developers are empowered with multiple ways to extend the     ColdFusion language - that's good for us. ASP developers are not ...