Programming ColdFusion [Paperback]

If you are not already familiar with ColdFusion, the initial chapters on CFML will give you a good grounding in how ColdFusion works, the core CFML tags and how to build a basic ColdFusion application. The book then builds from these basics on to more complex applications, including using HTML forms and error handling.

There's plenty of detail on using ColdFusion with databases, from simple inserts and queries, to creating the transactional applications you will need for an e-commerce service. The usual O'Reilly technique of using plenty of code examples comes in handy here--as you really need to see what goes into creating a ColdFusion application, especially when implementing the security features. If you are not familiar with SQL there is a primer to get you started and plenty of sample code to study. You will also learn how to use the new CFScript scripting language and how to create custom CFML tags when there isn't a CFML tag that will do what you need, plus how to use the Scheduler to automate your Web application.

The last few chapters cover working with external services like LDAP directory services, the Verity search interface and the Web Distributed Data exchange (WDDX), Allaire's XML-based technology for sharing data between different applications and different programming languages. If you're using external objects, this book covers working with COM, CORBA and Java, as well as using Java Servlets if you need to combine front and back-end Web application development.

ColdFusion is a very flexible tool, and there is plenty to cover. Like all O'Reilly books this is a detailed reference guide, with plenty of sample code--written for developers by developers. You will find the listings of CFML tags and functions invaluable. It's clearly written but highly technical. If you are getting started with ColdFusion and want a thorough reference on creating Web applications, this is it. --Penny Jannifer