Mastering Cold Fusion 4

Are you a Web developer interested in building dynamic, interactive Web sites? Are you an application developer looking for a quick, effective way to build applications for the Web? Either way, ColdFusion is for you, and Mastering ColdFusion 4 is the resource you need if you want to get the most out of this powerful development tool. Written by two ColdFusion experts, this book begins with clear, concise coverage of the basics to help turn newcomers into productive users as quickly as possible. From there, it proceeds to intermediate topics certain to expand your knowledge and skills, then concludes with some of the most advanced ColdFusion instruction you'll find anywhere. Regardless of your experience or needs, you'll find what you're looking for. Book jacket.

Arman Danesh is the MIS manager at Landegg Academy in Switzerland, where he is responsible for interactive Internet and intranet applications written in ColdFusion. The author of several books on HTML, JavaScript, and Linux, he also writes an Internet column for the South China Morning Post and develops and maintains several ColdFusion-based Web sites. Kristin Aileen Motlagh is CoFounder/Director of Technical Solutions for Trilemetry and a member of Team Allaire, who has worked with ColdFusion since version 1.5. She has developed ColdFusion applications for a wide range of corporate clients, including the World Bank, MCI, and GE.

Introduction	p. xxv
Just the Basics
Creating Your First ColdFusion Template	p. 3
Get Ready	p. 4
Get Set	p. 4
Go!	p. 7
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 14
Passing Data between ColdFusion Templates	p. 17
Passing ColdFusion Parameters: An Overview	p. 18
Passing Parameters through the URL	p. 19
Evaluating Variables	p. 37
Passing Parameters through a Form	p. 42
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 46
Getting Data from a Database	p. 49
Setting Up a Database	p. 50
Querying a Database	p. 57
Validating Form Input	p. 76
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 79
The Essentials
Creating and Manipulating Variables	p. 83
Understanding Data Types	p. 84
Using Variable Types	p. 85
Using CFSET	p. 86
Using CGI Variables	p. 88
Using URL Variables	p. 91
Using Cookies	p. 93
CFPARAM and Default Variables	p. 97
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 97
Functions	p. 99
Understanding Functions	p. 100
Using Functions	p. 100
Reviewing the Use of Functions in ColdFusion	p. 102
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 105
Writing Expressions	p. 107
Understanding Expressions	p. 108
Using ColdFusion Data Types	p. 109
Using Operators	p. 113
Considering Special Features of ColdFusion Expressions	p. 123
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 125
Controlling the Flow of Your Templates	p. 127
Displaying Data Based on Conditions	p. 128
Redirecting Users to Another Template	p. 138
Using CFABORT and CFEXIT	p. 139
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 140
Including Outside Code	p. 143
Including Code within the Current Template by Using CFINCLUDE	p. 144
Using CFMODULE	p. 148
Understanding Variable Scope Issues	p. 153
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 155
Using SQL to Interact with the Database	p. 157
Understanding SQL	p. 158
Using CFTRANSACTION	p. 187
Calling Stored Procedures by Using CFSTOREDPROC	p. 189
Using ColdFusion Studio's SQL Builder	p. 190
Optimizing SQL and Database Performance	p. 194
Finding Additional References for the Various Databases	p. 195
Troubleshooting Common ODBC Errors	p. 196
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 198
Building Dynamic Queries	p. 201
Setting the Data Source Name Dynamically	p. 202
Creating Dynamic Select Statements	p. 203
Ordering Dynamically	p. 205
Filtering Dynamically	p. 207
Storing Queries in Variables	p. 210
Creating Dynamic Updates	p. 211
Creating Dynamic Deletes	p. 213
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 215
Grouping, Nesting, and Formatting Outputs	p. 217
Using CFOUTPUT	p. 218
Nesting and Grouping Output	p. 223
Formatting Output	p. 229
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 244
Looping	p. 247
Understanding Loops	p. 248
Using a Basic Loop with the CFLOOP Tag	p. 249
Creating Additional Types of Loops	p. 252
Nesting Loops	p. 256
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 258
Working with ColdFusion Data Structures	p. 261
Understanding and Using Lists: More Than Just Strings	p. 262
Understanding and Using Arrays	p. 275
Understanding and Using Structures and Associative Arrays	p. 287
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 294
Forms	p. 297
Creating Dynamically Populated Forms	p. 298
Using Information from Forms	p. 306
Using CFFORM	p. 329
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 379
Validating Form Data	p. 381
Validating Form Data Using HTML Forms	p. 382
Validating Form Data Using CFFORM	p. 398
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 407
Implementing the ColdFusion Web Application Framework	p. 409
Creating the ColdFusion Application Framework	p. 410
Using Client Management	p. 418
Using Session Management	p. 429
Using Application Variables	p. 439
Enabling Application Variables	p. 440
Using Server Variables	p. 444
Using CFLOCK	p. 447
Putting It All Together	p. 452
Reviewing Variable Scope	p. 476
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 477
Implementing Error Control	p. 481
Handling Errors through the Application Framework	p. 482
Working With Customized Exception Handling	p. 507
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 515
File Management	p. 517
Understanding the CFFILE Tag	p. 518
Uploading Files from a Form	p. 519
Working with Text Files	p. 526
Working with Directories	p. 529
Addressing Security Concerns	p. 532
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 533
Working the Internet with ColdFusion
Sending Mail	p. 537
Preparing ColdFusion to Send E-Mail	p. 538
Using the CFMAIL Tag	p. 540
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 553
Reading Mail	p. 555
Using the CFPOP Tag	p. 556
Handling Attachments	p. 562
Using Other Attributes	p. 564
Building a Web-Based E-mail System	p. 564
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 584
Using the HTTP Protocol	p. 587
Understanding the CFHTTP Tag	p. 588
Using the CFHTTP and CFHTTPPARAM Tags	p. 591
Creating a Local Shareware Archive	p. 603
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 608
Accessing FTP Servers	p. 611
Connecting to FTP Servers	p. 612
Manipulating Files and Directories on the Server	p. 619
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 628
Working with LDAP Servers	p. 631
Understanding LDAP	p. 632
Using CFLDAP	p. 635
Querying LDAP Servers with CFLDAP	p. 637
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 638
Advanced Concepts
Evaluating Dynamic Expressions	p. 643
Understanding Dynamic Expressions	p. 644
Working with Dynamic Expressions	p. 648
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 652
ColdFusion Scripting	p. 655
Scripting vs. Tag-Based Code	p. 656
The Basics of ColdFusion Scripting	p. 657
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 665
Scheduling Events	p. 667
Scheduling ColdFusion Templates	p. 668
Managing and Logging Scheduled Events	p. 680
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 683
Implementing a Search Engine	p. 685
Creating Collections	p. 686
Indexing Data	p. 690
Creating a Search Interface	p. 695
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 703
Application Security	p. 705
Understanding Security	p. 706
Using Advanced Security	p. 711
Authentication and Authorization with CFAUTHENTICATE	p. 717
Using Server Sandbox Security	p. 725
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 727
Building ColdFusion Custom Tags	p. 729
Understanding Custom Tag Basics	p. 730
Creating Your First Custom Tag	p. 733
Using Advanced Custom Tags	p. 745
Using CFX Custom Tags	p. 760
Using New ColdFusion 4.0.1 Features	p. 763
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 764
Including External Objects	p. 767
Understanding the Types of External Objects	p. 768
Installing and Using COM Objects	p. 769
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 774
WDDX	p. 777
Understanding WDDX	p. 778
Using WDDX with ColdFusion	p. 780
Using WDDX with ColdFusion and JavaScript	p. 787
Using the CFREGISTRY Tag	p. 803
Using the Registry	p. 804
Using the CFREGISTRY Tag	p. 807
Enhancing Security	p. 812
Building a Registry Viewer	p. 812
Where Do We Go from Here?	p. 817
Installing ColdFusion	p. 819
Installing a Web Server	p. 820
Installing the ColdFusion Application Server	p. 822
Installing ColdFusion Studio	p. 824
Troubleshooting Your ColdFusion Installation	p. 825
Index	p. 827
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.