Contents

Preface: Welcome To ColdFusion Express 1

About ColdFusion Express Documentation 2

Printing ColdFusion Express Documentation 2

Documentation Conventions 2

Intended Audience 3

Using This Guide 3

Developer Resources 4

Getting Answers 4

Chapter 1: Understanding ColdFusion 7

ColdFusion Web Applications 8

CFML 10

ColdFusion Server 11

The ColdFusion Administrator 12

Development Considerations 13

Chapter 2: Verifying the Server Environment 15

Windows System Requirements 16

Windows Configuration 16

Verifying the Web Server 16

Installing ColdFusion Express 17

Configuring the Apache Web Server 18

Verifying ColdFusion Express 18

Installation Considerations and Final Notes 19

Chapter 3: Understanding Development 21

ColdFusion Application Pages 22

The Development Process 22

Writing Code 23

Saving Application Pages 24

Viewing Application Pages 24

Adding CFML 25

Development Considerations 26

Chapter 4: Creating and Manipulating Variables 29

Variables 30

Variable Types 30

Variable Scope 31

Creating Variables 32

Local Variables 32

CFSET Syntax Example 32

Creating Local Variables 33

Referencing Variables 34

Outputting Variables 34

CFOUTPUT Syntax Example 34

Variable Prefixing 35

Variable Lookup Order 36

Outputting Local Variables 36

Working with CGI Variables 38

Working with Cookie Variables 40

Development Considerations 42

Variable Table 43

Chapter 5: Building Pages that Retrieve Data 45

Publishing Dynamic Data 46

Understanding Data Sources 46

Adding Data Sources 47

Data Source Notes and Considerations 48

Retrieving Data 49

Using the CFQUERY Tag 49

Writing SQL 50

Building Queries 51

Building Dynamic SQL Statements 52

Query Notes and Considerations 53

CFQUERY Variable Information 53

Debugging Application Pages 54

Outputting Query Data 56

Using CFOUTPUT to Output Query Data 56

Query Output Notes and Considerations 58

Development Considerations 58

Chapter 6: Formatting and Manipulating Data 61

Controlling Data 62

Formatting Data 62

Using Tables with CFML 62

Table Syntax Usage Example 62

Table Notes and Considerations 64

Understanding ColdFusion Functions 64

Using Display and Formatting Functions 66

Using the DollarFormat Function 67

Using the DateFormat Function 68

Function Notes and Considerations 69

Development Considerations 69

Chapter 7: Using Forms and Action Pages 71

Using Forms 72

Building Forms 72

Form Notes and Considerations 75

Dynamically Populating Select Boxes 76

Understanding Action Pages 78

Working with Form Variables 78

Creating Action Pages 78

Form Variable Notes and Considerations 79

Development Considerations 80

Chapter 8: Programming with ColdFusion 81

Using Programming Logic 82

Using ColdFusion Conditional Logic 82

Coding Conditional Logic 83

Writing Conditional Logic Expressions 83

Using Decision Functions to Build Expressions 84

Using Operators to Build Expressions 86

Conditional Logic Notes and Considerations 91

Redirecting Users 91

Reusing Code. 93

Development Considerations 95

Chapter 9: Building Search Interfaces 97

Understanding Search Interfaces 98

Dynamically Generating SQL Statements 98

Filtering Data 99

Performing Pattern Matching 99

Filtering Data Based on Multiple Conditions 99

Creating Table Joins 100

Building Flexible Search Interfaces 101

Returning Results to the User 103

Development Considerations 105

Chapter 10: Building Web Front-Ends 107

Understanding Web Front-Ends 108

Adding Data 108

Validating Data 108

Inserting Data 111

Updating Data 113

Passing URL Variables 114

Creating Update Action Page 118

Development Considerations 120

Chapter 11: Where to Go From Here 121

ColdFusion Express Sample Application 122

Section 2 123

Chapter 12: Introducing the ColdFusion Express Administrator 125

Overview of Administering ColdFusion Express 126

Summary of Administrative Tasks 127

Starting and Stopping ColdFusion 128

Chapter 13: Configuring ColdFusion Express Server 131

The ColdFusion Administrator 132

Starting and Stopping ColdFusion 133

The Settings Page 134

Configuring Administrator Security 135

Mapping Directories 136

The ColdFusion Logging Page 136

ColdFusion Administrator Debugging Options 138

Monitoring ColdFusion Performance 139

Chapter 14: Managing Data Sources 141

About ColdFusion Data Sources 142

Configuring ODBC Data Sources for ColdFusion 142

Configuring ODBC Data Sources for Windows 143

Verifying ColdFusion Data Sources 148

Using ColdFusion to Create a Data Source. 148

Chapter 15: Managing Client Variables 151

About Client Variables 152

Enabling External Client State Management 153

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Chapter 16: Where to Go From Here 157

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