If you've ever worked on a licensed application you know how prepackaged
applications rarely meet enough of the client's needs to be implemented
without modification. Whether the application is intended for your own use or
someone else's, there's usually a feature or two missing, keeping the tools
from being exactly what you need. Most scripted applications can't even be
configured without manually editing an existing configuration file.
Although intolerable to desktop customers, this has become the de facto
standard with Web applications. So you trudge along, laboriously configuring
the application and making your modifications by manually editing another
developer's original templates. Several months pass, and the original
software author publishes a new version. You'r... (more)
I must admit to having been excited at the prospect of the Pet Market
frameworks project when Simon proposed it to us at the Fusebox & Frameworks
Conference in September. I once tried to do something similar by creating a
small blog application using the three popular frameworks that I was aware of
at the time (Fusebox 3-4 and Mach-II) and the onTap framework.
Unfortunately I did all the ... (more)
I don't like browser-based WYSIWYG editors. There are a reasonably large
number of them and several of the recent versions are even
cross-browser-compatible with Mozilla and even some less popular browsers
(although Safari continues to be problematic).
The technical issues surrounding the implementation of WYSIWYG editors aren't
the reason I don't like them, in spite of continuing problem... (more)
Using JDBC metadata, it is now possible to analyze databases and automate
database tasks with ColdFusion MX in ways that were problematic or at best
difficult in the past. Although Java can be rather intimidating, you don't
need to be a Java expert (or a database expert) to use these tools.
"Metadata" is all the information about how your data is stored (such as
table names, column names,... (more)
In a book entitled Finite and Infinite Games in 1986, James P. Carse wrote
"Finite players play within the rules, infinite players play with the rules."
We play finite games every day, from checkers and chess to Yatzee and
Monopoly. Finite games have a familiar pattern: a beginning, a middle, and an
end; a winner and a loser.
A finite game is easy to play because it has a limited set of f... (more)
Isaac Dealey has worked with ColdFusion since 1997 (version 3) for clients from small businesses to large enterprises, including MCI and AT&T Wireless. He evangelizes ColdFusion as a volunteer member of Team Macromedia, is working toward becoming a technical instructor, and is available for speaking engagements.
Keith Bergelt
Gaurav Mantri
Aditya Banerjee
John Karamitsos
Kaj van de Loo
Bob Little
Alois Reitbauer
Chris Schin
Richard Gordon
Anil Parambath
