Jochem brings up a good point in that cfform's validation features are, IMHO, worthless. Whatever it is that replaces cfform, if anything, needs significant improvement on that score.
I think that its time for CF developers to start looking at using Flash for components in sites. Due to bandwidth and other considerations we're not ready for entirely Flash-driven sites for the general marketplace, but in my opinion developers should begin exploring - and responsibly using - the technology. Macromedia can promote developer acceptance of Flash in giant steps by integrating Flash components into CF. Forget about standards if you like... This is about money, control and and mindshare. If Macromedia wants these things, this is the way to go. Personally I also think this would be good for the sites we build. I've often been a vocal opponent of Flash as a design tool, but it has its place and - in the U.S. market at least - borders on ubiquity. I'll vigorously grant that it was evil in 2000. But I can't justify that argument as we approach 2003. I have one client using Flash for *primary* navigation on five sites. I screamed bloody murder about that but was overruled. Six months of stats show they're doing extremely well, with almost zero turnaways due to lack of Flash (and thanks to careful hoarding of bandwidth). It can be done so long as you point a gun (figuratively, of course :)) at the head of the designer. About those sites - one thing I absolutely can't stand is that I have to go to that designer for menu system changes (read: fixing his screwups). CF sells in part as a full-featured solution. Give CF'ers the ability to use and produce Flash in at least limited ways and you'll grow your Flash developer base one heck of a lot more quickly. Would I use CFTree if it were Flash? Maybe. Depends on whether it works. I'll never use it as a java applet, as while it and CFGrid offer wonderful features, experience proves neither can be relied upon to work on a given browser at a given desk. Flash can solve that. Improved appearance options can give it a broader range of uses. Same goes for everything else, methinks. Happy holidays to all, --Matt Robertson-- MSB Designs, Inc. http://mysecretbase.com -----Original Message----- From: Christian Cantrell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 9:18 PM To: CF-Talk Subject: Re: Linking CF and Flash I like the idea, too. Anyone want to add anything? How many people use the cfform tag now, and how many more people would use it if it worked in the manner described below? And how else would you want it to behave? Would people be more interested in using the cftree tag if it generated Flash rather than Java? Just trying to gather a sample. Christian On Monday, December 23, 2002, at 05:29 PM, Matt Robertson wrote: > Christian wrote, >> Do you mean something like using a cfform tag to generate Flash-based >> forms? > > You know, the more I mull this over the more I really like the idea. > > Try this on for size: A new suite of form input tags (cfflashinput?) > that has the parms it does now. Add to it color and sizing options. > Then, if something needs to be compiled from a fla to an swf, give the > limited ability to do this in CF Server. Whatever you do don't put > this limited-runtime 'compiler' into Dreamweaver as many don't use it, > and plus, if I'm using something like Terminal Server to do emergency > repairs I have to have access to the form generation tools. > > CF would store the swf's in a specified folder on the site's web path > so we don't get into the mapping issues that dog so many cfgrid users; > especially on shared servers. > > Obviously this isn't something that would happen tomorrow. Just a > thought... > > --Matt Robertson-- > MSB Designs, Inc. > http://mysecretbase.com > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=4 FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com
