Dear Michael, Here is this month's MDCFUG news: [next MDCFUG meeting is 9/12/00, CF 101 is 9/9/00, FuseFUN is 9/16/00] 1. MDCFUG-L list open for questions 2. Microsoft praises CF 3. CF documentation tool 4. CF naming convention 5. Variable Speed Animation 6. Locking in ColdFusion 7. Collapse Your Code 8. Developer's Tour of New Features in CF 4.5 9. Fusebox conference nearly full. 10. Bjork CF Fusebox doc tools Enjoy! - Michael Smith, TeraTech http://www.cfconf.org/ MDCFUG http://www.cfug-md.org/ 1. MDCFUG-L list open for questions ----------------------------------- After a lot of requests at the last MDCFUG meeting we have created a listserve for all members to share CF questions and answers. The list is for discussion of ColdFusion and related programming issues. To join go to http://www.cfug-md.org/lists/MDCFUG.cfm Once you have joined you will be able to post questions to the list. To make the list better for everyone please follow the following MDCFUG-L list guidelines: - Only send emails on CF and related programming issues - No job anouncements, recuiters or work wanted ads thx. - Use a subject in each email - If you reply and want to change the thread, please use a new subject - If you have a question about some code, include the code snipnet in your email - If you ask a question, get a bunch of replies and figure it out, then post back a summary of the answers that worked for you to the list to share your learning. - Try to give as well as get - keep attachments below 50k - some people are on dial ups - if you have a big file put it on a website and email the list the link to it. - Be polite - don't flame others - think before you send something everyone will read - If you can't take high volumes of emails then use the digest version - Have fun! 2. Microsoft praises CF ----------------------- Check this out - CF on msdn: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?URL=/library/periodic/pe riod00/coldfusion.htm It's not your typical 'Woooo, ASP RULEZ, and CF sux!!' sort of thing - It's entitled "ColdFusion and SQL Server - An overview of using ColdFusion for Web development on the SQL Server platform", and the author eventually builds a great case for *not* using ASP: "...ColdFusion does what ASP does. But you might find among ColdFusion's specific features and functionality some compelling reasons to choose it." * W. Sean Harrison 3. CF documentation tool ------------------------ There is a CF optimize tool And a CFQUERY ripper written in Perl. My CFOptimize tool (a perl-based search and replace) is at http://www.codebits.com/replace/. The CFQUERY Lister tool is at http://www.codebits.com/private-cgi-bin/cfquery.pl. David Medinets [EMAIL PROTECTED] 4. CF naming convention ----------------------- (discussion as seen on ACFUG list) I agree. Back in the very early '90s when I first started doing event-driven GUI programming in C, we adopted a style of Hungarian notation that I've tried to pull along with me even into JavaScript and HTML. So, all command buttons (which would be the GUI window class equivalent of a submit button) are prefixed with "cmd", as in: Similarly, I use the prefix of "txt" for text input boxes, "lst" for list box types of selects, and "cbo" for combo box types of selects, etc. I find this aids greatly in program understanding and documentation, as in when you've got to fix a bug in some page you (or someone else) wrote two months ago... I like this style of Hungarian notation, but my suggestion is that you of course don't have to use my style - use whatever you're comfortable with - but pick something, be consistent, and use it, and I think you will eventually find it worth the extra little effort. Anyway, my $.02 worth for the day. Thanks, Jim James Moll [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] 5. Variable Speed Animation --------------------------- Changing the speed of animated GIFs is a tricky business. Read this tutorial by Al DiMarzio to learn the details of creating eye-popping Web pages full of dazzling graphics. http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1733 6. Locking in ColdFusion ------------------------ If your ColdFusion application tries to call a variable while it's being written by another process, get ready for trouble. That's where locks come into play. Allaire's Ben Forta writes about techniques for using locks in ColdFusion applications in this article, first published in ColdFusion Developer's Journal. http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1739 7. Collapse Your Code --------------------- The Collapsed Text feature introduced in HomeSite 4.5 and ColdFusion Studio 4.5 can help you streamline your Web development. It allows you to "collapse" selected text or code, which can come in handy in day-to-day Web development in a variety of ways. In this article, Amy Cowen illustrates just how convenient this feature is. http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1724 8. Developer's Tour of New Features in ColdFusion 4.5 ----------------------------------------------------- You've heard the hype about the new features in ColdFusion 4.5 . Now read the details behind those features and how they will increase your productivity. http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1712 9. Fusebox conference nearly full --------------------------------- The Fusebox conference is nearly full. Sponsored by SecretAgents.com and TeraTech, will be a 9 to 5 FuseFest full of lectures and information about the methodology, and includes a free copy of the forthcoming Fusebox book. Speakers include: Hal Helms, Steve Nelson, Nat Papovich, Gabe Roffman, Fred T. Sanders, Cameron Childress and Michael Smith. Location: Charlottesville, VA, at the Best Western Cavalier Inn, 105 Emmet, Charlottesville, VA 22904-0201. Price of admission is $99, which includes lunch (but not hotel accomodations). http://www.cfconf.org/fusebox_fun.cfm 10. Bjork CF Fusebox doc tools ------------------------------ I ran across some cool doc tools at Bjork's site. * CF_SourceBrowser A versatile utility for viewing and analyzing ColdFusion source files/directories. Integrates three main functions: - a directory/file/source browser - a 'FusionDocs' standard documentation parser/viewer - an assortment of software 'metrics' for estimating the complexity and maintainability of ColdFusion code An invaluable tool during all phases of the software development cycle. * CF_FusionDocs Automated documentation!! CF_FusionDocs parses a CF template to find 'standard' FusionDocs comments. Assembles the information into a rich CF structure, which can be used to provide automated documentation. 'FusionDocs' is a standard that I am proposing for ColdFusion comments/documentation. It is based on the well-known JavaDoc standard for Java documentation. (many thanks to Hal Helms, for his help and suggestions) NOTE: CF_FusionDocs is bundled with CF_SourceBrowser and CF_SoftwareMetrics. * CF_SoftwareMetrics Returns eight separate "metrics" of a given ColdFusion template. These measure different aspects of logic and style, to give valuable information regarding reliability and maintainability. High 'risk' values may be a sign that the code needs to broken into smaller units, or at least that more extensive comments/indentation are needed. Based on Tom McCabe and Arthur Watson's "Structured Testing: A Testing Methodology Using the Cyclomatic Complexity Metric", 1996. Interpreted for CF by Lee Borkman. NOTE: CF_SoftwareMetrics is bundled with CF_SourceBrowser and CF_FusionDocs. And many more... * CF_LessWhiteSpace * CF_CFML2WDDX * CF_WDDX2CFML * CF_MakeLink * CF_RoundDateTime * CF_CopyRow For download and more info see ColdFusion Tags by Lee (Bjork) Borkman http://bjork.net/taggallery/index.htm PS- if we have your name and address wrong, or if you don't want to receive email from TeraTech, please email reply to us with the correct information. Thanks again! RegistrationID: 2791 Michael Smith TeraTech 100 Park Ave Ste 360, Rockville, MD 20850 Tel: Fax: Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [To unsubscribe reply to this email saying Remove] -- Michael Smith, TeraTech Inc - Tools for Programmers(tm) CF/ASP Web, VB, Telephony, Math, Access programming tools and consulting 100 Park Ave Ste 360, Rockville MD 20850 USA Please check out http://www.teratech.com/ - email mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED], or call us for more information; in the USA at 1-800-447-9120, +1-301-424-3903 International, Fax 301-762-8185, BBS 301-762-8184 Thanks! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To Unsubscribe visit http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists&body=lists/cf_talk or send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with 'unsubscribe' in the body.
