I've downloaded and installed Plum and I'm still not really sure what type of audience it is aimed at.
There is quite a lot of configuration work up front to set up a project and ensure that Plum knows all about the ColdFusion, Web server and Database. Once you've got your project set up Plum uses these to allow you to perform configuration tasks without leaving the IDE and to generate code for task like CRUD operations on a single table, and searching, again on a single table. Once you've got a site created you can manage configuration and perform some auto-generation of code for specific page types such as a search page where you specify a table to search and which form controls, if any, should be generated for each column in that database table. There's also a stored procedure generator that will generate stored procedures to do CRUD operations on a specific table and a component generator that will generate a component that calls your stored procedures. The major downfall I can see is that there doesn't appear to be *any* way to actually edit the text of a file directly. You have to use an external text editor of some kind to to that. Also, once you start modifying the generated code you can't easily merge your modified code with code that Plum generates in the future. You can either choose to overwrite an existing file or leave it alone. I guess that means that PLUM is designed primarily for generating stub code that you then modify and don't use Plum to manage in the future. It's certainly a promising product and I can see why it would be useful to a lot of people, but there are a few areas where I think it's missing key features. Appologies to the developers if any of these are already in there. I looked but I couldn't find them. They are in no particular order: Integrated text based editor that supports the same sort of stuff CF developers have become used to - tag insight etc. Integrated SQL editor to support searching and other SQL operations on more than 1 table. Round-trip code management and merging. Customization of the CFML code generation to suit individual coding styles. Support for frameworks other than the Plum framework. Support for a less page-centric application model. Spike Adam Churvis wrote: >>I've looked at the docs for PLUM, haven't had the time to do the beta >>thing though. I actually ust pitched it to my boss and team yesterday >>during a short chat about using code gen tools. It seems to me that >>PLUM is basically a code gen tool. Kind of like the Interactonline >>DWMX extensions, but abit more expansive. In order to use a codegen >>tool, you need a UI, hence an 'IDE'; maybe in this sense the term IDE >>is used kind of loosely. In order to build a code gen tool , you need >>to use some sort of framework to abstract the process so to speak. >> >>Is this far off Adam? > > > Douglas, > > I can see how Plum might look like that, but it actually does much more. > > Plum isn't just a code gen tool; in fact, some developers may choose to not > use the code generation capabilities at all (other than installing the Plum > Framework for a project). Others may choose not to use the Plum Methodology > for designing and implementing their project. Some choose to use all three > in varying amounts -- it's entirely up to the developer. > > Plum goes *waaaay* beyond those DW extensions, in that it has a > comprehensive framework of services and reusable code libraries that do just > about everything a website generally needs, including a complete CMS > (Content Management System), automated Verity management, unit test > generators, stored procedure generators, component generators, and *tons* > more -- that's why I posted this link, which everyone *really should look > at* from top to bottom, even though it's very long: > > http://www.productivityenhancement.com/plum/WhatPlumCanDo.cfm > > Nothing like Plum has ever been built before, which adds to some of the > confusion surrounding the product. > > The fact that it's free astonishes a lot of people, too. > > Respectfully, > > Adam Phillip Churvis > Member of Team Macromedia > http://www.ProductivityEnhancement.com > > Download Plum and other cool development tools, > and get advanced intensive Master-level training: > > * C# & ASP.NET for ColdFusion Developers > * ColdFusion MX Master Class > * Advanced Development with CFMX and SQL Server 2000 > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Silver Sponsor - New Atlanta http://www.newatlanta.com Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:4:187804 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:4 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
