Let me see. A scalable app that uses session vaiables? Try an application that delivers personalized content. Store a cookie that logs the user in on entry to the site. It then retrieves a list of links, images, and pertinent user info that is stored in session variables. If the user moves to a different server on the cluster it makes one more database call to repopulate the session variables.
No this isn't mission critical. However not all applications are. It is a large application on a very busy site. It has worked flawlessly for the past year. One critical application has had troubles and is in need of a major re-write (it hasn't even been deployed yet). This was done by a contractor at my full time workplace. They used over a hundred session variables. I told them not to do it that way it was not a well thought out method but managment wouldn't listen, they wanted it fast and the contractor was not very familiar with many other methods to accomplish the requirments. (actually I recomended using wddx) It seems to me there are many applications that are not going to have to scale. It depends on the project. I always have tried to impress upon a client that they may not want this (scalability) now they may in the future. It isn't something you "add on" later. I have been told many times they are not going to go to a server cluster so why spend the extra time and money building an application for it? Some clients change their minds, but they are in the minority. Small shopping cart applications can use session variables to maintain state in an application in association with cookies. I have built some very stable applications that do just that and the client again has had no problems. I am simply saying that session variables are not a horrible thing when used correctly. They work "as advertised" it is up to the developer to know how and when to use them. I look at session variables like a motor scooter, great to go down the street to the market and grab a coke and some chips but I wouldn't try to use it to go pick up a big screen tv. For that I'd use a van. The trick is to know where your going before you choose how to get there. Thanks, Frederic ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
