Plum stands for Practical Lightweight Universal Methodology, and it's a combination of a powerful code generator, a comprehensive application framework, online project management, and a methodology for rapidly developing killer ColdFusion applications.
Here is a preliminary feature list for Plum: CODE GENERATOR Plum has its own IDE that reads your database structure and instantly generates perfectly-formatted code based on simple custom tags Instantly create multi-table modules containing master-detail forms Control every aspect of how your code works Plum project files stored in XML format PLUM METHODOLOGY Simple diagramming method plots process flows against roles and stages to give you a visual model of your application's workflow Decompose individual processes into tasks that map directly to web pages Places emphasis on "integrity directives" that ensure both data and workflow integrity throughout your application Takes the long view of application workflow and integrity, rather than a simple view of screens Methodology Manager enables free-form entry of modules, objects, methods, process flows, processes, tasks, integrity directives, and work stages Documentation automatically generated by Methodology Manager Plum applications begin with a starter database containing all necessary starter content, sample users in common roles, and other data you need to hit the ground running Starter database and content enables many aspects of the design and build process to start early and work in parallel well in advance of having a finished database design in place, resulting in a shorter overall delivery timeline PROTOTYPING Query stubs automatically populate prototype query objects with data, either programmatically-generated or retrieved from sample text files of your choice SampleData attribute of Plum custom tags automatically populates prototype forms and lists with data, either programmatically-generated or retrieved from sample text files of your choice Prototypes evolve directly into finished forms and lists, giving you 100% utilization of your prototype efforts FRAMEWORK Pre-built common functionality and features get you off to a fast start Complete custom tag library (55 easy-to-use custom tags) Unencrypted custom tags enable you to learn custom tag best practices and even create custom versions for your own use Custom tag editors for HomeSite+ / ColdFusion Studio Custom tag help accessible from within custom tag editors Intuitive directory structure Intuitive filenames Straightforward separation of data, logic, and presentation with no special rules to follow CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Built-in WYSIWYG editor Instant Verity integration Automated Verity management generates your Verity CFC methods for you Built-in content workflow using a simple combination of content item status and user roles Every Plum project begins with a database that already contains commonly-needed starter content Instantly change content ownership from one user to another system-wide Easily create multiple content collections users can choose when searching Include content items in search results by assigning them a display template Create multi-page articles with automatic paging controls Call content using simple custom tags -- or use these custom tags as a base for creating your own INTELLIGENT FORMS Client-side validation automatically generated Client-side validation uses extended version of qForms Server-side validation automatically generated Plum's filtered select menu provides a rich user interface control for relating child records to their parents Plum's chooser control provides a rich user interface control for relating "spouse" tables across many-to-many joins Date time control provides a rich user interface control for specifying validated date and time values USER AND ROLE MANAGEMENT Complete user and role management system pre-built Easily attach roles to users using a simple chooser control Users can manage their own profiles (except role membership) Ability for new users to create their own profiles can easily be turned off Integrated login/user registration automatically separates return users with incorrect passwords from new users and re-routes them to the next step in the login/registration process Users can email their passwords to themselves using up to ten email accounts they might have registered under Secure "keep me logged in" feature reissues unique authentication IDs each time a login fails or a timeout or logout occurs from any client computer, effectively limiting exposure on publicly accessible machines SECURITY Extends ColdFusion's CFLOGIN security model Auto-Synchronized Sessions and logins, even with cookie storage of login data Module-, page-, and section-level security Easily test for a user's membership in all or part of a collection of roles Implement security with a single tag call ROBUST Automatically implements both client- and server-side validation Eliminates SQL injection attacks Eliminates cross-site scripting attacks Validation tests can be for simple criteria like data type and size, or for sophisticated patterns using regular expressions CODE REUSE Individual directories for components, custom tags, UDFs, and includes CFCs heavily leveraged throughout Plum All components you create may be made web-accessible for access by Flash Remoting and web services STRUCTURED EXCEPTION HANDLING Pre-defined enumerated errors for all framework functionality Auto-sensing error handlers detect type of error and both log results and email all pertinent information to webmaster for analysis Site-wide error handler supplied for production use BusinessRules exception type pre-defined for use with custom exceptions thrown by your own business rules Turn off exception handling with a single checkbox to expose raw errors during development for easier analysis and resolution VARIABLE MANAGEMENT Instantly switch between Session and Client as the framework's persistent scope Intelligent cookie methods transparently consolidate persistent and non-persistent cookies so they may be called using a single name, so users with persistent cookies turned off are not hampered and users with persistent cookies turned on will be remembered from one session to the next Module exit routine automatically destroys persistent variables you place in "module scopes" when you exit a module LAYOUT MANAGEMENT Browser sensing occurs on first request, then persists results in non-persistent cookie for remainder of session Multiple layouts enable users to choose the site design they like best Intelligent stylesheets guarantee cross-platform and cross-browser compatibility by enabling you to create either single style sheets or separate stylesheets by platform, browser, major version, and minor version if necessary Separate consumer-side and admin-side layouts eliminate "consumer chrome" for admin users Set minimum allowed versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Safari, Mozilla, and other browsers for Windows, Mac, and other platforms Obsolete browsers automatically redirected to a minimal "plain" version of your website Printing a page automatically engages Plum's "Printable Version" stylesheet that hides page chrome and adjusts margins to the printed page. MULTI-ENVIRONMENT CONFIGURATION All environment-specific configuration data stored in a single file Deploy an environment-specific version of the configuration file on each server, then seamlessly move Plum applications between environments TESTING Pre-built testing directory for experimentation and unit testing your code Straightforward architecture makes testing simple and easy PROJECT MANAGEMENT Pre-built project management application enables you to track every aspect of development between you and your clients Straightforward and simple functionality eliminates both the learning curve and the unwanted feature bloat of heavy project management tools Track work performed and compare to estimates Everyone has a prioritized task list Everyone can participate on everyone else's tasks, which is more like the real world Your client can log in and see the tasks he is responsible for, so no more "who told what to whom when" or "who is supposed to do what by when" GENERAL SERVICES Email this page to a friend Link to this page I forgot my password Contact us FAQs Accessibility statement Feedback form Site map About us Privacy statement Terms of use SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Windows 2000 or XP (code generator only) .NET Framework V1.1 or later (code generator only) SQL Server 2000, Oracle 9i, or Access ColdFusion MX 6.1 5 MB disk space (generated code will run on Windows or Linux) We're extending our private Beta testers list for Plum to the general ColdFusion community. This is a small test with a relatively small number of participants whose strong feedback will assist us in making the product best fit your needs. If you're interested in beta testing the Plum IDE -- the code generator and application framework portions of Plum -- then please send a message offlist to [EMAIL PROTECTED] letting me know how many hours you can dedicate to beta testing Plum, the version of the OS on which you're going to run the generated code, and the database platform you'll be using. If you're a good fit as a tester for this private Beta release then we'll add you to the private Plum Discussion List at [EMAIL PROTECTED], send you the download location of the installer as soon as it is ready next week, and take feedback via the Plum Discussion List. Your feedback will help us make Plum great. We sincerely appreciate your participation, folks. Respectfully, Adam Phillip Churvis Member of Team Macromedia Advanced Intensive ColdFusion MX Training ColdFusion MX Master Class: January 12 - 16, 2004 http://www.ColdFusionTraining.com --- You are currently subscribed to cfaussie as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] MXDU2004 + Macromedia DevCon AsiaPac + Sydney, Australia http://www.mxdu.com/ + 24-25 February, 2004
