By the way, if you haven't seen it yet I have a little advice on how *not* to write code.
The company I work for, Foundstone (A division of McAfee), has just release HacmeShipping. The tool was written by me, along with some support from Jeremy Allen. It shows how *not* to write CFMX 7 code under Model-Glue, though mostly from the perspective of security concerns with CFML. You can download the code from http://www.foundstone.com/resources/s3i_tools.htm along with installation instructions and an white paper, written by Jeremy, showing how various web application attacks work against the application. For some real fun, download HacmeBooks (J2EE) and HacmeBank (.Net) to see how the three work together using web services and how all of them can be attacked using similar paradigms. For someone learning CFML, this is a good tool to show you what you shouldn't be doing from a security perspective. Hopefully everyone learns something from my "mistakes"! -dhs On June 17, 2006, Charlie Arehart wrote: > Thank you for that, Dean. I'm especially pleased to hear that I've been of > help to you, seeing how much you now give back to the community. And that is > indeed the way it ought to be. I was motivated to get into user groups > because I learned so much from them, starting in the early 80's in my > mainframe career--yes, we had user groups back then, and mailing lists, and > even electricity. :-) Seriously, though, that cycle of learning and giving > back has been so valuable. > > As to Jeremy's suggestion in his earlier note regarding SQL books, I would > have to counter that Joe Celko's books are definitely more for those who > have achieved not just the basics but really is ready to go well beyond > that. Certainly great stuff, but like recommending the Gang of Four book as > someone's first foray in to Design Patterns (Head First would be a better > choice there). Instead, I'd recommend Ben Forta's "Teach Yourself SQL in 10 > Minutes". If you read the spotlight review at Amazon, mine from 2000, you'll > see why I like it so much, and it's in its 3rd edition now. > > Otherwise, Jeremy makes fine points, as confirmed and added to by Dean and > Rick. > > As for books, you mentioned Ben's CFWACK and it's indeed a classic. You can > find discounted copies of that, and The CFMX Bible (done by the Churvises, > Hal Helms, and myself), and many other good CF books (like the Oreilly one) > online. > > And don't forget the free manuals that come with CF, and more than just the > "reference". There's a real "user guide" to CF, CFML, coding, and more, > that's several hundred pages long. You can get it in print and read it > online in HTML and PDF. In CFMX 7 the manual's called the "ColdFusion MX > Developer's Guide", and in 6.1 "Developing ColdFusion MX Applications" (and > something yet again in CF5). It and all the docs are available online in PDF > and HTML form (and can even be purchased in print) at > http://www.adobe.com/support/documentation/en/coldfusion/documentation.html > > Don't forget, as well, the example apps that come with CF (an option on > installation). They're not paragons of good design, but as has been conveyed > in this thread, there's learning to get started, and then there's learning > to advance. CF7 in particular has an especially nice flash-based interface > to help with its getting started resources. > > Finally, though it may be old, there was a CD produced by Allaire called the > SkillBuilder. I would bet you could find it. There's a more recent version > of something similar, a video that does cover CFMX, at: > > http://www.learnwebdevelopment.com/intro_to_coldfusion_mx.html > > I've not used either of them but the price for the latter is right to fit in > your budget. > > /charlie > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dean H. Saxe > Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2006 4:45 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [ACFUG Discuss] Learning Cold Fusion > > > I'm with Jeremy on this. I'm a book learner, read a book, implement, read > more, implement more. I'm a self-taught programmer, unless you consider > taking Pascal in college in 1990 part of my career (I don't). Classes are > helpful, but they are expensive. Most classes I see on any technical area > of expertise are in the neighborhood of $750 - $1000/8 hour day. > > That having been said, the best addition to books and trying new things has > always been having a mentor to work with. Someone who knows XYZ technology > just a bit better than you so you can learn from his or her experience. My > first boss, Eric Palmer, was that person for me WRT DB design and SQL. My > next boss helped me really get my feet wet with OO and Java. WRT > application security, I was on my own for a while but eventually found some > people who have helped me grow in that space as well. I've also learned a > lot from people in ACFUG over the years too. Cameron Childress, Jeremy > Allen (who I'm happy to work with now), Charlie Arehart, Shawn Gorrell and > others have all been great resources over the years. > > Good luck Rick! > -dhs > > On June 17, 2006, Rick Lansford wrote: > > > I took a class, but looking back, it would have been just as easy to > > learn on my own. However, I am not in the league with the others on > > this list (I still pretty much use a basic to mid-level programming > > technique). So if your goal is to get to their level I think it would > > take some formal training. Just to let you know, you can do a lot (and > > I mean a lot) just knowing the basic aspects of CF and having a pretty > > fair understanding of SQL and DB design. > > > > Rick > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Robert Reil > > Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2006 2:25 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: [ACFUG Discuss] Learning Cold Fusion > > > > > > Here's an easy one! > > > > > > > > Whats the easiest cost effective way to learn how to get up and > > rolling in CF? > > > > Budget a couple hundred. > > > > I have servers, and software. Should I take a class, a web school, > > or use Forta's Web App Construction site? > > > > > > > > Opinions and links welcome... > > > > > > > > Robert P. Reil > > > > Managing Director, > > > > Motorcyclecarbs.com, Inc. > > > > 4292 Country Garden Walk NW > > > > Kennesaw, Ga. 30152 > > > > Office 770-974-8851 > > > > Fax 770-974-8852 > > > > www.motorcyclecarbs.com > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ > > http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform > > > > For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists > > Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ > > List hosted by FusionLink > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ > > http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform > > > > For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists Archive @ > > http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ > > List hosted by http://www.fusionlink.com > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > > Dean H. Saxe > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, > whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or > the holy name of liberty and democracy? " -Gandhi > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ > http://www.acfug.org?fa=gin.edituserform > > For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists Archive @ > http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ > List hosted by http://www.fusionlink.com > ------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ > http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform > > For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists > Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ > List hosted by http://www.fusionlink.com > ------------------------------------------------------------- Dean H. Saxe [EMAIL PROTECTED] "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy? " -Gandhi ------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ List hosted by http://www.fusionlink.com -------------------------------------------------------------
