Re: Flex with Coldfusion
> I'm hoping someone can clear up some confusions I > have regarding Flex and Coldfusion. Currently I am > hosting my site with a well-known hosting company. I > have many Coldfusion sites running in their shared > environment. Today when I talked to them about > loading my Flex site up (which includes a couple CFC > components) - they stated "they don't support Flex in > their shared environment". > > What is needed in their environment that is outside of > their typical Coldfusion server that would keep a Flex > site from running? I thought that the Flex generated > swf file was downloading to people's PC and running on > their version of Flash Player - and there wasn't any > magic that would make this work on a typical > Coldfusion server. Most of this has been covered in the responses you've already received, but I think a more complete response might be useful anyway. First, yes, there's nothing special about Flex applications, they're just SWF files. As long as you compile them normally, and upload them to the server, there's nothing special needed to run the Flex application itself. If your Flex application needs to fetch or send data at runtime, there are several methods it can use: 1. HTTPService This lets you send generic HTTP requests, which can return XML or name-value pairs or arbitrary strings. This doesn't require anything special on your server. 2. WebService This lets you invoke SOAP web services. This requires that you publish SOAP services; in CF, that means web-accessible CFCs with remote methods. 3. Flash Remoting This lets you invoke services through AMF, which is basically a more efficient, non-XML version of SOAP. This requires that the Flash Remoting gateway be working; in CF, this is working by default, so it shouldn't be a problem for you. It also requires that you publish CFCs, of course. 4. LiveCycle Data Services This was formerly called Flex Data Services. LCDS contains a suite of related services, including asychronous messaging and data synchronization, optionally using Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) instead of HTTP. It can be installed as part of the CF 8 install, but requires a separate license to be used in a multiprocessor environment. Without a license, you get LCDS Express. In your case, this was probably not installed on the server due to license restrictions. 5. BlazeDS This is a free subset of LCDS functionality, that doesn't include data synchronization or RTMP. This is not installed with CF, but can be installed separately. In your case, this was probably not installed. Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software http://www.figleaf.com/ Fig Leaf Software provides the highest caliber vendor-authorized instruction at our training centers in Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, or on-site at your location. Visit http://training.figleaf.com/ for more informat ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:319756 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
Re: Flex with Coldfusion
Kim Hoopingarner wrote: > Thanks for the information. No one could answer this for me on the support > lines I called. I knew to come to this site first. You guys got it > together. > > Turns out I get the white screen with no errors. So I think I can move > forward. Take care! That is probably a good sign that you can do most of what you want to do. If they do not 'support' Flex, though they probably do not or will not configure the server to make full use of what was once called 'Flex Data Services'. This would be for full two way comunication where the server can push data to the clients rather then requiring clients to pull all updates down from the server. But that can usually be worked around for most web applications. ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:319748 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
Re: Flex with Coldfusion
Keep in mind, you run the risk of developing a bunch of remoting CFCs and they might turn this off. In a shared hosting environment where they say it's not allowed but it might technically be, you might be safer to take the web service approach and secure them. Kim Hoopingarner wrote: > Thanks for the information. No one could answer this for me on the support > lines I called. I knew to come to this site first. You guys got it > together. > > Turns out I get the white screen with no errors. So I think I can move > forward. Take care! > > ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:319747 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
Re: Flex with Coldfusion
Thanks for the information. No one could answer this for me on the support lines I called. I knew to come to this site first. You guys got it together. Turns out I get the white screen with no errors. So I think I can move forward. Take care! ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:319746 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4
Re: Flex with Coldfusion
Just to clarify, Flex is Flash and therefore a client-side environment. All you need on the server side is the SWF file. I'm not sure if most shared hosts disable Flash Remoting support, seems silly to me that they would, but Jake is right on in that you can instead use Web Services or HTTP Services to provide your data service layer. Be certain if you take this approach that you are passing authentication tokens with each request to secure your services, unless it is indeed a public web service consumable by anyone including those not using yout app. TJ On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 8:14 AM, Jake Churchill wrote: > > That is true if the flex component is self-contained, meaning it doesn't > need to communicate with the server. If it needs to communicate with > the server, they have to open up the flex gateway. You can find out > very easily if that is open simply by going to > http://yourdomain/flex2gateway/. If you get a blank screen, it means it > is running. If you get any kind of error, it means they've turned it > off. This only affects flash remoting calls. > > A workaround would be to do everything through xml so you would > send/receive data via XML. This is less efficient but for small amounts > of data it should work fine. > > Jake > > Kim Hoopingarner wrote: > > I'm hoping someone can clear up some confusions I have regarding Flex and > Coldfusion. Currently I am hosting my site with a well-known hosting > company. I have many Coldfusion sites running in their shared environment. > Today when I talked to them about loading my Flex site up (which includes a > couple CFC components) - they stated "they don't support Flex in their > shared environment". > > > > What is needed in their environment that is outside of their typical > Coldfusion server that would keep a Flex site from running? I thought that > the Flex generated swf file was downloading to people's PC and running on > their version of Flash Player - and there wasn't any magic that would make > this work on a typical Coldfusion server. > > > > Thanks for helping me better understand. > > Kim > > > > > > ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:319745 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
Re: Flex with Coldfusion
That is true if the flex component is self-contained, meaning it doesn't need to communicate with the server. If it needs to communicate with the server, they have to open up the flex gateway. You can find out very easily if that is open simply by going to http://yourdomain/flex2gateway/. If you get a blank screen, it means it is running. If you get any kind of error, it means they've turned it off. This only affects flash remoting calls. A workaround would be to do everything through xml so you would send/receive data via XML. This is less efficient but for small amounts of data it should work fine. Jake Kim Hoopingarner wrote: > I'm hoping someone can clear up some confusions I have regarding Flex and > Coldfusion. Currently I am hosting my site with a well-known hosting > company. I have many Coldfusion sites running in their shared environment. > Today when I talked to them about loading my Flex site up (which includes a > couple CFC components) - they stated "they don't support Flex in their shared > environment". > > What is needed in their environment that is outside of their typical > Coldfusion server that would keep a Flex site from running? I thought that > the Flex generated swf file was downloading to people's PC and running on > their version of Flash Player - and there wasn't any magic that would make > this work on a typical Coldfusion server. > > Thanks for helping me better understand. > Kim > > ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:319744 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
Flex with Coldfusion
I'm hoping someone can clear up some confusions I have regarding Flex and Coldfusion. Currently I am hosting my site with a well-known hosting company. I have many Coldfusion sites running in their shared environment. Today when I talked to them about loading my Flex site up (which includes a couple CFC components) - they stated "they don't support Flex in their shared environment". What is needed in their environment that is outside of their typical Coldfusion server that would keep a Flex site from running? I thought that the Flex generated swf file was downloading to people's PC and running on their version of Flash Player - and there wasn't any magic that would make this work on a typical Coldfusion server. Thanks for helping me better understand. Kim ~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/message.cfm/messageid:319743 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-talk/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.4
