Comprehensive ColdFusion Training

Delivery Options

• Customized Onsite Training (5 days): Request a Proposal

Class Description

Class Overview

Class Goals

• Learn to get data from a database and display it on the page
• Learn to insert, Edit and Delete records from a database
• Learn to pass data from one page and receive it on another using HTML Forms
• Learn to create Dynamic Form Fields including Dynamic Select Lists
• Learn to build a Search Interface
• Learn to use Session Variables to provide Password Protection
• Learn to call ColdFusion Components (CFCs) and Custom Tags
• Learn to send email with ColdFusion
• Learn to send email with ColdFusion
• Learn sophisticated data management techniques
• Learn to build and use Custom Tags
• Learn to build and use ColdFusion Components (CFCs)
• Learn to handle errors properly
• Learn to work with ColdFusion and XML

Class Outline

1. Introduction to ColdFusion
   1. Static pages vs. Dynamic pages
   2. Server-side Web Technologies
   3. Database Alphabet Soup: ODBC/JDBC, DSNs and SQL
   4. Course Objectives and Prerequisites
   5. Introduction to Course Project
2. ColdFusion Basics
   1. Using CFML
      1. Code Editors
      2. Dreamweaver Interface
      3. Tag Updaters / Extensions
      4. Tag Editing Dialog Boxes
   2. Embedded Tag Help
   3. Using ColdFusion Comments
   4. Creating Variables
      1. <cfset> and <cfoutput>
   5. Variable Scope/Prefixes
   6. Built-in ColdFusion Functions
      1. CF Function Reference (Dreamweaver specific)
      2. Online Reference (http://livedocs.adobe.com)
      3. Tip: (http://cfquickdocs.com)
   7. Using <cfinclude> to reuse code
3. Dynamic Data: Querying the Database
   1. Database Basics
      1. Introduction to SQL
      2. Select Statement
      3. Update Statement
      4. Insert Statement
      5. Delete Statement
      6. Data Source Name (DSN) / Remote Development Server (RDS)
      7. The DSN Used in This Class: movieList
   2. Course Project Database
   3. Querying the database with <cfquery>
      1. <cfdump> for Quick Output
   4. Customizing Display with <cfoutput>
      1. Building Dynamic Tables
      2. Shortcut: <cftable>
      3. Shortcut: Dynamic Table Tool (in Dreamweaver)
4. Creating a Drill-down Interface
   1. Passing Variables between Pages
      1. "Two-page method"
   2. Receive Variables through the URL
      1. Using a WHERE clause in a SQL Statement
      2. Protecting Against SQL Injection Attacks with <cfqueryparam>
5. Conditional Statements and Forms
   1. Conditional Statements
      1. <cfif>, <cfelseif> and <cfelse>
      2. Comparison Operators
      3. Operator
      4. Description
      5. Using the isDefined() function
   2. HTML Form Review
   3. Self-Submitting Forms
      1. Using the <cfparam> tag to set a default value
      2. Quick Examination of a ColdFusion Framework (Methodology): Fusebox
   4. Dynamically Populating Select Lists
      1. HTML Review: <select> tags
      2. Introducing the <cfform> Tag
      3. Shortcut: <cfselect>
6. Quick Introduction to RSS and Ajax with <cfform>
   1. Reading an RSS Feed
   2. Introducing the <cfform> Tag
   3. Building a Mask with <cfform>
   4. Automatically Build a Dynamic Select List with <cfselect>
7. Search Interface
   1. Creating a Search Interface
      1. Using % and _ in a LIKE Statement
8. Insert Records into the Database
   1. Inserting Records
      1. SQL Insert Statement
      2. Insert Record Step 2 - the Insert
      3. Shortcut: <cfinsert>
      4. Redirect Users with <cflocation>
   2. Automated Form Validation
      1. Client-side vs. Server-side validation: When does the validation code run?
9. Edit (Update) Database Records
   1. Updating records
      1. SQL UPDATE Statement Review
      2. Passing the Primary Key
      3. Page 2 - View Current Data in a Form
      4. Page 3 - Perform the Update to the Database
      5. Shortcut: <cfupdate>
   2. Deleting Records
      1. Note on Deleting records
      2. Review of the SQL Delete Statement
      3. "Deleting" without deleting
      4. No <cfdelete>!
10. Reusing Code
    1. Reusing code with <cfinclude> and <cflocation>
    2. Custom Tags
       1. Where to store Custom Tags
       2. CALLER and ATTRIBUTE scopes
       3. Using <cfmodule>
       4. A Note about CFX tags
    3. User Defined Functions (UDFs) and ColdFusion Components (CFCs)
       1. Creating UDFs with the <cffunction> tag
       2. Using ColdFusion Components (CFCs)
    4. Creating Components
       1. Calling or Invoking Components
       2. Passing Arguments to Components
       3. The Component Code
       4. The main CFML page
       5. View a Component directly in the browser
11. Using Session Variables for Password Protection
    1. Session Variables
       1. Using Application.cfc to Enable Session Management
       2. Creating Password Protected Pages
       3. Password-protect.cfm (the included page)
       4. Application.cfm
       5. Locking Session and Application variables with <cflock>
12. Tracking User Information with Cookies (optional)
    1. Using Cookies to Track Users
13. Sending email with <cfmail> (optional)
    1. Using ColdFusion to Send Email
       1. <cfmail> Tag Syntax
14. Managing Data
    1. Creating a User Administration Page
       1. Displaying Users
       2. Adding Users
       3. Editing and Deleting Users
       4. Controlling Access to the Page
    2. Allowing Users to Add and Edit Data
       1. Displaying Data
       2. Adding Data using Stored Procedures
       3. Editing and Deleting Data
    3. Conclusion
15. Custom Tags
    1. Calling Custom Tags
       1. thisTag Structure
    2. Storing Custom Tags
    3. Other Ways of Calling Custom Tags
       1. CFMODULE
       2. CFIMPORT
    4. Conclusion
16. ColdFusion Components
    1. CFC Basics
    2. Creating CFCs
    3. Storing CFCs
    4. Invoking CFCs
       1. Passing Argument Values
    5. Extending ColdFusion Components
    6. Application.cfc
       1. Application.cfc Methods
       2. Application.cfc Benefits
    7. Conclusion
17. Handling Errors
    1. Handling Exceptions
       1. Compiler Exceptions
       2. Runtime Exceptions
    2. cftry/cfcatch
       1. Exception Types
    3. Locking Code to Prevent Errors
       1. Race Conditions
       2. Named Locks
    4. Conclusion
18. ColdFusion and XML
    1. XML Functions
       1. Creating New XML Documents
       2. Searching XML Documents
       3. Validating XML Documents
    2. Processing RSS Feeds
       1. Processing RSS Feeds with XmlSearch()
       2. Processing RSS Feeds with XmlTransform()
    3. ColdFusion and WDDX
       1. <cfwddx>
       2. WDDX vs. Web Services
    4. Conclusion

Class Materials

All students receive a course manual or book and all the class examples.

Students in private onsite classes will also receive:

• Adobe ColdFusion 8 Web Application Construction Kit, Volume 1: Getting Started

Class Prerequisites

Experience in the following areas is required:

• HTML

Experience in the following areas would be beneficial:

• SQL
• JavaScript
• CSS

Technical Requirements

Our computer technical requirements and setup process is easy, with support just a click away.

• Onsite course technical requirements and setup instructions.