Advanced ColdFusion Training: XML, File System and Web Services

Advanced ColdFusion Training: XML, File System and Web Services

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Course Length: 2 days
Delivery Methods: Available as private class only
Course Overview

This advanced ColdFusion training class focuses on making the best use of several external data types including XML, Web Services, <cfhttp> and more. You will also learn how to work with the file system to read, write, append and even upload files.

Course Benefits
  • Learn XML Syntax Basics.
  • Learn to load XML data.
  • Learn to create query objects from existing XML.
  • Learn to read and write text files with <cffile>.
  • Learn to upload documents with <cffile>.
  • Learn to use <cfdirectory>.
  • Learn to use <cfhttp>.
  • Learn to create ColdFusion Web Services.
  • Learn to invoke external Web Services.
  • Learn about the WDDX file format.
Course Outline
  1. Manipulate the File System with <cffile>
    1. Working with <cffile>
      1. Read and Write Text Files with <cffile>
      2. Built-in Function: ExpandPath()
      3. Reading Files with the <cffile> tag
      4. Built-in Function: FileExists()
    2. Upload Documents with <cffile>
      1. Using the <cffile> tag for an Upload
      2. After a <cffile> Upload: FILE Variables
      3. Deeper Examination: HTML and a File Upload
      4. Saving long variable values with <cfsavecontent>
      5. Using the <cffileupload> tag for Multiple Uploads in ColdFusion
      6. Using <cfcontent> to create an Excel Spreadsheet
  2. Using XML with ColdFusion
    1. XML Syntax Basics
      1. XML Logical Structure
      2. Each XML document must begin with a language declaration
      3. Each XML document must have a single root element, which normally contains other child elements
      4. XML Physical Structure
      5. Case Sensitivity
      6. Required Closing Tags
      7. New Syntax for "empty elements"
      8. Tags must be nested properly
      9. Attribute Values must be enclosed properly in single or double quotes
      10. XML Comments
      11. XML Logic: Designing Datasheets
    2. Parsing XML data with ColdFusion
      1. Demo: Convert an XML datasheet into an XML Document Object with XMLParse()
      2. Case-sensitive Element Names with XMLParse()
      3. Method 1 - Array notation with generic node names
      4. Method 2 - Associative Array notation
      5. Method 3 - Array notation with specific node names
      6. Methods 4(+) - Mix and Match
      7. Deeper Examination: Counting Nodes
      8. Manipulating XML data with Built-in Functions
      9. List of Structure/Array Functions that may be used on an XML Document Object
      10. List of XML-specific Functions
    3. Manipaulating the XML Document Object: Adding Elements
      1. Deeper Examination: Adding an XML Attribute
    4. Create a Query Object from Existing XML (optional)
      1. Deeper Examination: Looping through the XML
      2. Deeper Examination: Creating the Query Object
      3. Deeper Examination: Query the query
    5. Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) Basics
      1. XSL, XSLT, and XSLFO
      2. XSL Basics: Linking to an XSL Stylesheet
      3. Examining an XSL Stylesheet
      4. The xsl:stylesheet tag and the namespace declaration
      5. The <xsl:template> tag
      6. The <xsl:value-of> tag
      7. Referencing iterating nodes
    6. Server-side XSL Transformation with ColdFusion
      1. Deeper Examination: XMLTransform()
      2. Idea! Transforming XML Data into XML Data
    7. XPath Basics
      1. XPath: the XSL Node Matching Syntax
      2. Choosing Between Equivalent XPath Expressions
      3. An XPath testing tool
    8. Using XPath with ColdFusion
      1. Deeper Examination: XPath expression
      2. Deeper Examination: XMLSearch()
      3. Idea! Convert an XML Document Object to a Query Object
  3. Working with <cfhttp>
    1. Making http requests with <cfhttp>
      1. Attributes of <cfhttp>
      2. Deeper Examination: <cfhttp> tag
      3. Deeper Examination: <cfoutput> block
      4. While looping though the records
      5. Deeper Examination: QueryAddColumn() function
      6. Idea! Dynamically Creating Static Pages
    2. Passing Variables with <cfhttp> and <cfhttpparam>
      1. Creating an Intelligent Agent
      2. Deeper Examination: agent.cfm
      3. Deeper Examination: agent-page2.cfm
      4. Deeper Examination: <cfsetting>
  4. ColdFusion and Web Services
    1. Working with Web Services
      1. Examples
      2. Producers vs. Consumers
      3. Definitions
      4. Creating WSDL Documents
      5. Step 1 - Convert the existing CFC into a Web Service
      6. Step 2 - Examine a local WSDL file from the demo
      7. Step 3 - Invoking a ColdFusion Web Service
      8. Deeper Examination
      9. Deeper Examination: Passing an argument to a Web Service
      10. SOAP
      11. A note about security
    2. Invoking External Web Services
      1. Locating Web Services
      2. Invoking Web Services from .NET, Java and more
      3. Deeper Examination: <cfinvoke> and <cfinvokeargument>
  5. Web Distributed Data Exchange (WDDX) (if time allows)
    1. WDDX
      1. Deeper Examination: <cfwddx> tag
      2. Deeper Examination
    2. Deserialize WDDX data in JavaScript
      1. Deeper Examination: Include JavaScript functions
      2. Deeper Examination: Deserialize in JavaScript
      3. Deeper Examination: Generated source code
      4. Deeper Examination
Class Materials

Each student will receive a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all the class examples.

Class Prerequisites

Experience in the following is required for this ColdFusion class:

  • Basic ColdFusion

Experience in the following would be useful for this ColdFusion class:

  • XML
Prerequisite Courses

Courses that can help you meet these prerequisites:

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