Advanced ColdFusion MX

Lesson Format and Course Objectives

Through class lectures, demonstrations, walkthroughs, and labs, you will learn to:

• Understand and work with advanced queries and concepts.
• Understand and work with advanced data types; lists, arrays, and structures.
• Understand and work with persistent variables; cookie, application, session, and client scopes.
• Create user-defined functions with ColdFusion MX's new tags to encapsulate commonly used functionality.
• Understand and use ColdFusion MX's new tag set for creating reusable components.
• Build an application with the business logic and database manipulation encapsulated in reusable ColdFusion components.
• Utilize the new <CFLOGIN> and <CFLOGOUT> in your security routines.
• Graph data with the new <CFCHART>.
• Understand and use custom tags.
• Create intelligent agents with <CFHTTP> and <CFFTP>
• Exchange data across the Internet using WDDX or XML.
• Understand ColdFusion MX's new tags and functions for working with XML.
• Work with Web Services, both in creating Web Services from ColdFusion components and consuming Web Services from other environments.
• Understand ColdFusion MX's integration with other technologies.

Table of Contents

Level 1

Unit 1: Creating Advanced Queries

• Understanding the Query Object
• Looping over Queries
• Summarizing and Grouping Data
• Transaction Processing
• Using Stored Procedures
• Leveraging the Query of Queries Functionality
• Caching Queries
• Flushing Queries

Unit 2: Working With Lists, Arrays, and Structures

• Understanding Lists
• Creating Lists
• Manipulating Lists with Functions
• Understanding Arrays
• Creating Arrays
• Manipulating Arrays with Functions
• Looping over Arrays
• Understanding Structures
• Creating Structures
• Manipulating Structures with Functions
• Looping over Structures
• Using Built-in ColdFusion Data Structures
• Combining Data Structures and Displaying their Values
• Accessing Data by Value or Reference

Unit 3: Persisting Data Across Pages

• Persistent Variables in ColdFusion
• Understanding and Using HTTP Cookie Variables
• The Application.cfm file and the <CFAPPLICATION> tag.
• Understanding and Using Application Variables
• Locking Shared Scope Variables with <CFLOCK>
• Understanding and Using Session Variables
• Using J2EE Sessions
• Understanding and Using Client Variables and Functions

Unit 4: Creating User-Defined Functions

• Overview of User-Defined Functions
• Creating a UDF
• Understanding and Using the <CFFUNCTION> Tag Set
• Using Variables in Functions
• Creating Queries in UDFs
• Passing Arguments to UDFs
• Storing UDFs

 

Level 2

Unit 5: Working With the New Component Architecture

• Understanding Components
• Working with the new <CFCOMPONENT> Tag Set
• Creating a Static Component
• Accessing CFC Self-Generating Documentation
• Invoking CFC Methods with <CFINVOKE>
• Using Packages
• Passing Arguments to a Method
• Understanding and Using <CFOBJECT>
• Understanding and Creating Instance-Based Components
• Persisting CFC Instances

Unit 6: Using the New <CFLOGIN>

• Understanding and Using <CFLOGIN>
• Understanding and Using Associated Functions
• Understanding and Using <CFLOGOUT>
• Advantages and Disadvantages of <CFLOGIN>

Unit 7: Graphing With <CFCHART>

• The Advantage of Graphs
• The New <CFCHART> Tag Set
• Creating Graphs with <CFCHART>

Unit 8: Understanding and Using Custom Tags

• Overview of ColdFusion Custom Tags
• Custom Tag Attributes
• Scoping Issues with Custom Tags
• Creating Custom Tags with End Tags
• Creating Custom Tag Families

Level 3

Unit 9: Creating Intelligent Agents with <CFHTTP> and <CFFTP>

• Understanding and Using <CFHTTP>
• Using <CFHTTPPARAM>
• Building a Query from a Text File
• Using <CFHTTP> for Data Transfer Routines
• Using <CFFTP>
• Connecting with <CFFTP>
• Performing File and Directory Operations with <CFFTP>

Unit 10: Leveraging Web Services

• Overview of Web Services
• Publishing Web Services
• WSDL Files
• Registering WSDL Files in the Administrator
• Consuming Web Services
• Using <CFINVOKE>

Unit 11: Working with WDDX and XML

• Overview of WDDX
• Serializing and De-serializing WDDX
• Understanding XML
• ColdFusion MX Tags and Functions for XML
• Creating an XML Document Object
• Using XMLFormat( )
• Retrieving XML Data from XML Documents
• Using XMLParse( )
• Retrieving Data from an XML Document Object
• Using XMLSearch( )

Unit 12: Understanding ColdFusion MX's Integration with other Technologies

• Integrating with JavaScript
• Integrating with MS Word and Excel
• Integrating with ASP
• Integrating with Flash MX
• Integrating with J2EE
• Using JSP Tag Libraries
• Integrating with .NET