Neil Merton

ColdFusion 7.02 and WAMP 1.7.0

I thought I’d share some details about how I installed ColdFusion 7.02 and WAMP (Windows Apache MySQL PHP) 1.7.0 on my Windows XP Pro development PC. For those experiencing problems installing ColdFusion with Apache 2.xx please read on - the information that follows may help. Note: ensure you have the Java Runtime installed!

1. Download the required software - ColdFusion and WAMP.
2. Install WAMP - if you need help doing this please see the help file.
3. Install ColdFusion - I recommend following the instruction that can be found in the ACME guide.
4. Download the ColdFusion update and extract the ‘wsconfig.jar‘ file and place it in the ‘C:\CFusionMX7\runtime\lib\‘ folder - if Windows Explorer tells you it can’t replace the file then you will need to stop the ColdFusion service before attempting to replace the file, just remember to start it up again.
5. Once all the required software is installed hit the Windows key + R to bring up the run command and type in ‘cmd‘ and hit the enter key.
6. Paste the following in (right-click and select ‘Paste’) ‘cd C:\CFusionMX7\runtime\lib\‘ and hit the enter key.
7. To remove the existing config copy and paste the following in ‘java -jar C:\CFusionMX7\runtime\lib\wsconfig.jar -remove -ws Apache -dir “C:\Wamp\Apache2\conf” -v‘ and hit the enter key - you should get a rather lengthy message returned, if you don’t then somethings not quite right.
8. To add the new config copy and paste the following in ‘java -Dtrace.ci=1 -jar C:\CFusionMX7\runtime\lib\wsconfig.jar -server coldfusion -ws apache -dir “C:\Wamp\Apache2\conf” -bin “C:\Wamp\Apache2\bin\httpd.exe” -coldfusion -v‘ and hit the enter key - again you should get another lengthy message returned.
9. ColdFusion and Apache should now be friends again!
10. Finish off the installation by running the ‘Configuration Wizard‘ from: Start - All Programs - Macromedia.

If you’ve got questions then please visit the thread on the Adobe website that relates to this topic - there is tonnes of other people’s comments about this issue.

Initial Thoughts on Dreamweaver CS3

No, I’ve not received an early copy of Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 - but I have been spending some time reading up about the release on Adobe’s website, so I thought I’d share what my initial thoughts are on this upcoming release’s main new features.

1. The support for Spry (AJAX): How many people use Spry (it’s Adobe’s AJAX framework)? I looked at it briefly, once, but didn’t like how it inserts ’spry:command‘ into html tags - so that’s where I left my investigation. So, no, this feature is not one that interests me.
2. Photoshop & Fireworks integration: Ok - it is just me or is it really not that diffecult to have Photoshop/Fireworks open while you’re working in Dreamweaver? Do I really need to copy directly from either of these programs and paste directly into Dreamweaver? I don’t think so. So again, this feature doesn’t interest me.
3. Browser Compatibility Check: Code semantic and valid css and xhtml and your code should be compatible with most browsers! This feature isn’t for me.
4. CSS Advisor website: Won’t this be available to the general public anyway?
5. CSS layouts: Glad to see that this is included - it should help those starting out in web design to get to grips with css layouts, but it’s not one for me - I prefer to get my hands dirty thank you.

So there you have my initial thoughts. This isn’t a release that will excite any hand-coder. Sure there seem to be some great new features for people starting out in web design - but are these people really going to be willing to shell out their hard-earned cash for this release?

Will I be paying $199 (upwards!) for the upgrade? Unfortunately not - I’ll be putting my money towards an editor that is trying to make life easier for coders.

Windows TextMate Port

I’ve never really used the TextMate editor, but have always heard good things about it from the Mac community. It’s an ingenious approach to code writing as it tried to aid writing code quickly by offering snippets in a variety of coding languages (including ColdFusion).

It was purely by chance that I happened to stumble upon a new text editor that has just become available for the PC called e-TextEditor and it seems to emulate TextMate very closely, which is nice.

So, naturally I was quick to download and install it. After applying the ColdFusion Bundle (which was a breeze thanks to cfTextMate) I tested out the editor’s nifty features. Very impressive, and I’m sure with regular use writing ColdFusion will be an even more pleasurable experience.

Here’s a few items I really like:

1. Indent guides - provides a visual guide to your code indents
2. Themes - loads of different colour themes to choose from (not essential, but a nice bonus!)
3. Bundles - these are code ‘packages’ that allows the magic to happen (e.g. simply type ‘cfif’, press tab and be amazed!)
4. TODO / FIXME / CHANGED - simply add these to comments and then view the list of things to do

The editor is still in beta stage, so it’s a little rough around the edges, but I know I’ll be keeping a very close eye on it’s progress.

Gem of an Editor

I recently had the need of a code editor that could make backups of files before saving them - a feature that I though I wouldn’t be able to find in a free application.

After a short Google session I came upon Crimson Editor. It’s no longer being maintained but it is definately worth investigating if you’re looking for a light-weight code editor. The one feature that I do love is the ability to create a copy of the file before it was editted when you save it. This can also be done in such a way that they get autonumbered - thus creating a simply version control system.

There is a set of ColdFusion tags in a syntax file (click on ‘Syntax Files’ and then search for the term ‘ColdFusion’) and these are very easy to install. It doesn’t have an auto-complete feature, but this can be a good thing as it forces you to remember the tags.

Fixing SYLK error in .csv file

I’ve recently had to generate a .csv file from an SQL query generated through ColdFusion. This all worked without any major problems except for an error the Excel popped up with saying that the file appear to be in SYLK format, etc.

This is caused by using ‘ID’ as the first column header. Changing this to ‘Identity’ sorted the problem out and Excel was able to open the file without any problems.

Find First Paragraph

Today I had the need to create a script that would find the first paragraph in a string and use this as the extract for a news article.

So, I thought I’d share the ColdFusion code with everyone:

<cfsavecontent variable="paragraphs">
<p>This is the first paragraph.</p>
<p>Here's the second paragraph.</p>
<p>And finally, the third paragraph.</p>
</cfsavecontent>
<cfset request.firstParagraph = findNoCase("</p>",trim(paragraphs)) />
<cfif request.firstParagraph gt 0>
    <cfset request.firstParagraph = request.firstParagraph+3 />
    <cfset request.newsExtract = left(trim(paragraphs),request.firstParagraph) />
<cfelse>
    <cfset request.newsExtract = trim(paragraphs) />
</cfif>
<textarea id="newsExtract" name="newsExtract" cols="40" rows="5">
<cfoutput>#request.newsExtract#</cfoutput>
</textarea>

I hope that others find this useful.

Update: 07 December 2006
I have now turned this into a nifty function:

<cfscript>
function firstParagraph(str)
{
    str = trim(str);
    endTag = findNoCase("</p>", str);
    if (endTag gt 0)
    {
        endTag = endTag + 3;
        extract = left(str, endTag);
    }
    else
    {
        extract = str;
    }
    return extract;
}
</cfscript>

This should make using the code even easier.

Update: 08 December 2006
This function is now available on CFLib.org!

ColdFusion Folder Gallery

A while ago I had the need for a very simple way to display images in a folder using ColdFusion. So, I thought I’d share a very simple application with you all that does just that. And as an added bonus I’ve included the Lightbox javascript enhancement to the application.

Below is a screenshot of how it should all look.

Download the cf_foldergallery.zip file - this file is 1.5mb in size due the images used in the example.

ColdFusion and AJAX Edit In Place

Earlier this week I created a project that had a very basic CMS administration area - this consisted of updating the status of a car (whether it’s available or sold) and also the ability to change the car’s price.

Having recently fallen in love with Flickr I thought it would be great to have a Flickr-like ability when editting the prices - i.e. click on the price and it becomes a form field which allows you to update the price without refreshing the whole page.

So, after much research I’ve managed to implement this with the help of the Prototype Javascript Library and Joesph Scott’s Edit In Place add-on.

Here’s a screenshot to give you an idea of what I mean:

I’ve also packaged a simple example of this technique - but taken one step further; all the database records (except for the ID) are edittable. This should give you plenty to sink your teeth in.

Download cf_editinplace.rar file or Download cf_editinplace.zip file

Update: the above archives now include a debug form. That’s one of the joys of AJAX is trying to debug the application. Hopefully the debug form will make this a little easier.

I welcome your comments.