Archive for August, 2007

The new Adobe ColdFusion 8 represents a major improvement over previous versions of the software. First of all, it enjoys a significant boost in performance, capable of processing considerably more application page requests. The overall server performance is now 4.25 times faster than MX 7. In addition, the performance improvement in specific functional areas is up to 38.7 times over the previous version. (more…)

ColdFusion 8, A Quick Look at the cfAjaxProxy Tag

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkQuW285qtM[/youtube]

Originally released by Allaire back in 1995, ColdFusion is a computer software package and development framework that is mostly utilized to create dynamic Web sites. Since its debut, the software has steadily evolved in both usability and functionality. The latest version, ColdFusion 8, features a host of major improvements including easier document and image manipulation and integration into large-scale IT environments.

There is now a server monitor, available with select editions, which helps to identify potential workflow problems, thus increasing both performance and efficiency. A much more robust interaction with the widely-used Adobe Acrobat PDF document format has been enabled, with dynamic generation of both documents and forms now possible. This particular feature has the potential to make it much easier to share information via PDF, as ColdFusion 8 can create them using standard HTML, with no other coding needed. (more…)

Most people prefer to seek simple solutions to complicated problems. This is certainly true in the world of computer software, where a vast and often confusing number of choices exist to assist users with a wide variety of functions. What if someone could develop one computer-based system that would coordinate a bunch of important functions, therefore helping the user by making it as easy as possible to use? Do you think that such a program would be in demand?

The answer is “yes,” and the software packages to be discussed in this article are known as “content management systems.”

So, what does “content management” mean? And how does it help users to simplify their computer-related tasks?

A content management system (CMS) is a program, usually Internet-based, which is used for storing, publishing, updating, and controlling files and documentation through one interface. In other words, it allows a person to perform many different functions within one software package. A CMS helps to create a smoother “work-flow” for its users.

The advantages presented by such a system are obvious. With a Web-based CMS, a large number of contributors can share and manipulate data, then collectively produce a uniform output. The content handled by a CMS can include computer files, images, HTML files, electronic documents — such as those generated in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat PDF formats — and audio/video files.

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With nationwide online retail sales expected to reach above $100 billion this year – estimates range from $115 billion to $175 billion, excluding travel – it is very evident that there are lots of would-be customers visiting the Web sites of their choice with the intent to purchase items.

Not withstanding the gaudy projected totals, online retail sales only represent roughly 5 percent of the total U.S. retail marketplace. Still, Internet use in America and around the world continues to grow, with broadband access gaining in penetration to even rural, isolated areas. The more ‘net users, the greater the number of potential customers for online retailers (sometimes called e-tailers) to sell their wares to.

That’s a good thing; now for the bad news – approximately three-quarters of online customers abandon online shopping carts during the purchase process. The reasons that they do so include the desire to simply comparison shop, too-high shipping costs, technical difficulties experienced during the transaction and a lack of time to complete the purchase, among others.

 It is therefore vitally important that online retailers do all within their power to convince putative buyers to complete the sales transaction and purchase the product(s). Studies indicate that there is a lot of room for improvement in this area.

Technical problems, in particular, continue to dog smaller e-tailers who don’t have the wherewithal to offer advanced shopping carts, nor to have experienced computer programmers on hand to fix things if there are any breakdowns. As a result, many smaller online establishments struggle, both with attracting customers from larger Web sites and with fostering a level of trust with their visitors that credit information is safe.

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Ben Forta  

Ben Forta is an author and Senior Technical Evangelist for Adobe Systems focussed primarily on ColdFusion. Ben co-authored the official ColdFusion training material and certification tests. Ben lectures, speaks, and writes about application development around the world. Over 1/2 million Ben Forta books have been printed in a dozen languages worldwide.
Ben  Forta was born in London. He now lives in Oak Park, Michigan with his wife Marcy and their seven children.

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