Coldfusion Web Development with Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004

The title of this book is a straight-forward description of the contents - a book designed to meet the needs of new ColdFusion developers who are learning CFMX 6.1 by using Dreamweaver MX (DMX) 2004. Compared to the CFMX "bible" - Web Application Construction Kit, this book is lean, comfortable, and informal. The basics of working with databases, writing in ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML), using conditional logic, and form processing are covered in the first half of the book. The topics are covered briefly with simple examples. If you don't grasp the concepts and usages presented, you may need a second reference for more detailed information. You'll definitely need a database-specific reference if you're not familiar with Structure Query Language (SQL) or your datasource is something other than MS Access. The authors' hints about writing queries and CFML code suggest best practices for making easy to read, reusable code. Queries are designed using the built-in DMX 2004 panels and tools. This gives a developer coming from the webmaster side of the internet assistance in composing SQL with filters and sorts, then allows you to view the generated SQL. The authors list the most useful tags to know with simple, clear explanations of what they do. Practical examples are used to display both code and the resulting browser output. Be warned though, there are typos and odd phrasing in some spots. More advanced chapters cover topics like maintaining state by storing information in persistent variables, exception handling for error management, and code reuse through User-Defined Functions (UDF), custom tags and CF components (CFC's). Topics are limited to a few pages each, so there is not a lot of in-depth coverage. A full chapter is devoted to working with XML and another to Flash MX 2004 and web services. A nice feature of the book is the last chapter which pulls it all together into a web site featuring an image gallery, login administration and content management. Overall, it's a good book for a fast learner, although you may need more in-depth coverage as you grow in your development.

This book starts out slowly if you already know ColdFusion, but then it jumps quickly into dynamic Web development using ColdFusion MX 6.1 in conjunction with Dreamweaver MX 2004. Most other Dreamweaver books usually try to do too much by also covering ASP, PHP, or JSP. Such books have failed where this one succeeds in giving the reader a comprehensive and well illustrated guide to one technology, rather than gloss over several at the same time. In addition to the bread and butter things you can or should do in ColdFusion for a Web site, the book devotes two whole chapters XML and Web Services, and the last chapter gives a case study of a complete ColdFusion-based Web site. Yet, despite having six authors, it comes in below 500 pages and does not look at all like those bloated volumes which try to explain everything under the information technology sun. If you are looking for a reference book covering all the details on ColdFusion or Dreamweaver, look elsewhere. If you want a book you can read and use in your day to day work, this is definitely it.