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Advanced ColdFusion 11: Components, Error Handling and Complex Objects

Once you have mastered ColdFusion's basics, it is time to discover its more advanced options. We will explore the many methods of reusing code (including <cfinclude>, custom tags and stored procedures). Using session variables and cookies, we will create a Password Protected section of the site to increase security.

We will teach you how to predict and prevent errors so your users will never see an ugly error page. Using Regular Expressions, we will perform advanced Form Validation. Although ColdFusion does allow for quick an easy development, it still is a robust, powerful language. We will explore programming concepts including loops, arrays, structures and two methods for writing User-Defined Functions (UDFs).

Course Outline

Module 1: Charting

• Course Introduction and <cfchart>
  • Introduction
  • Course Objectives
  • Course Prerequisites
  • Course Project
  • Exercise 1: Set-up Course Files and Data Sources (DSNs)
• Charting and Graphing Options
  • Demo: Basic Charts
  • Using <cfchart> vs. <cfchartseries>
  • Demo: Linking from a chart to another page
  • Demo: <cfchartdata> to manually add data
  • Caching Charts
  • Demo:  Save charts for future use with <cffile>
  • Exercise 2: Create a chart with <cfchart>

Module 2:  Complex Objects

• Manipulating Complex Data Objects (Lists, Arrays, Structures and Queries)
  • Scalar Variables
  • Lists
  • Arrays
  • Structures
  • Exercise 3: Arrays and Lists
• Looping with <cfloop>
• Syntax of <cfloop>
• Weeding Out the FIELDNAMES Variable
• Using <cfloop> for automatic query output
• Display Web-safe Colors using CFLOOP
• Exercise 4: Display results with <cfloop>
• Queries of Queries
• Demo: Query of Query
• Exercise 5: Query of query to display “classic movies”

Module 3:  Components

• CFCs - Building ColdFusion Components
  • Benefits to using CFCs
  • Creating Components
  • Calling or Invoking Components
  • Passing Arguments to Components
  • The main CFML page
  • Three Ways to Pass Arguments
  • Where to save CFCs
  • Self-documenting - View a Component directly in the browser
  • Exercise 6: Creating ColdFusion Components with Arguments
• Object-Oriented CFCs
  • Object-Oriented Principles
  • Demo:  CFC using Object-Oriented Model
  • How does use of a CFC compare to other OO languages?
  • Demo:  CFC using Object-Oriented Model
  • Inheritance
  • Demo:  Inherit from another CFC
  • Demo: Using an init function
  • ColdFusion 10: Implicit CFC Constructors
  • Access control
  • Exposing CFCs as Web Services
  • Exercise 7: Build OOP CFC with Parameters to Edit Courses

Module 4:  Application Framework

• Application Framework
  • Automatic Includes:  Application.cfm and onRequestEnd.cfm
  • New Application Framework:  Application.cfc
  • Exercise 8: Store DSN and Company Name as Application Variables
• Using Application Variables
  • Exercise 9: Cycle through Featured Movies Using Application Variables

Module 5:  Error Handling

• Errors and Exceptions
  • Standard Error Handling
  • Application.cfm
  • Demo: the error page
  • Demo: detailed error page
  • Exercise 10: Replace the Default Error Page
• Structured Error Handling
  • <cftry> and <cfcatch>
  • Demo: Using <cftry>
  • Transactions with <cftransaction> and <cftry>
  • Classic <cftransaction> example
  • Demo: Using <cftransaction> with <cftry>
  • Exercise 11: Using <cftransaction> to Avoid Errors

Module 6:  Reusing Code

• Reusing Code
  • Limited Capabilities of <cfscript>
  • Syntax Rules
  • Reserved Words
  • Looping with <cfscript>
  • GetTickCount() - testing the speed of your code
  • Exercise 12: Setting Variables with <cfscript>
• Custom Tags
  • Demo: custom tags
  • Where to store Custom Tags
  • Demo: Custom Tag with Parameters
  • CALLER and ATTRIBUTE scopes
  • Using <cfmodule>
  • Exercise 13: Using Custom Tags
• Stored Procedures
  • Benefits of Stored Procedures
  • Demo: Stored Procedure
  • Demo: pass a parameter to a stored procedure
  • Exercise 14: Pass Parameters to a Stored Procedure
• Showing portions of a Recordset
  • Paging through records
  • Exercise 15: Add “Next” and “Previous” links to the Actors list

Module 7:  Regular Expressions (optional)

• Advanced Validation with Regular Expressions (optional)
  • Special Symbols for Matching Specific Characters
  • Specify the number of occurrences
  • Placement of the pattern
  • POSIX Syntax
  • Perl Syntax
  • Demo: Testing Regular Expressions
  • Exercise 16: Using Regular Expressions for Advanced Form Validation

Appendices

• Appendix A: Resources
• Appendix B: Set-up Notes
• Appendix C: Create a Dreamweaver “Site”
• Site Creation – Basic
• Site Files Panel
• “Create a Site” vs. “FTP or RDS Server Connection”
• Appendix D: Selecting Among ColdFusion Code Reuse Methods

See also

Adobe ColdFusion Training Courses

• Core ColdFusion 9 Training (3 days)
• Advanced ColdFusion 9 Training: Components, Error Handling and Complex Objects (2 days)
• Advanced ColdFusion 9 Training: XML, External Data and File System (2 days)
• ColdFusion 9 and Reporting (2 days)
• ColdFusion 9 and Ajax (2 days)
• What's New in ColdFusion 9 (2 days)

• Core ColdFusion 8 (3 days)
• Advanced ColdFusion 8: Components, Error Handling and Complex Objects (2 days)
• Advanced ColdFusion 8: XML, External Data and File System (2 days)
• ColdFusion 8 and Reporting (2 days)
• ColdFusion 8 and Ajax (2 days)
• What's New in ColdFusion 8 (2 days)

• Introduction to ColdFusion MX 7 (3 days)
• Advanced ColdFusion MX 7 (4 days)

• Introduction to ColdFusion MX (2 days)
• Advanced ColdFusion MX (3 days)
• ColdFusion MX, Web Services and XML (2 days)
• FuseBox 4.1 Training (2 day)
• Building Data-driven Websites with Dreamweaver 8(using ColdFusion, PHP, ASP.NET or ASP) (2 days)
• Flash Remoting MX: Integrating Flash and ColdFusion (2 days)