[next MDCFUG meeting is 9/12/00, CF 101 is 9/9/00, FuseFUN is 9/16/00]

1. MDCFUG-L list open for questions
2. Microsoft praises CF
3. CF documentation tool
4. CF naming convention 
5. Variable Speed Animation
6. Locking in ColdFusion
7. Collapse Your Code
8. Developer's Tour of New Features in CF 4.5
9. Fusebox conference nearly full.
10. Bjork CF Fusebox doc tools

Enjoy!
- Michael Smith, TeraTech http://www.cfconf.org/
                               MDCFUG http://www.cfug-md.org/

1. MDCFUG-L list open for questions
-----------------------------------
After a lot of requests at the last MDCFUG meeting we have created a 
listserve for all members to share CF questions and answers. The list 
is for discussion of ColdFusion and related programming issues. To 
join go to http://www.cfug-md.org/lists/MDCFUG.cfm

Once you have joined you will be able to post questions to the list.

To make the list better for everyone please follow the following 
MDCFUG-L list guidelines: 

- Only send emails on CF and related programming issues 
- No job anouncements, recuiters or work wanted ads thx. 
- Use a subject in each email 
- If you reply and want to change the thread, 
  please use a new subject
- If you have a question about some code, 
  include the code snipnet in your email 
- If you ask a question, get a bunch of replies and figure it out,
  then post back a summary of the answers that worked for you 
  to the list to share your learning. 
- Try to give as well as get 
- keep attachments below 50k - some people are on dial ups - 
  if you have a big file put it on a website and email the list the 
link to it. 
- Be polite - don't flame others - think before you send 
  something everyone will read 
- If you can't take high volumes of emails then use the digest version 
- Have fun! 

2. Microsoft praises CF
-----------------------
Check this out - CF on msdn:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?URL=/library/periodic/pe
riod00/coldfusion.htm

It's not your typical 'Woooo, ASP RULEZ, and CF sux!!' sort of thing - 
It's entitled "ColdFusion and SQL Server - An overview of using 
ColdFusion for Web development on the SQL Server platform", and the 
author eventually builds a great case for *not* using ASP: 
"...ColdFusion does what ASP does. 
But you might find among ColdFusion's specific features and 
functionality some compelling reasons to choose it."

* W. Sean Harrison

3. CF documentation tool
------------------------
There is a CF optimize tool  And a
CFQUERY ripper written in Perl. 
 
My CFOptimize tool (a perl-based search and replace) is at 
http://www.codebits.com/replace/.
 
The CFQUERY Lister tool is at 
http://www.codebits.com/private-cgi-bin/cfquery.pl.
          David Medinets [email protected]


4. CF naming convention
-----------------------
(discussion as seen on ACFUG list)
I agree.  Back in the very early '90s when I first started doing  
event-driven GUI programming in C, we adopted a style of Hungarian 
notation that I've tried to pull along with me even into JavaScript 
and HTML.  
So, all command buttons (which would be the GUI window class 
equivalent of a submit button) are prefixed with "cmd", as in:

  

  Similarly, I use the prefix of "txt" for text input boxes, "lst" for 
list box types of selects, and "cbo" for combo box types of selects, 
etc.  I find this aids greatly in program understanding and 
documentation, as in when you've got to fix a bug in some page you (or 
someone else) wrote two months ago...

  I like this style of Hungarian notation, but my suggestion is that 
you of course don't have to use my style - use whatever you're 
comfortable with - but pick something, be consistent, and use it, and 
I think you will eventually find it worth the extra little effort.

Anyway, my $.02 worth for the day.
  Thanks,
  Jim
James Moll [mailto:[email protected]]

5. Variable Speed Animation
---------------------------
Changing the speed of animated GIFs is a tricky business. Read this 
tutorial by Al DiMarzio to learn the details of
creating eye-popping Web pages full of dazzling graphics.
http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1733

6. Locking in ColdFusion
------------------------
If your ColdFusion application tries to call a variable while it's 
being written by another process, get ready for
trouble. That's where locks come into play. Allaire's Ben Forta writes 
about techniques for using locks in ColdFusion
applications in this article, first published in ColdFusion 
Developer's Journal. 
http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1739

7. Collapse Your Code
---------------------
The Collapsed Text feature introduced in HomeSite 4.5 and ColdFusion 
Studio 4.5 can help you streamline your Web
development. It allows you to "collapse" selected text or code, which 
can come in handy in day-to-day Web development in
a variety of ways. In this article, Amy Cowen illustrates just how 
convenient this feature is.
http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1724

8. Developer's Tour of New Features in ColdFusion 4.5
-----------------------------------------------------
You've heard the hype about the new features in ColdFusion 4.5 . Now 
read the details behind those features and how they
will increase your productivity.
http://www.allaire.com/coldfusion.cfm?web_ID=1712

9. Fusebox conference nearly full
---------------------------------
The Fusebox conference is nearly full. Sponsored by SecretAgents.com 
and TeraTech, will be a 9 to 5 FuseFest full of lectures and
information about the methodology, and includes a free copy of the 
forthcoming Fusebox book. 

Speakers include: 
Hal Helms, Steve Nelson, Nat Papovich, Gabe Roffman, Fred T. Sanders, 
Cameron Childress and Michael Smith.

Location: 
Charlottesville, VA, at the Best Western Cavalier Inn, 105 Emmet, 
Charlottesville, VA 22904-0201. 

Price of admission is $99, which includes lunch (but not hotel 
accomodations). 

http://www.cfconf.org/fusebox_fun.cfm

10. Bjork CF Fusebox doc tools
------------------------------
I ran across some cool doc tools at Bjork's site. 

* CF_SourceBrowser 
A versatile utility for viewing and analyzing ColdFusion source 
files/directories. Integrates three main functions: 

 - a directory/file/source browser 
 - a 'FusionDocs' standard documentation parser/viewer 
 - an assortment of software 'metrics' for estimating the complexity 
and maintainability of ColdFusion code 

An invaluable tool during all phases of the software development 
cycle.

 * CF_FusionDocs 
Automated documentation!! CF_FusionDocs parses a CF template to find 
'standard' FusionDocs comments. Assembles the information into a rich 
CF structure, which can be used to provide automated documentation. 

'FusionDocs' is a standard that I am proposing for ColdFusion 
comments/documentation. It is based on the well-known JavaDoc standard 
for Java documentation. (many thanks to Hal Helms, for his help and 
suggestions) 

NOTE: CF_FusionDocs is bundled with CF_SourceBrowser and 
CF_SoftwareMetrics. 

 * CF_SoftwareMetrics 
Returns eight separate "metrics" of a given ColdFusion template. These 
measure different aspects of logic and style, to give valuable 
information regarding reliability and maintainability.

High 'risk' values may be a sign that the code needs to broken into 
smaller units, or at least that more extensive comments/indentation 
are needed. 

Based on Tom McCabe and Arthur Watson's "Structured Testing: A Testing 
Methodology Using the Cyclomatic Complexity Metric", 1996. Interpreted 
for CF by Lee Borkman. 

NOTE: CF_SoftwareMetrics is bundled with CF_SourceBrowser and 
CF_FusionDocs. 

And many more...
 * CF_LessWhiteSpace 
 * CF_CFML2WDDX 
 * CF_WDDX2CFML 
 * CF_MakeLink 
 * CF_RoundDateTime 
 * CF_CopyRow 

For download and more info see ColdFusion Tags by Lee (Bjork) Borkman 
http://bjork.net/taggallery/index.htm