New ColdFusion Documentation Site Launched

Yesterday I released a beta of CFMLDocs.

I worked on this a while ago, but never got around to completing it, there were a number of problems with the ColdFusion 8 documentation that always annoyed me. Then when they announced Coldfusion 9 with better documentation, I put the project on hold and waited.

While the ColdFusion 9 is actually better, it suffers from a lot of the same problems as the old one. So the problems I have addressed here are.

1. Size Does Matter
This documentation is a fraction of the size, most documentation pages are somewhere between 5% and 30% of the Adobe content. Why you might ask, well try doing a view source on the Adobe documentation, there is a lot of bloat, crazy long id's and all sorts of unnecessary bits.

2. Simple URL's
Ever just want to get to the docs quickly? Sure, all the time, well the adobe ones are never quick, because they dont have simple URL's and also the size makes it slow also. This documentation allows you to use the domain and function / tag name to jump straight to the content cfmldocs.com/cfoutput for example

3. Consistency
There is a lack of consistency on the documentation, you will realise this if you ever try to scrape it. For example, there is a page where you can see all tags, but no page where you can see all functions. And within the content its self, there is often no consistency in the format, layout or content of each tag / function

4. Compliant?
Always bothered me that Adobe, which could be called a Web company could release HTML documentation that wasn't HTML or CSS compliant, its not even close. This documentation is both fully HTML & CSS compliant.

5. Other
There are a whole heap of other things that have been fixed along the way. The entire content is stored in a database and produced as static html when first browsed, thus to change the format etc, I can just delete the html and next time someone browses, it will get regenerated.

6. Whats next
There are a few things I will be releasing soon, some this weekend. The main things I wanted are.

• Ability to download all the documentation in a simple ZIP file to use locally
• An AIR version that you can run and search locally
• The ability to print a piece of documentation in a nice format as PDF.
• The ability for users to edit the content, I plan on setting up a group of editors who can fix / edit any issues.
• Daily auto Tweet a tag to introduce you to a new tag.

Now because of the volume of the content, I haven't reviewed it all, I expect there are problems, please use the contact page to report any problems being errors, omissions etc. The way it has been designed, they should be easy to fix across the board.

The content is still vastly the Adobe ColdFusion 9 documentation which its self is quite good, this just mainly addresses the presentation & delivery of that content.

I welcome all feedback

http://cfmldocs.com

Poker Blind Timer Version 2

A while back I wrote a Poker Blind timer, first using javascript, then Flash, then Flex. I have had a lot of requests to enable users of the Poker Blind Timer to customise the sequence of the increments. So i've implemented a very simple method of doing this, by allowing the user to enter a comma separated list of small blinds.

For example, 10,30,80,120 would be the small blinds for rounds 1-4

There are also 3 finishing options.

1. Double - This continues to double the blind at the end of the defined sequence.
2. Repeat - This continues to repeat the last increment, so if the increment was 300,500 it will continue to increment by 200 ie (500-300).
3. Stay - This leaves the blind time as is, thus the final sequence defined is the maximum.

I also redid the entire thing in Flex 4 using spark controls, I have used one of the default skins, which looks a lot better than no skin.

I've built both a Flash Builder web version and a standalone AIR version. For those who dont know, AIR is Adobe Intergrated Runtime, which will allow you to run standalone on Windows, Mac & Linux

Web Version
http://code.fraser.id.au/blindtimer2/blindtimer2Flex.html

AIR Version
http://code.fraser.id.au/blindtimer2/air/index.html

Release Notes
http://code.fraser.id.au/blindtimer2/release.html

If you have any suggestions or standard sequences you would like included, let me know.

ColdFusion 9 Disappointment

We always quickly adopt new technologies and looked to migrate to ColdFusion 9 on immediate release. But there are things that have changed between version 8 and 9 that break our application. I really cant remember that ever happening before. It is related to changes with the DHTML ExtJS components.

We were actually told that this would be fixed in a hotfix, and to my disappointment the latest hotfix hasn't fixed anything.

So we have a purchased copy of ColdFusion 9 that we cant use, with no easy workaround or solution or even timeline to a solution.

I'm starting to think that Adobe has no interest in support of legacy ColdFusion features, they have really dropped the ball over the last few releases, we use these new features only to find out later that they have no plans to fix, maintain or update them going forward. This isn't the first time this has happened to use either. Some examples.

1. We wrote a large part of our application in Flash Forms, found an issue with dates, and Adobe never addressed or fixed it. And seem to have dropped updating this technology.
2. We wrote a large number of reports using ReportBuilder and adobe seem to have left this product in the trash also, the blog for the product hasn't even had a post since 2007
3. We do a lot of HTML to PDF conversion for reports etc, and every time there is an update to this, the scale or layout changes and we have to go and fix everything.
4. Been burnt multiple times by this one, CFGRID. Its gone from a Java version to a Flash version to an ExtJS version and none of the previous versions ever get any attention.

It begs the question, that perhaps I should just abandon ColdFusion for front end applications the rapid development benefit of ColdFusion for this purpose is quickly eroded by applications that break with new releases.

I really like ColdFusion and there are lot of things in ColdFusion 9 we would like to take advantage of, such as hibernate, but how do I know Adobe wont just stop updating or supporting this going forward also.

Disappointed.

Evony Review a Free Flash / Flex Game

For all those that don't know, Evony is an online real time strategy game. It is written in Flex & Flash and thus runs in your browser and takes download / software installation or updates. I first stumbled across it after seeing the advertisement so many times, I decided to have a look.

From the first time I signed up and started playing, I was hooked. There are a large number of buildings, technologies and troops that can be built over time and the levels of units are deep and well balanced.

A lot of these types of games, I have trouble getting into, they are either too simple or too complex and you just end up being frustrated. But this game is different, it has a series of quests that instruct you through the game, it's almost like playing a campaign while playing a multiplayer game at the same time, very clever indeed.

These quests are both things that you need to learn how to do and you learn them by doing them. The quests are also level based, so you complete one, it opens up others and so on. I found just by doing the quests I learnt about the game, it was really enjoyable.

At some point through the game a quest to join an alliance is undertaken, you join forces with up to 100 other players, who can them help you, send you resources and even reinforce your town if you're under attack.

Alliances can declare war on each other, be friendly etc. There is a dedicated alliance chat, where you chat only to your alliance members and there are heaps of active players. I'm really not that into multi player games normally, but I enjoyed the quests and it just transitioned perfectly into an online multi player experience, now I'm sending alliance members resources, having them teleport next to me for protection and helping in battles.

Probably my favourite feature of the entire game, is that it's real time, even when you're not playing. This is good for all the people who have jobs and lives, you can leave buildings being built, your workers working, your troops training and come back tomorrow for another adventure.

Some of the buildings I need to build are now taking 50-100 real hours to build, and while you can't queue buildings there is always something to do, with three cities now, I'm finding its always keeping me busy even for the couple hours a day I play.

One final point, they advertise this as Evony Free Forever, this is 100% true, the game is 100% free, it doesn't cost you anything but your time and you can do everything you need to do if you're prepared to invest the time. However you can also buy items that will speed your progress through the game without having to wait to win or find them within the game. I think this is a good model and more common of late.

I recommend people give it a go, if you want to see me there, join Server 34 and select Lower Lorraine, I'm in there and look forward to meeting you online

http://dale131970.evony.com

What will the ColdFusion IDE Bolt be named?

Flex Builder will change names at version 4 to Flash Builder 4. This is a move that I support, there is confusion between what Flash / Flex really is, and I think this naming change both removes the confusion and strengthens the Flash brand.

This got me thinking about what Bolt should be named. Firstly I really hope that Bolt is just a code name, because if you search for Bolt you mainly get references to the Dog Movie. Secondly, like strengthening the brand, it needs to strengthen the brand of either ColdFusion or CFML.

I would propose either

ColdFusion Builder
CFML Builder

I prefer the later and they could develop this in such a way that it is the defacto IDE for CFML, regardless of if you use ColdFusion, Railo or Open BlueDragon, then to call it CFML Builder makes sense.

I hope that the CFML advisory board could put this to Adobe or at least have a say as to what they think it should be called. Adobe have the right to call it whatever they like however, but they do listen to opinion.

Windows 7 RC Build 7100

Been working with Windows RC Build 7100 now for a couple weeks, found it to be even better then previous releases. Ie8 is now final and doesn't seem to crash which was my biggest issue with earlier releases.

It also seems faster again, although that might be due to the reinstall.

I also noticed they changed the default window sounds, it's amazing how they stand out, compared to the old sounds that you were so used to you hardly noticed.

My thoughts on Bolt

I have been thinking about Bolt and what it will offer. And while I'm keen on the idea of an official ColdFusion IDE, I was wondering why Adobe are doing this and why now.

I will almost certainly adopt Bolt, not just me but our team here where I work. But it will come down to one thing, price!

If they charge for Bolt, which I think they will, it had better be worth it, after all I currently use CFEclipse on Flex Builder, and that works fine, so what are the benefits for the dollars.

One line of thinking is that ColdFusion might change the pricing model, charge for the IDE so that the server can be less expensive or free. This appeals to me if they do this, I prefer this model, it is somehow easier to spend $X hundred dollars for each developer rather than X thousands of dollars for each server.

If Adobe decide to keep ColdFusion pricing as is and still charge for Bolt, then I think they have misread the market. Given cost cuts in business and the competitors having free offereings, Adobe need to make some brave moves on pricing, and they need to make them now.

iPhone Missing Features - Email

This is the first in a series of posts I'm going to make about the iPhone. After months of use, its just amazing that they iPhone is missing core features that I need and want, I was holding off thinking they will be included with the next update, but they don't seem to be coming.

This post I will talk about the features missing in Email.

• You can only view 200 messages, that's like a day's worth for me, useless, cant get to messages I received or sent last week. The blackberry had a last 30 days option, with the iPhone memory there is no logical reason to have such a small limit.
• You can't search messages, if they fix the limit of 200 messages, they need to add search so that you can search and find a message your looking for.
• When you reply to an email you get an icon indicating you replied, but there is no way jumping to or seeing that reply
• No way to set message importance, don't get this, it's like iPhone decided no one uses this and left it out.

I encourage you post your issues with iPhone email features, they have done a really half ass job of this, and its all fixable via a software update. When BlackBerry people talk to be about how I like my iPhone I tell them I miss the features of a BlackBerry. You can't really do business email on an iPhone.

How Close is ColdFusion 9?

Am looking at setting up some new servers which will require some additional ColdFusion licencing. But was wondering how far ColdFusion 9 is.

I don't want to be one of those people who buys a licence and then a week later sees the post of anyone who buys now gets a free upgrade to ColdFusion 9 and I've wasted my money.

Reading between the lines of a lost of posts etc, it seems pretty close to me, but I'm not sure if that means 3 months or 6. While I might be able to hold off 3, 6 will be a stretch.

So anyone with any info on when it might be available or when they will announce buy CF8 now get CF9 free when it's released, let me know

ColdFusion 9 Needs ActionScript Support

I've talked about this in part in other posts and on other blogs. It seems everyone I talk to about it thinks its a good idea, but that doesn't mean it will happen.

What am I taking about, well it is now common knowledge that ColdFusion 9 will support full script syntax, that means that if you wish you can write all your cfc's without a single tag.

Great, cant wait, there is no place for tags in clases IMHO, and yes they are classes as far as I am concerned not components.

Adobe are on a big push about how ColdFusion 9 and Flex 4 will play so well together, well if they are serious about this, they need to bridge the gap and do it now, not in ColdFusion 10 or later, as they will miss the boat.

And by bridge the gap, I mean, they need to have a common (or similar) syntax between both ColdFusion & Flex. There is no reason they cant do this, the cfc's are parsed and compiled before anything is executed, so its just a bit of extra parsing.

Some examples, if I may

Script: var q = new Query();
ActionScript: var q = new Query();

Now technically ActionScript 3 would have
var q:Query = new Query();
But seeing as ColdFusion is loosly typed, this isn't necessary, thus the above two are equilivant, perfect, Im a happy man.

But this isn't always the case.

Script: Component {
ActionScript: public class {

This one annoys me, why ColdFusion people needed to call a class a component is beyond me. Especially annoying since a component in Flex is something completly different, everyone else calls it a class, so lets call it a class.

The next one is annoying because of how often you write it

Script: private function query getEmployee(employeeId) {
ActionScript: private function getEmployee(employeeId):query {

now this might seem minor, but if you are swapping back and forward from CF to AS all day, it will be very annoying.

Now the major reason they should do this and now, is that there are a lot of legacy Flash developers, moving to ActionScript 3 and Flex who are looking for a back end. They try things, I've seen them on twitter asking what to use, amfphp, weborb, coldfusion. Now if coldfusion supported an actionscript style syntax, it would be a no brainer, and we might turn a large user base of ActionScript people over to ColdFusion.

Now, I'm not saying we should drop old school cfscript syntax or tags, these should work also, as backward compatibility is important, but there is no reason why the parser cant support both. I urge all you who agree to comment, post a blog, comment on the Tim Buntel or Ben Forta blogs. Make a noise and lets lock in a long future of Flex and ColdFusion.