CF411: 1,800+ Tools and Resources for CFers,
(in over 150 categories) by Charlie Arehart (Last Updated: May 16, 2013)

How often do you see a question asked on a list, "does anyone know where I can find CFML resources about xxx", or "what tools are available to do yyy?". Now you have one place you can point people to answer most such questions. See the bottom of this page for additional background information on this service.

Use the category links below or your browser "find" feature (ctrl-f) to search for something specific on this one very long page, and enjoy.

The Categories (first resources, then tools)

I don't here recommend any tools (since needs are so different between folks), and I can't offer an exhaustive list of all tools for all developers, but I do want to help list some of the alternatives available in a variety of categories that are either written for, or are useful by, CF developers. In some cases, I am able to offer below links to other sites that offer reviews of some of these tools.

Additions/Corrections

This is a perpetual work in progress. I welcome additions or corrections to this list. If you have any to offer, please let me know. Be sure to clarify that you're providing additional items for "the 'CF411' list".

CFML-Oriented Resources

CFML Blog Aggregators (and bloggers) [link]

There are literally hundreds of blogs from CFML/CF developers. Some blogs are popular and known by most, while some less popular ones may well offer some hidden gems. Rather than try to list them all here, and indeed rather than you having to read them all, the following aggregators focus on CF-oriented blogs.

Some blogs are in all the aggregators, but it's worth keeping an eye on more than one. I provide as well a link to the list of all CFML blogs that each aggregator follows. This way, you can find out all the folks who blog about CF.
CFML Blog Highlight Services [link]
I want to mention, separately from the aggregators above, that there are also some bloggers who have started organizing periodic highlights of what they deem to be "best of the blogs" in the CF blogosphere. It's a tough job, and it may be hard for them to keep it up, but let's enjoy (and thank) them while they do it.
  • CFML Weekly News, a tinyletter newsletter from Pete Frietag, "gathering of interesting links for CFML (ColdFusion, Railo, OpenBD, etc) Developers & Administrators"
  • All the following seem to have gone dark since late 2010 in keeping up with their admireable goals.
Don't forget to consider using a Feed Reader or one of many RSS to Email services to be kept informed of updates to these.

CFML Books [link]

Following are books that have been written on the subject of ColdFusion or CFML. I'm focusing here only those published in the last several years.

CFML Certification Preparation Resources [link]

The tools mentioned may still be oriented only toward a prior rlease of CF, so if you're looking for that latest release-specific information to help with getting certified, the best bet is the CFML documentation.

CFML Conferences [link]

The following conferences have some, if not an entire, focus on ColdFusion and CFML. While I normally list other tools and resources in alphabetical order, in this case it seems useful to list them in order of their occurrence during the year. I present these in the order of the month they occur (did or will), regardless of the year, in case either they are delayed in announcing the date for a new year, or I am late in getting that information here. The assumption is that each event tends to repeat around the same time each year. I do bold the year to help warn you of the current information at the time of my last edit here.

About the Strikeouts: I will also strike out the whole date after it passes. If I notice there's no announcement of the next year's event within a couple of months of its expected date, I will then strike out the whole event, to suggest that it may be defunct. Finally, if an event is announced as no longer happening (or the URL breaks for an extended period, or there is no new event after 2 years of the last occurrence), I will move it to the defunct section at the bottom of the category.
  • OpenCF Summit, organized by Matt Woodward, et al (Garland, TX, USA; Feb 24-26 2012)
  • WebDU, organized by Geoff Bowers, et al (Sydney, Australia; May 3-4 2012)
  • Adobe MAX, organized by Adobe (Los Angeles, CA, USA; May 4-8 2013. Note that the originally announced date of Oct 20-24 2012 no longer applies.)
    • ColdFusion Unconference at MAX (included in Max registration) organized by Ray Camden, et al (No longer to be offered.)
  • cf.Objective(), organized by Jared Rypka-Hauer, et al (Minneapolis, MN, USA; May 15-18 2013)
  • D2W, "designer/developer workflow conference", organized by Dee Sadler (Kansas City, MO, USA; May 16-18 2012)
  • Scotch on the Rocks, organized by Andy Allan, et al (Edinburgh, Scotland; Jun 6-7 2013)
  • RIACon, covering ColdFusion, Flex/AIR/Actionscript, Javascript/Ajax, and more, organized by Phil Nacelli and AboutWeb (Rockville, MD, USA; Aug 6, 7 2012)
  • NCDevCon, organized by Dan Wilson, et al (Raleigh, NC, USA; Sep 29-30 2012)
  • MuraCon, the Mura conference, organized by BlueRiver Interactive (Washington, DC, USA; Oct 10-11 2012)
  • Open Source CFML for Government Conference, organized by Open CFML Foundation (Washington, DC, USA; Oct 9 2012)
  • CFCamp, organized by Michael Hnat, et al (Munich, Germany; Oct 14-15 2013)
  • cf.Objective(ANZ), organized by Mark Mandel, et al (Melbourne, Australia; Nov 1-2 2012)
  • You can also find CF conferences listed on the site Lanyrd (that's a link that searches only for coming CF conferences). I'm not contributing to keeping that updated, myself, but thanks to those who are.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
  • The following seem defunct:
    • BFlex and BFusion ((bflex.info), organized by Bob Flynn, et al (Bloomington, IN, USA), last held in Sep 2010
    • BR Conference ((brconference.com/en/), Brazilian Adobe products conference, organized by Francisco Paulino (Rio de Janeiro Brazil), last scheduled for 2010 but did not happen
    • CF Dev Camp (www.cfdevcamp.org), organized by Sidney Maestre, Alan Rother, et al (Phoenix, AZ, USA), last held Nov 2010
    • CFDevCon ((www.cfdevcon.com), organized by Russ Michaels, et al, (London, England), last held in 2007
    • PhillyMerge (www.phillymerge.com), organized by Adam Tuttle and Steve Rittler (Philadelphia, PA, USA), last held July 2011
    • CFUnited (www.cfunited.com), organized by Michael Smith, et al (Washington, DC area, USA), last held in Jul 2010
    • Dallas TechFest (dallastechfest.com), a one-day event with many tracks (Dallas, TX, USA), last held Aug 2011
    • RIAAdventure Cruise (www.riaadventure.com), organized by Joshua Cyr, et al (Western Carribean), last held in Dec 2009
    • RIA Unleashed, organized originally by Brian Rinaldi, (Waltham, MA, USA), last held Oct 2011
    • Scotch on the Road (www.scotchontheroad.com), organized by Andy Allan, et al (Europe), last held in Oct 2009
    • Spring <br> (www.sbconference.com), organized by Dave Hannum, et al (Athens, OH, USA), last held in Jun 2009
    • Webmaniacs (www.webmaniacsconference.com), organized by Fig Leaf Software (Washington, DC, USA), last held in 2009

CFML Documentation/Help Tools and Resources [link]

While the Adobe docs are the best source for CFML documentation, there are online versions of that both from Adobe and others, providing access to the docs in various ways. Please note, though, that while most of the other resources show only the CFML reference, the actual Adobe docs contain more than just the CFML Reference, including a Developer's Guide, Installation Guide, Administration Guide, and more. See the Livedocs for more on those.

ColdFusion Hosting Alternatives [link]

This is not an ultimate list of all CF hosts. Indeed, after this list I link to other places (Ben Forta's site, Adobe, and others) that have other lists of CF hosts. These are just some of the more widely used and named hosts that have specific CF support, some supporting CF 6, 7, 8, and/or 9 specifically (some even offering BD and Railo), and most offer a choice of either shared, private, or virtual private servers (VPS).

CFML Job Resources (Hire/Be Hired) [link]

The following free resources can help someone either offering or looking for a CF job/contract. Some are mailing lists or forums which focus on them, others are resources where you can get your offer/availability listed for those watching for such.

CFML Mailing Lists and Forums (finding help and support) [link]

Following are several mailing lists, discussion lists, and forums (most support both web-based and email-based dicussion) where you can find ask or find answers to common questions and challenges. Note as well that at the end of the list, I also offer links to several individuals who are open to taking direct questions. (If you use the forums first, though, you may get answers from more people and also help educate more readers.)

(If you're looking for CF-based forums, meaning those *written* in CFML, see instead Forums/Bulletin Board Tools (written in CFML) .)

CFML Podcasts, Past and Present [link]

I've divided the list into those that are active and those that seem no longer to be.
Active CFML Podcasts [link] Think I'm missing your favorite podcast? Check if I've moved it to Seemingly (or Definitely) Inactive CFML Podcasts.

Other Media Resources

See also other media resources which, while not podcasts, may appeal to those seeking audio/video presentations: Seemingly (or Definitely) Inactive CFML Podcasts [link]

The following podcasts seem no longer to be updated, or have declared to be no longer active. If the site link still works, I offer it as a hyperlink:
  • Aboutcast (podcast.aboutweb.com) ran for a couple of episodes in 2006, hosted by Nic Tunney and AboutWeb
  • CFBrew (ww.cfbrew.com), with Mike Chandler (ran for 4 episodes in 2010)
  • CFConversations, with Brian Meloche and others
  • CF Docs, hosted by Mark Drew
  • CFEclipse Videos offered as a podcast by Mark Drew in 2006 (note the videos were designed to be small enough to view in an iPod) (recovered via archive.org)
  • cfframeworks.com offered 8 interview podcasts hosted by Nick Tong and Kola Oyedeji, from Jan-Mar 2007
  • CFPanel, with Dan Vega and Todd Sharp
  • CFUnited podcast (http://podcast.cfunited.com), was recordings of conference presentations, hosted by Christian Ready
  • ColdFusion Muse, with Mark Kruger (ran from Nov 2005 through May 2006)
  • ColdFusion Weekly, with Matt Woodward and Peter Farrell, went off the air in early 2008 after a 2 year run
  • Deductive Developers, with Matt Woodward and Peter Farrell, was a hoped-for follow up to their CFWeekly podcast, but ran for only 2 episodes
  • I'm my own sql, hosted by C. Hatton Humphrey, ran out of HouseofFusion.com for just a couple of episodes in late 2006
  • OutLoud, with Hal Helms and Jeff Peters, ran for 47 episodes from Oct 2005 through Sep 2007, then again for a few episodes in 2011
  • RIAPodcast, with John Mason and frequent panelists Josh Adams, Charlie Arehart, and Doug Knudsen
  • Runtime Expectations, with Adrian Pomilio, Bucky Schwarz, and Ben Farrell. A show on CodeBass Radio.
  • The ColdFusion Podcast (coldfusionpodcast.com), with Bryan Kaiser and Michael Haynie, ran for 38 episodes from Oct 2005 through Jan 2007
  • the ColdFusion Show, with Ryan Stille and Mike Henke, ran for 8 episodes, ending in early 2012
  • The Scotch on the Rocks conference organizers (Stephen Moretti and Andy Allan) did a podcast (scotch-on-the-rocks.co.uk/blog/index.cfm/Podcasts) which ran for one episode in 2007
  • The WebDU conference had a podcast briefly (webdu.com.au/mxsession/feeditunes)
  • This week in ColdFusion (twicf.com), with Brian Carr, Micky Dionisio and Mike Chandler, ran for several epidodes in 2011
  • Steven Erat made two attempts at podcasts in 2005, first with the CFMX 7 podcast, where he read selected Macromedia Devnet articles about CF7, and then the even shorter-lived CF NewsRadio
  • While not CF-specific there was one episode of the All Things Adobe which was CF-related, in 2007. Since the site offers a category for CF topics, I offer that in case they do more.
  • And though not technically a "CF" podcast, see also the D2W podcast, with Dee Sadler (d2w=designer/developer workflow)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

CFML-Powered Web Sites (who's using CFML?) [link]

There are several resources which try to track sites that use CF. Some are not updated as often as they could be, and some just list "all sites" they know of, while others do try to highlight the more popular (better known) sites. If you've wondered "who uses CF", this is a place to start:

CFML Resource Sites [link]

This site has many different kinds of resources, but here are some other sites that try to aggregate other CFML resources. See the list after these for other sections of this site that offer resources.

CFML-specific Search Resources [link]

Google has a feature called "Custom Search Engines" (or CSEs), where one can create a search mechanism that limits searches to a given set of sites, with the intention that this could produce a better topic-specific search. When this feature first came out, several people stepped up to create them. The following seem to be those that are more active and udpated (providing the ability to search upwards of 1,000 CF-oriented sites or more).

CFML-oriented Security Resources [link]

Every CFML developer and server administrator should be concerned with security, both in their code and in their server configuration. Following are some resources that are specifically related to security with respect to CFML and ColdFusion server.

CFML Training Resources (free) [link]

Besides the link below to actual CF trainers, some may prefer to take advanatage of any training that may available online for free. Fortunately, there are several such resources.(Some may be from an older release, such as CF 7, but for many folks getting started, these will be acceptable.)

CFML Tuning/Troubleshooting Resources [link]

Rather than list specific articles and blog entries (as there are so many), here are resources that are themselves lists of other CFML tuning/troubleshooting resources.

CFML Tutorial/Article Sites [link]

Professional CF-oriented Assistance [link]

While there are many resources listed above where you can obtain free support (from mailing lists, to blogs, to user groups, and more), sometimes you just may be more interested in paying someone who provides professional support, whether on-site or over-the-web. I've divided this category into the following groupings: Where possible, I've offered any direct link the company/person may have to their coverage of that specific sort of assistance. I've pre-populated the list with several folks but as always I definitely welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
CF-oriented Troubleshooting Consultants [link]

If you need help with CF-oriented consulting services, including troubleshooting, here are some alternatives. Note that some require a minimum commitment of days, while others (like myself, the Carehart.org listing) have no such minimum. See related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. CF-oriented Application Development Consultants [link]

If you're looking for assistance with CFML coding, here are some alternatives. I do not want to list here web site development shops, unless they specialize in CF and/or CFML. See related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. CF-oriented Mentors [link]

This list includes those who mention mentoring services on their sites. Note that their services may be very specific (mentoring in a given area or technique). See related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. CF-oriented Trainers [link]

This includes both those who do Adobe CF training and their CF-oriented own training, whether in their own locations, at contract training facilities, or over the web. See related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Tools (CFML and other)

Blogging Tools (written in CFML) [link]

The following are blogging tools (tools for creating a blog) that are written in CFML. Of course, you can find blogging tools written in many other languages that you may choose to use on your site (as well as hosted solutions, where the code platform doesn't matter to you). I don't want to try to keep here a list of all such CMSes, so this focuses on those that are written in CFML and that you can download. I list, after that, hosted solutions written in CFML.
  • 1ssBlog, open source, from Ed Tabara
  • AVBlog (http://www.avblog.org/) (defunct), open source, from Andrea Veggiani
  • BlogCFC, open source, from Ray Camden
  • BlogCFM, open source, from Rick Root
  • CFBloggy, open source, from John Ramon (see also his blog)
  • cfBlog, open source, from Francois Levesque
  • CFCPhotoBlog, open source "photo-blogging web application that uses the Model-Glue framework", from Seth Duffey
  • CFMoBlog, open source "mobile blog software", from John Ramon
  • Fuseblog, open source, from James Husum (not updated in some time)
  • KoldKast, free for download, and also available as a fee-based hosted solution, from Rick Smith
  • MachBlog, a blogging package from Matt Woodward and Peter Farrell, and based on Mach-ii
  • Mango, "a sweet ColdFusion blog engine" from Laura Arguello of asfusion
  • My Blog, "a small blog application", from Gurpreet Singh Randhawa
  • Teapot, "simple, fun to use and easy to customize", from Gurpreet Singh Randhawa
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of blog tools (was http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&amp;categoryID=7608CD26-EF1B-7639-3D1C6C3F2D3A4A22)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
There are also a few blogging solutions that, while written in CFML, are not available for download but instead are available as hosted solutions:
  • Blog-City, fee-based hosted solution
  • Blogfusion (Blogfusion.com, not responding on Jan 14, 2011), free and fee-based hosted solutions, from Jake McKee
  • CFBlog (cfblog.com, not responding on Jan 14, 2011), free hosted solution for the CF community, powered by BlogFusion
  • InstantSpot (http://www.instantspot.com), free hosted solution, from Aaron Lynch and Dave Shuck (no longer a blogging solution, domain piced up by someone else)
  • KoldKast, free for download, and also available as a fee-based hosted solution, from Rick Smith
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
Besides the tools above used to create blogs, here are some that can help with creating blog entries:

Browser Alternatives [link]

Since most CFML developers build browser-based web applications, it may be helpful to be aware of many of the different browsers out there, which your users may use. There's more than just Firefox and IE (and even Opera and Safari.) This is not an ultimate list. There are a few more I found which I've just never heard of. Can't be an ultimate compendium in every category.

Bug Tracking/Defect Tracking/Trouble Ticket/Help Desk Tools [link]

I've split this list of bug tracking/defect tracking/trouble ticket/help desk tools into those written in CFML, and the rest, both open source and commercial. You may also want to consider project management tools, which sometimes incorporate features like this.
Following are the subcategories offered:
Bug Tracking/Defect Tracking/Trouble Ticket/Help Desk Tools Written in CFML [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Bug Tracking/Defect Tracking/Trouble Ticket/Help Desk Tools Written in other languages [link]
(Some downloadable, others as services; some open source, others commercial). See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Caching Tools for CFML [link]

While CF9 now includes EHCache-based caching, and has long had other forms of caching (query caching, page/content caching with cfcache and cfsavecontent, and more), there are still various solutions that have long existed (and some that are still being updated/supported) to add still more caching options for CFML.
  • CacheBox, open source, from the ColdBox team: "an enterprise caching engine, aggregator and API for ColdFusion applications"
  • CacheBox, open source, from Isaac Dealey
  • Cache management, open source from Cristian Costantini. CFML implementation of ehcache, for ColdFusion and Railo
  • CF_Accelerate, free, from Brandon Purcell's (Inspired by older CF_SuperCache, though the latter offers disk-based caching while the former does not). There's also a a variant based on that, by Tom Dyson (http://www.throwingbeans.org/filebased_caching_in_coldfusion.html, not responding on Jan 14 2011), to support file-based caching
  • CF_CacheOMatic, free, from Eric Jansson (as discussed in and downloadable from a devX article)
  • CF_TurboCache, free, from HotFusion
  • cfmemcached, open source, from Jon Hirschi
  • fusecache, open source, "extension to the Fusebox framework that enables developers to integrate enterprise-level caching solutions like Memcached, EHCache, CacheBox, etc.", from Matt Gersting
  • JohnnyCache, open source, from Andy Powell
  • Memcached, open source, from Mark Lynch
  • ScopeCache, open source, from Ray Camden
  • SoftCache, open source, from Ashwin Matthews
  • Also, while not writtin *IN* CFML, the following can be used WITH your CFML, because CF runs on top of Java, and therefore you can leverage Java filters and custom tags in your CFML apps: For more on using Java filters with CFML, see my Feb 2003 CFDJ article, "Fun with Filters". And for more on using JSP custom tags with CF, besides the CF docs (Developers Guide), see my May 2002 CFDJ article, "Using JSP Custom Tags in CFMX: What, Why, and How".
  • Of course, CF9 and above does have built-in EHCache caching, but you can learn more about it and tools like it in the separate category, Distributed Caching Tools
  • See also CacheRight, commercial for IIS, which while not CF-specific does work with CF. Works similarly to the Apache module mod_expires. See their FAQ for discussion of use with CF.
  • And of course there are many other web caching solutions out there, in the form of HTTP Accelerators or Reverse Proxy tools. See the Wikipedia entry covering both classes and offering links to specific implementations like Litespeed, Squid, Varnish, and many more.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

CF Hotfix Management Tools [link]

  • cfUpdater, open source, from John Mason. "Custom extension tool for the ColdFusion Administrator to make handling and managing ColdFusion updates easier." This is a subset of functionality also found in the more complete MerlinManager tool listed elsewhere here.
  • CF Updates and Patches RSS Feeds, a free feed of CF hotfixes and security patches, from John Mason
  • Unofficial Updater 2, Unofficial Updater 2, from David Epler, "a tool to provide an easy way of consistently applying applicable hot fixes and security bulletins to ColdFusion 8.0.1 or 9.0.1."
  • Note that the next release of ColdFusion, currently labelled Zeus (as of Nov 2011) is slated to have built-in hotfix management capabilities, and Adobe have announced that the mechanism will be made available for those on CF 8 and 9, as well.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Captcha Tools/Alternatives for CFML [link]

CFMAIL Replacements/Enhancements [link]

These are tools that either can replace CF's built-in mechanism for generating and sending email, or that supplement and enhance it (such as tools to help manager undelivered email). If you're looking for an mail server, see the separate category, Mail Servers/Gateways.
  • ActivMail, once commercial, now to be open source, from Zrinity (formerly from CFDev)
  • CFX_Imap4, commercial, from Paul Vernon (also available at CFTagStore)
  • InFusion Mail Server (IMS) and FusionMail, commercial (with free Developer edition), from CoolFusion
  • intelli Mailbot (http://www.cfxtras.com/SalesComponentDetail.cfm?componentid=380)
  • Spoolmail, open source, from Ray Camden
  • Undelivrnator , open source, from Andy Matthews
  • See also the Adobe Developer's exchange on tags/functions/apps related to CFMAIL, though it may contain very old variants that no longer work or are supported
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of Email tools (was http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&categoryID=5E4D2313-BA57-554D-EF73F12FE27D2A1A)
  • Note, as well, that the CFMAIL tag itself has evolved significantly over the years, so some of the various alternatives may not always be needed. 6.1 added replyto/failto/username/password/wraptext attributes, support for multiple mail servers in the server attribute, and several configuration options to the ColdFusion Administrator Mail Settings page. 6.1 also added support for HTML email via CFMAILPARAM and multipart email with CFMAILPART. You can even optionally not use the spooling process via an optional SpoolEnable as of 6. Finally CF 8 added priority, useSSL, and useTLS attributes.
  • Finally, if you may be looking for alternative mail servers, see the separate category for that: Mail Servers/Gateways.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

CFML Code Formatting Tools [link]

CFML Debugging Output Template Alternatives/Mods [link]

Many don't realize that the CF debugging output (optionally displayed at the bottom of the page, as enabled in the CF Admin) is actually created by a CFML template that can be modified ([cf]\wwwroot\WEB-INF\debug\classic.cfm). Fortunately, several people have offered various resources that explain how to work with this file and offer packaged alternatives with specific features to resolve particular problems (where people wish the debugging output did more, or could be seen differently than at the bottom of the page). You can just drop these in to add to or replace the default file, and if it's a new file you can then select it as an alternative in the CF Admin Debugging Output page which offers a choice for "Select Debugging Output Format", which points to the classic.cfm by default. Of course, since it's CFML source code, all the options mentioned here are free and open source.
  • "Another hack job", from Ray Camden, adding total query time, improved number formatting for individual query times, and highlighting queries that a given duration
  • CF Debug Enhanced, open source from Ajas Mohammed (with a focus on providing extended info on querys and SP results)
  • CF-FireLogger, open source ColdFusion server-side library for the FireLogger Firebug extension
  • ColdFire, open source from Nathan Mische et al, a Firefox/Firebug extension to aid in viewing CFML debugging output by way of a new alternative debugging output template, coldfire.cfm
  • ColdFusion Debug Templates, "in case you want to try something different than the default template", from Josh Knutson
  • Debug2FusionReactor, from Intergral, for showing CF debugging output in FR Marker tab
  • Improved Classic CF debugging template, from Aaron Longnion. (This is a version of the page recovered using the archive.org "wayback machine".) Changes list of templates executed to show in order executed, rather than by order of duration. Also adds cfqueryparam variable values for queries shown.
  • Mark Kruger's Improved CF debugging template, showing cfqueryparam info.
  • StarFish, from Ray Camden, a profiling tool built on the CF debugger. Stores debugging output in server scope, and adds an Admin customization interface to view reports based on gathered information.
  • Stiletto, from John Mason, for logging CF debugging output to a file (inspired by a blog entry by Bilal Soylu
  • Zoid, from Ray Camden. Changes the table of templates executed from a summary for each (even if called multiple times) to in individual display of each, in order.
  • Note as well that another alternative to showing debugging output at the bottom of the page is a built-in option in CF. Note the available "dockable" option in the choice for "Select Debugging Output Format". While the aforementioned classic.cfm is the default, the dockable.cfm instead shows the debugging output as dockable/movable/floatable pane instead.
  • See also the next section, CFML Debugging Tools, for other kinds of CFML debugging tools.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

CFML Debugging Tools [link]

CFML Documentation/Help Tools and Resources

See this section as listed above under CFML Resources.

CFML Engine Alternatives [link]

CFML Frameworks/Methodologies [link]

There are far more CFML frameworks (or methodologies) than many may realize. I've tried to group these according to the sub-category most would regard a framework to be, but I could get it wrong. Just let me know.

I provide whatever brief description may be found on the respective web site (so if you don't like the description, talk to the site owner and let me know if it changes...and framework owners, you'd do well to have a nice succinct description to help visitors get a quick understanding of the frameworks purpose, goals, intended use, etc.)

Similarly, if there's a name associated with the project on the site, or if a name is commonly known as being responsible for the framework, I list that. As always, I'm open to updates.

Note as well that some of these may be defunct. As long as there was a working site (or some relatively recent site talking about it, even if a third party), I list it. At the end I list some frameworks whose sites seem defunct. Again, updates are welcomed.

Following are the subcategories offered:
CFML Application Frameworks/Methodologies [link]
See other aspects and related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • Blackbox (http://www.cfblackbox.com/) "ColdFusion Development Methodology", from Dan Chick (seems defunct)
  • CFObjects, "object-oriented ColdFusion development framework", from Steve Brownlee and Orbwave
  • cfrails, (couldn't find any brief description), from Sammy Larbil
  • CFWheels, "ColdFusion on Wheels provides fast application development, a great organization system for your code, and is just plain fun to use", from the CFWheels Team
  • COAL (ColdFusion Open Application Library), from Ryan Guill
  • ColdBox, "event-driven CFC based ColdFusion Framework", from Luis Majano, et al (See also DevBox, a fully-running open source CFML stack for developing ColdBox applications based on Railo.)
  • ColdBox Lite (CBL), "A light-weight conventions-based MVC framework" "with a subset of features of the ColdBox Platform that deal with MVC only", from Luis Majano, et al
  • ColdMVC, "a convention based MVC framework for ColdFusion 9 loosely based on concepts from Ruby on Rails and Grails.", from Tony Nelson
  • COOP, "a framework that separates mark-up from processing logic", from John Farrar, et al
  • Edmund, "event-driven model framework and workflow components", from Sean Corfield
  • FarCry, "a cutting edge ColdFusion MX application framework for web based content management", from Geoff Bowers and Daemon Consulting
  • Framework One (FW/1), "A very lightweight, convention-over-configuration MVC framework", from Sean Corfield
  • Fusebox, "the most popular framework for building ColdFusion and PHP web applications", from Team Fusebox
  • FuseboxNG (cfrant.blogspot.com/2009/08/fuseng-announced.html) (never got off the ground), "fork from Fusebox 5.5.1", from Adam Haskell
  • Gliint, "an implicit invocation MVC framework", from Mitch Rose
  • HomePortals, "especially tailored for building portals and other highly modular sites", from Oscar Arevalo
  • iiFramework, "manages many aspects of e-business development so that the programmer doesn't have to", from Infranet
  • LightFront, "short for Lightweight Front-controller...a basic MVC framework that will support both new development and legacy applications...conventions based...single 200-line CFC", from Brian Meloche (more here)
  • Mach-ii, "a powerful, object-oriented, open source MVC framework for ColdFusion that focuses on easing software development and maintenance", from Team Mach-II
  • Metro, a framework for working with Transfer and ColdSpring, from Paul Marcotte
  • Mockbox, a ColdFusion Mocking/Stubbing Framework, from Luis Majano
  • Model-Glue, "a family of frameworks [that] support Web application developers by making the construction of Object-Oriented Web and Rich Internet Applications a straightforward process", from the Model-Glue Team
  • onAir, "a 'Smart Connection Framework': Connect backend business logic written in CFCs with different clients (e.g. AJAX, Laszlo) via XML, XML-RPC, JSON, etc.", from Jan Jannek
  • OnTap, "shares some similarities with Ruby on Rails", from Isaac Dealey
  • PiMunkey, "Property-Invocation (Pi) Programming is a structured framework for building object-oriented CF applications that adhere strongly to OO principles, while simultaneously establishing a plugin architecture for infinite extendability", from MillionMunkeys.net
  • Neptune, "ColdFusion Productivity (and MVC) Framework", from Steve Bryant
  • Plum (http://www.productivityenhancement.com/plum/) (defunct), "stands for Practical Lightweight Universal Methodology, and it incorporates a rich code generator, a development methodology, a comprehensive application framework that does just about everything you'll ever need to do with a ColdFusion application, a unit test generator, and stored procedure generator, a component generator, and much more.", from Productivity Enhancement
  • PureMVC_CF, a CF port of PureMVC, "a lightweight framework for creating applications based upon the classic Model, View and Controller concept", from Cliff Hall (other ports include Flex [AS2, 3], PHP, Java, and .NET [c#])
  • Quicksilver, "allows developers to quickly and efficiently create powerful MVC web application", from Brian Carr and Micky Dionisio
  • SOS, "stands for Servant Oriented Software...uses the technology in a way that matches your developing style and needs", from John Farrar
  • Switchboard, "MVC framework with built in authentication, redirecting, and URL routing. It's non-OO approach makes it super fast during execution. No XML or Objects are ever used in the framework. No configuration is required to set which files are included, the framework discovers that for you. The URL routing is beneficial for search engine optimization (SEO). And all this can be yours in less than 250 lines of code", from Daniel Slaughter
  • Switchbox (www.switch-box.org), (defunct) "a programming technique and coding style used to develop flexible and scalable applications", from Joseph Flanigan
  • Tardis, "Model-View-Controller Framework for ColdFusion", from Shawn Gorrell
  • Tartan (http://www.tartanframework.org/tartan/) (defunct), "a command-driven service framework for ColdFusion", from Paul Kenney
  • TheHUB (http://www.codesweeper.com/index.cfm?event=dsp.the_hub) (defunct), "homegrown application development framework", from Neil Ross
  • TrafficMunkey, "TrafficMunkey is an open-source framework designed for the entire lifecycle, from prototyping to maintenance. It has site maps, graphic templates, navigation 'skinning', exit points, CFC integration, and integrated security. The goal is quick changes", from MillionMunkeys.net
  • Some that seem defunct include cfoo.org, cfoop.com, fusionscript.com, MXF, MVCF, objectbreeze.com, underscoreframework.com
  • Some folks also see CMSs as frameworks, so see my list of them.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
CFML Injection Frameworks [link]
See other aspects and related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • ColdSpring "dependency injection/AOP framework", from Chris Scott
  • DI/1 - Inject One , "A very lightweight, convention-over-configuration Dependency Injection framework", from Sean Corfield
  • Lightwire, "a very lightweight Direct Injection/IoC engine", from Peter Bell
  • Wirebox, "Dependency Injection and AOP library for ColdFusion", from the ColdBox team
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
CFML REST Frameworks [link]
See other aspects and related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • PowerNap, "ColdFusion ReSTful web services made easy", from Brian Carr, Ryan McIlmoyl
  • RESTfulCF, "a framework for ColdFusion that simplifies the publishing of RESTful API-style interface", from Tim Blair
  • Taffy, "a framework for building REST APIs inspired by FW/1, Powernap, Swiz, and jQuery. ", from Adam Tuttle
  • See also REST support within ColdBox ("Relax"), Mach II's REST endpoints, Quicksilver, and others.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
CFML ORM Frameworks [link]
See other aspects and related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • ColdFusion 9 includes ORM, based on Hibernate
  • DataFaucet, "collection of CFCs used to create dynamic object relational modeling (ORM)", from Isaac Dealey
  • DBMunkey, "DBMunkey, which is part of the FormMunkey Suite, is a configuration-free ORM. Based on the structure of HTML forms, it auto-generates queries with inner, outer, and cross joins, as well as performing automatic inserts, updates, and deletes. It can generate WHERE clauses based on URL parameters, with ORDER BY statements and wildcard support. It supports DB queries, Memory-based queries (Application, Session, Request, etc.), LDAP directories, and exports data to emails", from MillionMunkeys.net
  • Reactor, "an Object-Relational Modeling tool which generates database abstractions on the fly, as needed. Reactor is sometimes called an "Inline Dynamic Database Abstraction" API", from Alagad
  • Transfer, "ColdFusion Object Relational Mapping Library...to automate the repetitive tasks of creating the SQL and custom CFCs that are often required when developing a ColdFusion application", from Mark Mandel
  • See also the ORM feature of CFWheels, as well as DataMgr, "Data Access Layer component set", from Steve Bryant (not technically an ORM tool, but closer to this than the other categories)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
See also:
  • Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of frameworks (was http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&categoryID=761A6FDC-AD34-17D4-3A9DBBE2B438A2AA">
  • CFFrameworks.com list of frameworks.
  • CFPetmarket.com, a repository of implementations of the CF Petmarket app in various frameworks
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

CFML Wiki Tools [link]

Code Generators [link]

There are multiple categories of code generators offered here.
Following are the subcategories offered:
CFML Code Generators [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Flex Code Generators [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Comparison Tools [link]

There are multiple categories of comparison tools offered here.
Following are the subcategories offered:
Text/File/Dir Comparison/Merge Tools [link]
Following are tools that can compare text, file, and directory comparisons and merging. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Database Comparison Tools [link]
Following are tools that can compare database data and schema. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Content Delivery Networks [link]

Rather than serve all your files from your web server, there may be great benefit in serving your files from a distributed network of other servers (served transparently to your visitors).

Content Management Systems or CMSes(written in CFML) [link]

The following are CMSes written in CFML. I've mentioned also portal apps, as those seem close. Of course, you can find a CMS written in many other languages that you may choose to use on your site. I don't want to try to keep here a list of all such CMSes.
  • Affino, commercial, from Comrz
  • AssetNow NX, commercial, from Orbital
  • bluApple (http://bluapple.riaforge.org/), open source, from Marco Williams. (Formerly known as CF Nuke) (download disabled for months)
  • Boomsocket (currently in alpha, as of April 08)
  • Bytespring CMS (www.jmpj.net/jason/page.cfm/BytespringCMS), defunct, open source, from Jason Sheedy
  • CAM-II CMS (camiicms.riaforge.org/), open source, from Steve Good. Built with ColdFusion, AJAX (JQuery) and uses the Mach-II framework.
  • CFC_Nuke (cfcNuke.riaforge.org), open source Portal App, from Scott Stewart
  • ColdBricks, open source, from Oscar Arevalo
  • CommonSpot, commercial, from Paperthin
  • CONTENS, and CONTENS relate (Social Network Solution), commercial, by CONTENS
  • ContentBox, open source, "A powerful modular content management engine built on the ColdBox framework", from the ColdBox team
  • ContentMonger Pro, free, by Matt Robertson, available in the Adobe Dev Exchange
  • Contribute, commercial, from Adobe
  • DA-Content, commercial, from Dynapp
  • EmPower and CMS products, commercial, from Ektron
  • FarCry CMS open source, from Daemon
  • Hot Banana ColdFusion CMS, commercial, from Hot Banana Software/Lyris
  • IFactum e-Business Suite, commercial, with editions for ColdFusion and BlueDragon
  • Katapult, open source, from John Mason
  • Knivis, commercial
  • LightHouse CMS, a commercial hosted service (not currently downloadable)
  • Mojito (http://mojito.riaforge.org/index.cfm) , open source, from James Harvey (download disabled for months)
  • Mura, open source, from Blue River Interactive Group (formerly named Sava CMS)
  • NQcontent WCM, commercial, from NetQuest
  • Preside CMS, commercial, from Pixl8
  • Sava (now renamed Mura), open source, from Blue River Interactive Group
  • Savvy Content Manager, commercial, from Savvy Software
  • ShadoCMS, commercial, from Straker Interactive
  • Simple Content Editor (contenteditor.riaforge.org) (discontinued)
  • SiteExecutive, commercial, from Systems Alliance
  • Speck CMS, open source, from Robin Hilliard and Mark Woods
  • Splash CMS, open source, from Russ Johnson
  • TeamworkCMS, open source and commercial, from Digital Crew
  • Thrive CMS, from Cabbage Tree Creative
  • WebOS 'Carbon 14' (now renamed Mojito
  • WebPress Pro, commercial
  • Yet Another ColdFusion CMS, open source, from Terrence Ryan
  • Xindi, open source, from Simon Bingham
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of content management systems (was http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&categoryID=82AC7342-BC7E-906C-6F0488877594574B)
  • Of course, there are likely hundreds of non-CF CMSes out there. I don't want to try to keep track of all of them. Consider watching such resources as http://www.cmsmatrix.org/.
  • The following seem defunct:
    • MindsEye Element (www.mindseyeelement.com), from MindsEye
    • Synergy (www.synergyanywhere.com), from EvolutionB
    • Tapestry, from New Epoch
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Database Engines [link]

I split the list into two categories.
Following are the subcategories offered: (I used to split it instead into "name brand" and "alternative", but I think free/commercial makes more sense.) As I note below, some commercial DBMSs do offer free editions.
Free/Open Source DBMSs [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Commercial DBMSs [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • 4D, multi-platform
  • DB2, multi-platform, from IBM
  • Informix, multi-platform, from IBM
  • Interbase XE, multi-platform, from Embarcadero (with free Develpoment edition)
  • MiniSQL (aka, "msql"), Unix-based with available ports for Windows, OS X, from Hughes Technologies (with free licenses for schools, charities, etc.)
  • OpenBase, multiplatform
  • Oracle, multi-platform, from Oracle (also free in Express edition, above)
  • Pointbase (www.pointbase.com), defunct, java-based (multi-platform), from IBM
  • SQL Server, for Windows, from Microsoft (also free in Express edition, above)
  • Sybase, multi-platform, from Sybase SQL Server
  • ThinkSQL, multi-platform (free developer edition)
  • Note as well in the free DBMSs category above that MySQL and 4D have commercial editions also
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Database Tools [link]

There are multiple categories of database tools offered here.
Following are the subcategories offered:
Database Coding Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Database Comparison Tools
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Database Migration Tools [link]
The following tools assiset with database migration/conversion, change migration, synchronization, conversion of stored procedures, and more. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Database/SQL Monitoring Tools Database Query/Explore Tools [link]
This category includes both tools to help you build SQL statements as well as to explore your databases and their tables, columns, indexes, data, etc. Some are CF-specific tools, some are generic. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Database Testing Tools

E-commerce Enabling Solutions (written in CFML) [link]

There are certainly carts and other e-commerce enabling solutions written in other languages, and some could possibly even be called or leveraged from CFML, but for now, this list focuses only on those that are CFML-based.
  • Able Commerce, commercial, for CF and .NET
  • Broadchoice platform, commercial hosted service. As described by Sean Corfield, "You can build and manage a website on the Broadchoice platform that includes applications such as blogs and forums and integration with YouTube, SlideShare, SalesForce.com etc. Looking to the future, we'll be offering a developer SDK and the ability to integrate third-party external applications - such as CF developers might build and host on their own sites. We're looking to change the way organizations manage their digital marketing."
  • Cartweaver, commercial shopping cart
  • CF-ezCart, commercial shopping cart
  • cfCommerce , open source shopping cart, by Nick Tong
  • CF Shopkart, free, downloadable or hosted
  • CF WebStore, commercial e-commerce solution
  • DA-Store, commercial, from Dynapp
  • emart, commercial "Ecommerce Solution & Shopping Cart Solution"
  • QuickEStore, commercial downloadable shopping cart solution
  • SiteDirector, commercial shopping cart
  • StarterCart, "Free and open source shopping cart, from Steve Bryant
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of e-commerce tools (was http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&categoryID=B2B24AA6-A086-75E4-B1AC3B55D9ADD628)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Editors/IDEs [link]

This list offers both editors that focus on CFML and some others that don't but are popular among some CFers. For times when you just want to view files, rather than edit them, see the available file viewers listed under Generic File View/Log Analysis Tools.
Following are the subcategories offered: See also WYSIWYG/Rich Text Editors.
CFML Editors [link]
Following are editors which either specialize in CFML editing inherently (Dreamweaver, HomeSite, or the coming ColdFusion Builder) or that can be modified to support them (Eclipse, JEdit, and others). See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Other Editors [link]
Unlike those listed in the previous section, these don't list specific support for ColdFusion, but may still be useful for some. Note that some favorite editor of yours may be listed already in the preceding section on CFML editors, immediately above. Indeed, see all the related subcategories of editors, in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • AptEdit, for Windows, available in Lite (free), standard and pro (commercial) editions
  • Brackets, free, multiplatform
  • Cloud9, free/commercial, multiplatform
  • Cream, free, multiplatform
  • Crimson
    They're kind enough to offer a link to other popular shareware editors.
  • E, "the power of TextMate on Windows", commercial, for Windows
  • EditPad, for Windows, available in Lite (free) and pro (commercial) editions
  • EditPlus, shareware and commercial, for Windows
  • Espresso, commercial, for OS X, with an available Sugar plug-in, free from Scott Mebberson, providing complete syntax highlighting and code hinting for ColdFusion.
  • GNU EMACS, free, multiplatform
  • GridinSoft Notepad , multiplatform, available in Lite (free) and commercial editions
  • JBuilder, from Embarcadero (formerly from Borland)
  • JDeveloper, from Oracle (free, useful for reverse engineering DBs to generate ERDs, DDL scripts, and more, with support for more than just Oracle BDs)
  • Jext (open source)
  • Multiedit, commercial, for Windows
  • NotePad 2
  • NoteTab, free and commercial, for Windows
  • PSPad, free, for Windows
  • PSPad, free, multiplatform
  • TextMate, for OS X
  • TextPad (shareware)
  • TextWrangler, free, for OS X
  • TSW WebCoder, commercial, for Windows, includes intellisense, a MySQL client, FTP support, and more (a more generic version of their PHPcoder tool)
  • UltraEdit, commercial, for Windows
  • Vim ("Vi Improved", free)
  • Visual Web Developer Express Edition, free, for Windows
  • WebMarix, free, for Windows
  • XML Copy Editor, open source, for Windows and Linux
  • Again, if you feel that I'm missing something from this list, be sure to see other text editors that are listed instead CFML Editors, including some not traditionally thought of as CFML editors. They're listed there if they DO support CFML.
Eclipse Plugins [link]
Eclipse Plug-ins for CF or with support for it [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • CFEclipse
  • Adobe ColdFusion Builder (commercial) and ColdFusion 8 Extensions for Eclipse, which add interactive step debugging, RDS Data and File Views, code generation wizards, log viewing, and more:
    The extensions were also available in a somewhat reduced feature set for 7.02, where they were known as the ColdFusion extensions for Flex Builder, and were provided in the trial or commercial edition of Flex Builder 2. Someone using CF 7 should still be able to use the CF8 extensions for all but the features that rely on CF8.
  • Adobe CF8 Help files for Eclipse
  • FusionDebug, a commercial plugin providing CFML step debugging for CF 6, 7, and 8
  • MXUnit eclipse plug in for the MXUnit unit testing framework for CF
Other Eclipse Plug-ins of interest to CFers [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • Aptana, for its support of HTML, JavaScript, AIR, and more.
  • Eclipse SQL Explorer: query and browse any JDBC compliant database
  • JSEclipse, Javascript coding in Eclipse, from Adobe Labs (aquired from Interakt)
  • Mylyn, offers integration to popular defect tracking tools
  • MyEclipse, a commercial addon which adds Javascript editing and debugging, CSS editing, database explorer, ajax tools, image editing, and much more
  • QuantumDB, Eclipse plugin
  • Subclipse, offering support for Subversion
  • XMLBuddy (http://www.xmlbuddy.com/) (defunct), an XML editing plug-in, available in free and commercial editions

Distributed Caching Tools [link]

Again, as mentioned above, CF already has caching features built-into it, and there are various alternatives (mentioned there), but many will want to take advantage of more enterprise-capable distributed caching solutions, discussed here.

Excel File Processing Tools [link]

Following are approaches for reading or creating Excel files from CFML. Note that they're in alphabetical order (like the rest of the tools in this list), not in any preferred or recommended order of consideration. Some are much easier than others, while others offer greater power and capability. Some are for creating XLS files from CFML, some are for reading them into CFML, and others are for populating a spreadsheet with data from a CFML request. Consider them all to find the best to suit your needs.

BTW, one may argue that I could have a generic section on processing all sorts of file types (or even just all kinds of MS Office) file types, but there are so many requests for Excel file processing specifically, and so many approaches/tools to suit those needs, that I just figured I'd start out with this and consider other filetypes later (and may rename this section then). It's also certainly true that most of the techniques/tools shown here can be used with any spreadsheet tool that reads xls files or processes CSV/HTML table files in a similar way (like OpenOffice).
Following are the subcategories offered:
  • CFML [link]- CF9 has added a CFSpreadsheet tag, which can both read and write Excel (xls) files, as well as about 40 spreadsheet-related functions. For more info on the tag (and links to more on the functions), see the CF9 CFML Reference on it, or see the the CF9 Developer's Guide coverage of it.
  • COM [link]- Since CF on Windows can integrate with COM, there are solutions available using that interface. There are a number of tools that uses the approach in the CFCOMET tools list (www.cfregex.com/cfcomet/utilities/, seems defunct), including CF_Excel2CSV, CF_ReadXLS, HTML2Excel, and SQL_export.cfm. (Note that you'll often find references to a site called CFCOMET, but sadly the CFCOMET site is no more. It was resurrected at www.cfregex.com/cfcomet/ back in 2002, but is also no more.) As you contemplate working with COM, if performance is an issue, consider these Adobe technotes: 1, 2, and 3 (via archive.org). See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • CSV [link]- You can both create Excel files using CSV, as well as read in CSV (or other delimited files) to create a query, such as from an Excel file. To create an Excel file, you can simply send to the browser a CSV (or other delimited) file. There are UDFs to ease converting a query to a CSV, such as QueryToCSV2, by Qasim Rasheed. See also a tweaked version of this by Aaron Longnion. There is also the Query to Excel Component from Jason Presley, as well as the UDFs GenerateExcel UDF (http://www.cftopper.com/index.cfm?page=blog&blogId=1&blogpostid=180)(defunct) from Topper, and CSVFormat and GetTabTextFeed from cflib.org. When you do this, you need to use CFCONTENT to set the mime type to "application/msexcel" (and may want to use CFHEADER to set a filename to be chosen for the user, and may need to use CFSETTING to turn off debugging.)

    To create a CF query result by reading a CSV (or other delimited) file, as might be exported from Excel, you can use CFHTTP. See the CF docs on CFHTTP, specifically the subsection "Building a query from a delimited text file", as well as blog entries such as those by Ben Nadel 1 2, and Alex Le. There's yet another approach of reading a CSV using a DSN as discussed by Mark Kruger. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • HTML Table [link]- Another long-existent, simple way to create output to Excel from CFML is creating an HTML table, again prefaced by a CFCONTENT setting the mimetype for Excel and such. Many have written on this useful, simple approach, including Jeremy Petersen (in the ColdFusion Cookbook) and Jehiah Czebotar. It's also covered in the docs, such as these CF6 and CF8 pages on CFContent (and notice all the comments in the older CF6 one, for additional info). There are UDFs and custom tags to do it for you, too, such as Query2Excel in the cflib site. A still more elaborate approach is discussed in this blog entry by Ben Nadel. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • Java (including JExcel, JXLS, and POI) [link]- There are many Java APIs for manipulating Excel files. Since CF6 and above are built atop Java, it's easy to leverage such Java libraries. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
    • (Don't miss the relatively straight-forward JDBC-oriented options in the ODBC/JDBC section, below.)
    • JEXCEL- CF Product Manager Jason Delmore has released a JXLCFC that integrates with JExcel, and he blogged about it in Jan 08. Both Ben Nadel and "Denny" also blogged about JExcel/CF integration in 2006.
    • JXLS - Matt Williams has written on a couple of blog entries on this. I figure I'd just point you to his Excel category, which lists entries that discuss both jXMS and a beef he had with using POI (discussed next here). In case you miss his reference to a zip file in his "enclosures" link in one of the entries, here is the link directly. BTW, you may find references on the web to his stuff being at http://mattw.mxdj.com/, but that domain is no longer functioning. Fortunately, he moved his stuff to the new mattjanell.com domain.
    • POI - cfExcelProxy is an open source effort by Francois Levesque. Another is CFXL, by Jason Delmore. Also, many have written about POI/CF integration, including Dave Ross; Ben Nadel, who has written a POIUtility CFC wrapper that makes it easy to use POI (and here are a couple of other entries by him 1 and 2, 3, with more info on the approach.) Still more interesting for some will be this entry of his on Populating An Existing, Formatted Excel Document Using ColdFusion And POI. Ben Forta also discusses POI in Chap 27 of his CF7 Advanced book and has an example available in this zip file. There is yet another CFC that helps use POI in CFML, cfHSSF, as well as a few custom tags: the free CFX_ExcelQuery in the JavaCFX library at OpenXCF project, and the following commercial tags: CFX_Query2Excel and CFX_Excel in the Adobe Developer's Exchange and from the cftagstore; and CFX_Query2Excel and CFX_Excel2Query from Ryan Emerle.
  • .NET [link]- Now that CF8 can directly integrate with .NET, it should be possible to perform interaction with Excel files directly using .NET. I've not yet found any articles by anyone doing that. Both the CF docs and Ray Camden have hinted at the possibility. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • Office Automation [link]- While you may read some articles talking about doing "Office automation", by trying to run MS Office apps on the server, this is something that even Microsoft cautions against, saying
    CAUTION: Automation of any Office application from an unattended, non-interactive user account is risky and unstable. A single error in code or configuration can result in a dialog box that can cause the client process to stop responding (hang), that can corrupt data, or that can even crash the calling process (which can bring down your Web server if the client is ASP).
    WARNING: Office was not designed, and is not safe, for unattended execution on a server. Developers who use Office in this manner do so at their own risk.
    See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • ODBC/JDBC [link]- it's long been possible to open more than just database files using ODBC (and the Jet Engine) as well as JDBC. It's been written about by many over the years, including the CF5 docs, a CFDJ article (whose title has a mistake and should be "ColdFusion Techniques: Text & Excel ODBC"), and a blog entry by Christopher Wigginton (via archive.org), to name a few. Just note that there have been changes in ODBC processing: before CF6, you could create such datasources directly in the CF Admin. In CF6 and above, you would create them in the Windows ODBC administrator and then point to them using the ODBC/JDBC bridge option when creating a DSN in the CF Admin. Ben Forta also has an example of using this approach in his ReadExcel.cfm, available in this zip file (as discussed in Chap 27 of his CF7 Advanced CF book).

    Still other solutions leverage Java calls to enable this capability via JDBC, such as Kyle Hayes who has written about it in both the ColdFusion Cookbook and on his own site.

    Another curious one is the jacoZoom driver, which uses a DSN-less connection to get to the file. Though those are technically not supported since CF5, Adobe has a technote (via archive.org) on how to get around this limitation when reading an Excel file, using a "passthrough" DSN. Finally, see other Java-oriented options under the "Java" section, above.
  • Report Builder [link]- Don't forget that the ColdFusion Report Builder (in CF7 and 8) can export its results as Excel, and of course can generate its data from CFML. See more in the Adobe DevNet articles, Building Reports with ColdFusion MX 7 and Using the ColdFusion Report Builder. See more on reporting solutions under Reporting and Report Builder Tools. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • WebQueries [link]- a reverse approach is to obtain data from for an Excel spreadsheet from within Excel, and using the Excel Web Query feature to point back to the server to get data. A Dec 2001 CFDJ article discussed this. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • XML [link]- The final approach is to use XML, which offers the simplicity of the HTML table approach above, but with greater control. A couple of blog entries on this approach are those by Ben Nadel and Todd Sharp. There's also a tutorial by Kris Brixon. There's at least one Riaforge project based on an XML approach: ObjectToExcel , by Lu Sancea, which can "consume a query or an array of queries and render an excel file".

    Finally, you can also use OOXML (Office Open XML) with CFML, which is discussed in considerable detail in Volume 3 of the CF8 Web App Construction Kit, Advanced Application Development, specifically Chapter 76 on integrating with Office. The source code for the book (and these examples) is available online via a link at Ben's site for the book. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

File Find/Search Tools [link]

Most operating systems have built-in file find/search tools (such as Windows search feature and grep on Linux/Unix), but alternatives exist. In the case of Windows search feature, it may not look in all file types (depending on the version of Windows), and grep is a command-line tool. These alternatives (free and commercial) offer both enhanced user interfaces and speed (some also add regular expression support, and more).

File Sharing and Online Storage Tools/Services [link]

This space is a meld of services, some of which are focused solely on remote personal (or business) online storage, and some of those offer desktop or mobile apps for syncing with local storage. Still others of these services are focused on supporting file sharing with others, and some of those may offer only very short-term remote storage.

Some services combine all three, or may vary levels of service based on payment options. Nearly all have at least some level of free services. The space ischanging too rapidly for me to try to keep up and indicate which offer which of the above services. But I have noted, for the services with free levels, how much storage they offer at that free level (as of 12/12, and for all but a coupl where I couldn't readly find that information offered). I also list some more server-oriented cloud storage options, in the "see also" at the end of the list.

Form Creation/Validation Tools [link]

  • cf_sebForm, "Open Source custom tag set for easy forms", from Steve Bryant
  • CFUniform, "library of custom tags for quick and easy form generation", open source, from Matt Quackenbush
  • cfExt Form additions, open source from Dan Vega
  • ErrorMunkey, "ErrorMunkey, which is part of the FormMunkey Suite, is a validation and conditional logic engine. It generates both server-side and client-side validations", from MillionMunkeys.net
  • FormMunkey, "FormMunkey uses standard HTML form tags to create auto-configuring dynamic forms. It handles inserts, updates, and deletes, plus filters and data validation. Works with databases, LDAP servers, and the CF memory scopes (e.g. Application, Session, etc.), with no SQL, no configuration files, and no models or controllers", from MillionMunkeys.net
  • qForms, open source, from Dan Switzer
  • Thor, open source, from John Mason
  • Validat data validation engine, open source, from Alagad
  • Hyrule ColdFusion 9 validation using annotations, from Dan Vega
  • ValidateThis!, "an object oriented validation framework", open source, from Bob Silverberg
  • Validation.cfc, "server-side validation", open source, from Ryan Heldt
  • ValidatorCFC, "validates the data in an object according to custom rules you set up", open source, from Sean Coyne
  • See also other non-CF-based alternatives, like FormSpring (http://www.formspring.com) (defunct) and Wufoo
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

File Upload Tools [link]

The tools on this list range from those using Flash/Flex, Ajax, to Java. Some may permit tracking the status of an upload, allow multiple files to be uploaded at once, and/or other features. Some are written in/for CFML, others are generic.

Forums/Bulletin Board Tools (written in CFML) [link]

  • CFBB, free (for non-commercial use), from Andrew Deren
  • CFMBB, open source (an extension to Galleon), from Rick Root
  • CF4em, open source, from Bobby Hartsfield
  • FuseTalk, commercial, from e-zonemedia
  • Galleon, open source, from Ray Camden
  • onTopic open source, from Isaac Dealey
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of forum tools (was http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&categoryID=84401621-94A8-9B03-42B1F9364761B6CA)
  • Seems defunct:
    • Rinium (http://www.rinium.com/)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

FTP Tools (clients and servers) [link]

When you need to transmit files back and forth from one machine to another, you typically need some FTP (or SFTP or SFTPS) client, to talk to some FTP/SFTP/FTPS server. Following are tools for both kinds of processing, first client, then server.
Following are the subcategories offered:
FTP Clients [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. FTP Servers [link]

Graphing/Charting Tools [link]

Here are various charting solutions for web applications, some specifically for CF and others more generic. Some are free, some commercial. Some are based on Flex, some on Javascript, and so on. Some are server-side solutions, some client-side.

HTTP Debugging Proxies/Sniffers/Web Client Test Tools [link]

HTTP debugging proxies/sniffers allow you to watch (and sometimes even modify) the http-level communications between your browser (or other http client app on your workstation) and the web server. It helps you see the request/response stream, which can be very helpful in resolving some problems. A good overview of teh concepts is available here.There are a wide range of such tools offered here, in the following subcategories:
Built-in HTTP Debugging Proxies/Sniffers/Web Client Test Tools [link]
Note first that the more modern versions of most browsers now have built-in tools that can provide this sort of functionality.
  • In Chrome, see the Developer Tools, available under the "Customize and control Google Chrome" icon at the top right (the monkey wrench), then Tools>Developer Tools.
  • In Firefox 6 and above, see the "Web Console" feature in the "Web Developer" tools, available under the Tools menu.
  • In Internet Explorer, see the Developer Toolbar which is an ad-on for IE 6 and 7, and the Developer Tools that are built into IE 8 and 9 (in the Tools menu).
  • In Opera, see the Developer Tools in Opera DragonFly, available in the Edit>Developer Tools menu in Windows, and Tools>Advanced on Mac.
  • In Safari, see the "Web Inspector" feature of the Develop menu.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

General-purpose HTTP Debugging Proxies/Sniffers/Web Client Test Tools [link]
Beyond that, there are proxy tools that can be added on, and the following are supported at least both IE and Firefox, if not also any web browser. (See also IE-only and Firefox-only proxies/Sniffers/web client test tools offered in the next sections.)
  • Achilles, free (indicated on the site as "Though it was the first, it is no longer the best, and we recommend using Burp Suite, WebScarab, or Paros as they offer more features.")
  • Charles, commercial (with free trial), multiplatform, with support for Ajax as well as AMF/Flash Remoting
  • DynaTrace Ajax edition, free and commercial, with support for Ajax (obviously)
  • Fiddler, free, from Microsoft
  • FriendlyGhost, commercial, focused on Flash/AMF and Ajax
  • HTTP Debugger commercial, with free trial
  • HTTP Analyzer, commercial, with support for AMF/Flash Remoting and JSON (despite company name, it's available in a standalone edition that is not IE-dependent)
  • HTTPWatch, commercial, with free edition
  • Membrane SOAP/HTTP Monitor, open source with support for JSON (with both command-line, GUI, and Eclipse-based functionality)
  • Paros, free
  • ServiceCapture, commercial, with support for JSON and AMF/Flash Remoting
  • WebScarab, free from OWASP
  • WFetch, free from Microsoft
  • Wireshark, free, multiplatform. The granddaddy of network packet sniffing tools (previously known as ethereal). For simple http proxy/sniffing as above, it may be overkill, but since I use the term sniffing in the category, I give a nod to the tool.
  • See also Firefox-only and IE-only proxies below.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
  • See also a server-side alternative, Sniffer/TCPMon, built into CF 6+ and found in either [coldfusion]\runtime\bin or [JRun]\bin. For more info, see also this Adobe Technote, the CF documentation, and JRun documentation. The tool is also available from Apache, and you may find more information on that.

Firefox-only Proxies/Sniffers/Web Client Test Tools [link]
See also generic http proxies (which work on multiple browsers) as discussed in the introduction to the broader category above.
IE-only Proxies/Sniffers/Web Client Test Tools [link]
See also generic http proxies (which work on multiple browsers) as discussed in the introduction to the broader category above. See also the category here, Page Testing Tools, for still other tools that perform related web page analysis.

Image Processing Tools (for CFML) [link]

Tools to manipulate images in CFML.
  • Alagad Image Component, commercial
  • AutoResize, free
  • Inspector, "Free CFC to get SWF dimensions", from Steve Bryant
  • Image CFC, open source
  • Of course, CF8 includes many new image processing features.
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of image tools (was http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&categoryID=829F8C86-0C2F-46C0-74DA79425E462A4C)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

IP Address Reporting Tools [link]

Tools to help you identify your IP address (and some that allow you to get info on a given IP address, programmatically.)

Log Analysis Tools [link]

There are multiple categories of monitoring tools offered here, from generic log analysis tools (for any sort of log) to analysis of specific files (such as SQL Server logs) or for a specific purpose (intrusion detection or web site analytics). See also monitoring tools, which includes to monitor log files such as the Windows event log.

Following are the subcategories offered:
CF Log Analysis Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • flogr, open source, from Scott Stroz
  • FusionAnalytics, commercial, from Intergral (makers of FusionReactor)
  • Ray Camden has a tool to read the log files to identify templates listed by CF as being "slow pages". See his blog entries for CF8 and CF7. There is now a download link on the CF8 page to download the provided code as a CFML template, the link being at the bottom of the entry to the right of the link to display comments.
  • Don't miss the log viewer/tailview in ColdFusion Builder and the Adobe ColdFusion 8 Extensions for Eclipse
  • Consider also (for creating logs in CFML) Logbox, free from Luis Majano. An enterprise ColdFusion Logging Library.
Database Log Analysis Tools [link]
These include both tools for analyzing DB logs regarding transactions and analyzing the logs for operational information. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Generic File View/Log Analysis Tools [link]
(This list is within the larger category of log analysis tools tools, but among the following are tools that could be useful for viewing any kind of text files.)
  • ASQL, free tool for Linux to query Apache log files via SQL (similar to, though not as powerful as, LogParser below)
  • BareTail, free and commercial, for Windows
  • CSVEasy, free, for Windows (log viewer for CSV files)
  • CSVed, free CSV file editor (supports other separators, too). See also uniCSVed, a unicode version at the same site.
  • CSView (http://web.archive.org/web/20080720011250/http://diamondcs.com.au/freeutilities/csview.php), free, for Windows (log viewer, though it reads only CSVs and not space- or tab-delimited TSV files) (recovered via archive.org)
  • CSV Table Viewer, free, for Windows (log viewer for CSV files)
  • ELM Log Manager, commercial tool for monitoring Windows Event Logs and much more
  • Geektool, an open source log analysis tool for Mac OS X
  • Generic Log Adapter, open source, from IBM
  • Killilink CSV, commercial, for Windows
  • Kiwi Log Viewer, freeware and commercial, multiplatform
  • Log Analysis, free for Windows
  • Log Analyzer, commercial or free with purchase of Advanced Host Monitor
  • LogMeister, commercial, for Windows
  • LogMX, free and commercial (low cost), multiplatform, focused on reading log4j files
  • Log Parser, free from Microsoft (I've got a resource microsite about it, including things I and others have written about using it.) See also Log Parser Lizard UI, as well as the related PAL tool that extends LogParser, for analyzing Windows Performance Monitor (PerfMon) logs.
  • LogSurfer, an open source tool (no binaries, C source code that must be compiled). Seemingly different from a Mac OS X log anlysis tool of the same name.
  • LogViewer Pro, commercial, free for home use, for Windows (from the makers of UniversalViewer, listed later in this category)
  • Logwatch, free, for Linux
  • LogWatch, commercial, for Windows. "Simplified log management through centralized monitoring, automatic notifications, and powerful search capabilities."
  • ManyEyes, a free service from IBM Alphaworks (limited for now to only processing tab-separated files, and a column header line must be provided)
  • SawMill, commercial, multiplatform, log file analysis and reporting
  • TextConverter, commercial, for Windows, for extracting data from log files into databases
  • TotalCommander, shareware, for Windows. File Manager, with file viewing capabilities (including zips, and an available plugin to list CSV files in a columnar manner)
  • UniversalViewer free and commercial, large file loading tool
  • xlogmaster, open source, for Linux/Unix
  • XpoLog Center, commercial, multiplatform
  • Consider also Splunk, a free and commercial enterprise log solution (multiplatform) which seems to do a lot more than just log analysis. Couldn't really tell from its web site how well it would be suited to just the simpler tasks of log analysis.
  • See also other lists of log analysis tools, such as this, this and this.
  • See also information on log rotation tools.
  • See also Reporting and Report Builder Tools, including discussion of online reporting solutions that can import CSV and other files for analysis and reporting
  • And of course, if you're looking to analyze a particular kind of log, see the other Log Analysis Tool categories here.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
Intrusion Detection Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Web Server Log Analysis Tools [link]
(This list is within the larger category of log analysis tools. See also the separate list of Web Server Analytics Tools, which provide site tracking via a different approach.)
  • Alterwind Log Analyzer, free and commercial, for Windows (but supports many log formats)
  • Analog, open source, multiplatform (with some support for filtering spiders)
  • AWStats, open source, multiplatform (with support for filtering spiders). Requires perl to operate, such as is available for free as ActivePerl. I found that it could not find my IIS configuration, on Vista (IIS 7).
  • Funnel Web Analyzer (http://www.quest.com/funnel-web-analyzer/), defunct
  • Obsessive Website Statistics, open source, multiplatform. Adds jquery-based web 2.0 features (with support for filtering spiders/bots). Stores log files in MySQL for its analysis.
  • Report Magic, open source, multiplatform
  • Sawmill, a commercial tool, whose pricing is based on a number of "profiles" of log files you wish to analyze (with support for filtering spiders)
  • Sentry-Go IIS Web Server Monitoring, commercial, for Windows
  • SmarterStats, free and commercial, for Windows (supporting multiple web server log formats). Offers features focused on bot detection.
  • Summary, commercial, multiplatform
  • Visitors, open source, multiplatform (but Windows binary is sold separately for small fee)
  • Webalizer, open source, packaged binaries for Linux, Solaris only, with other unsupported x-nix ports available
  • WebLog Expert, free and commercial editions, for Windows
  • Web Log Storming, free and commercial editions, for Windows
  • WebTrends, a commercial tool
  • W3C LogValidator, free, multtplatform (Perl-baesd), "combines a Server Log analysis engine with batch validation, link checking and other quality-oriented processing, for step-by-step improvement and maintenance of Web Site Quality."
  • See also lists of such tools, such as at counterguide, the open directory project, Yahoo directory of log analysis tools, the Google Directory of log Analysis tools, and so on.
  • See also Web Server Analytics Tools, which work differently, not analyzing log files but instead tracking site visits via a remote service
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Mail Servers/Gateways [link]

If you're unhappy with your current mail server, whether due to performance, need to handle larger volumes, adding better spam handling, mail lists, security, whatever, there are alternatives. Some are servers, some are gateways, some are identified as MTAs (message transfer agents). Some are free, some commercial; some downloadable, some run as hosted services. Here are some alternatives to consider.
Following are the subcategories offered:
Mail Server Software [link]
Whatever your operating system, you may have a default SMTP mail server provided that you may wish to reconsider. For instance, on Windows, there is the SMTP mail server associated with IIS, as well as Microsoft Exchange. On OS X, there's sendmail. Here are downloadable alternatives:
  • CommuniGate Pro, free and commercial, multiplatform
  • Free SMTP Server, free, for Windows
  • hMailServer, free, for Windows
  • Kerio Connect, commercial, multiplatform
  • mailEnable, free and commercial, for Windows
  • MDaemon Messaging Server, commercial, for Windows
  • Postmark, free and commercial, for Windows
  • PowerMTA, commercial, multiplatform
  • qmail, open source, for *nix
  • sendmail, open source, for *nix (see also commercial Sentrion MPE, from same vendor)
  • SmarterMail, free and commercial, for Windows
  • SurgeMail, free and commercial, multiplatform
  • XMS (aka "Zrinity Email Delivery Server"), commercial downloaded or hosted solution, multiplatform
  • Zeams, free, multiplatform
  • Note that on Windows editions that have IIS (or where IIS can be enabled), there is also an optional SMTP server associated with IIS. It may not be enabled by default. The means of enabling/configuring it will vary depending on the version of Windows/IIS, but will be enabled the same way that IIS itself would eb enabled. Here's at least one blog entry showing enabling/configuring it in Windows 2008.
  • Consider also such options as ISPConfig 3, an open source hosting control panel for Linux, that includes mail server capabilities.
  • See the other subcategories in this category related to hosted mail management, as well as the related category, CFMAIL Replacements/Enhancements elsewhere
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
Mail Server Services [link]
You can also outsource your mail server management (both sending/SMTP and receiving/POP/IMAP) using solutions like: Hosted Email Marketing/Newsletter Services [link]
If you're looking solely for alternative solutions for mailing list management, consider such options as

Monitoring Tools/Services [link]

There are multiple categories of monitoring tools offered here.

Following are the subcategories offered:
Application Monitoring Tools [link]
The following tools can be used to monitor Java applications, and can be used (some more easily than others) to monitor CF applications. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. ColdFusion Monitoring Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Database/SQL Monitoring Tools [link]

The following tools monitor databases. While some monitor the databases themselves, some instead monitor SQL going into the database via JDBC from application servers (like ColdFusion). Some also offer profiling, meaning an ability to see not just some but all currently running queries, including details about the query such as an explain plan. For more monitoring alternatives, see also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader monitoring category above. Event Log Monitoring [link]

The following tools can monitor the Windows Event Log. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Java Monitoring/Profiling Tools [link]

The following tools can analyze Java, and as such can often be used to analyze Java-specific aspects of Coldfusion 6 and above. Some allow you to watch what operations are happening in the underlying JVM, some focus on reporting statistics, some focus on garbage collection analysis, some could be used to monitor the underlying java classes that CF calls. Some will work only with Java 1.5 (and CF 7 and 6 run on Java 1.4.) Check out each to observe what it does, how it works, and whether it may be of value for your skill level. Some require no specific Java experience at all. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. SAN or NAS Monitoring Tools [link]

The following tools track the health of your attached storage solutions (SAN or NAS). See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. System Monitoring Tools [link]

The following tools track the health of your server overall (and/or network), ranging from small tools (such as task manager replacements) to full-scale enterprise monitoring. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Web Server Analytics Tools [link]

It can be very useful to understand the traffic patterns and other visitor statistics for your web site. While Web Server Log Analysis Tools are one appprach, another is to use tools which instead track site visits via a remote service, where you drop code (often referred to as "tags") into your site which reports back to a hosted service. You then review the analysis on that remote site. Following are examples of that.

(For more on the debate between the two approaches, see this discussion, or this one (recovered from archive.org).)

There are many such services. Here are just a few. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Web Server Request Monitoring Tools [link]

Not to be confused with Web Site Uptime Monitoring Tools, the following tools track requests being made to your server and/or other information about the health of your web server. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Web Site Uptime Monitoring Tools [link]

The following tools track, report, and alert on whether your server is up or down. Most are free hosted services, some are commercial. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Project Management Tools (written in CFML) [link]

There are of course many project management solutions written in many languages, and I won't even begin to try to point to any, let alone all, of those. But here are ones written in CFML, which may be preferable for some.

Regular Expression Generation/Testing Tools [link]

As you contemplate these tools, be aware that different tools (editors), servers/languages (ColdFusion, Java, .NET, Javascript) use different regular expression engines, so most tools won't suit all needs. Some of the below are CF-specific, but most are not. Choose/use/test appropriately.

Remote Support/Presentation/Shared Desktop/Web Conferencing/Webinar Tools [link]

If you need to give a presentation to remote attendees, or provide remote support (letting the remote person show you their screen, possibly with the option for them to let you take control of their screen), the following screen sharing/desktop sharing tools may help you. Some are free, some are commercial. Even the commercial ones now tend to have offers starting at about US$ 30-50 per month.

Some solutions are more oriented toward one-to-one sharing/presentations, while others are more suited to one-to-many sharing/presentations. I've broken them down that way.

Most do not require the users to install anything but just use a browser (generally any modern browser will work) to let you connect to each other via some web site you both connect to. In some cases, the presenter must install something extra (some services use Flash, some Java, some ActiveX), and indeed in some services, the presenter can work only on a particular OS while participants can be on any OS.

While some of the services include VOIP or phone-based teleconferencing services, if you'd like alternative phone support for these web conferencing tools, there are many free and commercial teleconferencing services available to consider. Simply do a Google search for free conference call or teleconferencing. Following are the subcategories offered:
One-on-One Support/Remote Desktop Tools [link]
The following remote sharing tools are more oriented toward one-on-one sharing. See other aspects and related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • CrossLoop, free hosted service focused on one-on-one remote shared desktop support (adds an interesting social networking aspect, to let others share their experience with you as a support person), for Windows and Mac
  • Copilot, commercial hosted service, from Joel Spolsky's company, Fog Creek
  • GotoAssist, commercial hosted service
  • Screen Connect, commercial downloadable product
  • TeamViewer, free (for one-on-one) and commercial hosted service, for Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, and Android
  • Unyte (https://www.unyte.net/, free (for one-on-one) and commercial, hosted service, from IBM Lotus
  • Zoho Assist, free and commercial hosted service, for Windows, Mac, and Linux
  • Zoho Meeting, free and commercial hosted service (free for one-on-one), for Windows, Mac, and Linux
  • Note that the tools listed in the following section as one-to-many sharing tools can of course also be used for one-on-one sharing.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
One-to-Many Remote Presentation/Assistance/Remote Desktop/Shared Desktop/Web Conferencing/Webinar Tools [link]

The following remote sharing tools are more oriented toward one-to-many sharing (though can of course also be used for one-on-one). See other aspects and related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • BlueTrain (http://www.mybluetrain.com/), defunct, (formerly webtrain.com), commercial hosted service
  • Adobe Connect, commercial hosted service from Adobe, with a free level of service, limited to 3 participants (Connect Now service decommissioned Dec 2012).
  • BeamYourScreen, commercial hosted service
  • Bomgar, commercial, multiplatform
  • Dimdim (http://www.dimdim.com/) (defunct), free and commercial, installable (open source, cross-platform) or hosted service, free for up to 10 participants (sold to Salesforce, not taking new members)
  • FreeScreensharing, free hosted service (for Windows and Mac)--supports up to 96 participants, for up to 6 hours at a time (no max per month). Audio through phone-only (or Skype), and recording of audio-only (not screensharing) (from the same people offering FreeConferencing.com)
  • FuzeMeeting, commercial hosted service
  • Genesys, commercial hosted service
  • Glance, commercial hosted service
  • GotoMeeting, commercial hosted service
  • HP Virtual Rooms, commercial hosted service
  • IBM SocialBusiness (formerly LotusLive), commercial hosted service
  • join.me, free and commercial hosted service (for Windows, Mac, IOS, Android), with up to 250 participants and free teleconferencing included (from the people behind LogMeIn)
  • Microsoft LyncOnline (formerly LiveMeeting), commercial hosted service
  • Mikogo, free (2 participants) and commercial hosted service
  • ReadyTalk, commercial hosted service
  • Spreed, commercial hosted service
  • StartMeeting, commercial hosted service (from the same company behind FreeConferenceCall.com)
  • TeamViewer, free (for one-on-one) and commercial hosted service, multiplatform client support
  • Unyte (https://www.unyte.net/), free (for one-on-one) and commercial, hosted service, from IBM Lotus
  • WebEx, commercial hosted service
  • Yuuguu, free and commercial hosted service (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
  • Yugma, free and commercial hosted service (free for one-on-one for 30 minutes)
  • Zoho Meeting, free and commercial hosted service (free for one-on-one)
  • Note that there are some interesting sites that track news and tips about using packages like the above, including ThinkOfIt Web Conferencing product reviews.
  • See also the preceding section's list of one-to-one sharing tools.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Reporting and Report Builder Tools [link]

ColdFusion has had a built-in report builder since CF 7, and embedded Crystal Reports support since CF 3 (at least), but what if you are on another version or CFML engine, or just care to consider alternatives? There are many, free and commercial.

RSS to Email Tools [link]

Are you someone who reads or publishes RSS feeds? Did you know there are tools to permit people to receive notifications without using RSS Readers? Some just prefer email. The following services offer tools both for readers (add a URL and you'll get an email when a site's RSS feed changes) and publishers (add a widget to your site to let others easily register to receive your feed via email). Note as well, after the list, some tools to monitor any page for content changes, not just RSS-fed ones. (Useful to watch this site, until I get an RSS Feed on it!)
  • BlogAlert, free
  • blogtrottr, free
  • Botablog, free (doesn't seem to be working for me, and they never respond to requests for help)
  • Feedblitz, commercial (but watch out: it will send one email a day, listing not only mutltiple entries from a blogger, but also multiple blogger's entries, in one email, albeit well-organized. I prefer one email per blog entry--and per blog.)
  • Feed Mailer, free
  • FeedMyInbox (www.feedmyinbox.com), shutting down as of Jan 2013
  • Feedwhip (www.feedwhip.com) seems no longer to exist
  • QuickThreads, free and commercial
  • Reblinks, free
  • RSSForward.com, free
  • RSSForward.net (http://www.rssforward.net/) , free (Seems defunct, as of March 2011. Too bad, as it was my favorite. Unlike feedblitz and rddfwd, it would send a single email per blog entry, though sadly it does trunctate after a paragraph. Some may also prefer the aggregation that other services do.)
  • RSSFWD (www.rssfwd.com): defunct, as announced Jan 09)
  • SendMeRSS (sendmerss.com), defunct
  • Squeet (squeet.com), defunct
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
Something taking a slightly different approach are tools that can notify you of changes to pages on any site, not just RSS-fed ones, such as the following. Again, sure, some browsers include such a feature, but some want notification by email (Useful to watch this site, until I get an RSS Feed on it!)

Screen Capture tools [link]

I've divided the list here into still and a/v image capture tools. All of these can be great for creating tutorials, training, demos, etc.
Following are the subcategories offered:
Still Screen Image Capture Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. A/V Capture (screencast/screen share/screen record/demo) Tools [link]
The following tools can be used to capture any screen content and record it. Some produce AVI, some SWF, some FLV, and so on. Some can capture video on screen, while some cannot. There are free and commercial options, for multiple platforms. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Security Tools [link]

There are a range of security concerns for CF shops, from denial of service attacks to excessive bot visits, as well as SQL Injection and Cross Site Scripting (XSS), and more. The latter two are related: attempts by hackers to get data into your application (whether to affect your database, or to have you store and present back to future viewers). There are several levels at which you can detect and prevent such attempts. The lowest level is your CFML code, then your CFML application, then the web server, then web application firewalls, etc.

Consider also many helpful CFML-oriented Security Resources and Site Security Testing Tools.

Beyond that kind of intentional attack, many sites get hit with far more automated request traffic (spiders, bots, etc.) than they'd expect. By automated requests, I refer to any sort of visitor that's not a regular user using a browser. The key point is that these visits can be automated, and often may generate substantial traffic, sometimes even more traffic than "regular" users. Some automated requests are legitmate and desirable (search engine crawlers, monitor checks, rss feed readers, web service invocations, etc.) while some are suspect (spiders for search engines you've never heard of, hackers, denial of service attempts). But even among legitimate ones, there can be a problem is too many requests happen too fast. (They also will tend to create a new session and new client variable repository entry for each visit.) Certainly one may want to block illegitmate, undesirable ones, but you may want to throttle even legitmate ones. To help address this problem, various tools are available, some at the web server level, some at the code level. Some let you specify what to block, while others try to determine that automatically based on heuristics (observed patterns of behavior for requestors).

This category is broken into subcategories, depeneding on the level at which the attack is detected/prevented.
Following are the subcategories offered:
CFML Query-level Injection Protection Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader Security category above.
  • CFQueryParam, a tag in CF 4.51 and above that helps detect unexpected datatypes used in variables passed to CFQUERY
  • CFArgument, a tag in CF6 and above that helps detect unexpected datatypes used in variables passed to CFC methods and user defined functions
  • Note that there are several other levels of injection protection that you can consider, extending out first to your CF application, to then your web server, to then a web application firewall, and so on. See the list of such options above in the introduction to this topic.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
CFML Application-level Security Tools [link]

These are solutions that you might implement in your application.cfm file, or the onrequeststart method of application.cfc. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader Security category above.
Web Server-level Security Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader Security category above.
  • IIS Dynamic IP Restrictions, free plugin for IIS 7, from Microsoft. Supports request throttling from abusive IP addresses
  • mod_evasive, open source, for Apache, "an evasive maneuvers module for Apache to provide evasive action in the event of an HTTP DoS or DDoS attack or brute force attack."
  • mod_limitipconn, open source, for Apache, "allows web server administrators to limit the number of simultaneous downloads permitted from a single IP address."
  • ModSecurity, open source, for Apache, "can monitor the HTTP traffic in real time in order to detect [and prevent] attacks"
  • Traffic filter ver. 1.4, open source, a Java servlet filter that can be implemented in ColdFusion, Railo, or BlueDragon (or any JEE server)
  • URLScan 3, free, for IIS (not to be confused with the older 2.5 version). Supports protection against various request attacks
  • See also URL Rewriting Tools, many of which add specific SQL injection protection features
  • See also Site Security Testing Tools and Database Testing Tools, to assist with testing for vulnerabilities, before or after using these protection tools.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
Web Application Firewall-level Security Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader Security category above.
Hardware Firewall-level Security Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader Security category above.

Server-side Spell Checkers [link]

Source Code Control [link]

Following are the subcategories offered:
Source Code Control Tools [link]

Following are some of the more popular source code control repository tools, including multiple "distributed" source control tools. Note that many of the tools bundle (or have available) client access tools. You can also avoid installing a source code repository locally and instead use any of the many available Remote Source Code Repositories, discussed in the next section here. Remote Source Code Repositories [link]

Note as well that there are various available remotely hosted repositories (Subversion, Git, Mercurial, and others), some free and some commercial. See more on those source code tools in the the category above.
  • Assembla, free and commercial, offering SVN and Git hosting
  • BeanStalk, free and commercial, offering SVN and Git hosting
  • Bitbucket, free and commercial, offering Git and Mercurial hosting
  • Codesion (formerly CVSDude), free and commercial (with student discounts and free upgrades for open source projects), offering SVN, Git and CVS hosting (also known as Collabnet Cloud)
  • CodeSpaces, free and commercial, offering SVN and Git hosting
  • Google Code, free for open source projects, offering SVN and Mercurial hosting (See the Getting Started resource)
  • github, free and commercial, offering git hosting (see also the site CFML projects on GitHub)
  • Hosted-projects, commercial, offering SVN hosting
  • Kiln, free and commercial, offering Mercurial hosting (from Fog Creek)
  • OpenSVN (http://opensvn.csie.org/), (closed down in early 2010), free
  • ProjectLocker, free and commercial, offering SVN and Git hosting
  • Sourceforge, free for open source projects, offering SVN, Git, Mercurial, Bazaar, and CVS hosting (See the Getting Started resource.)
  • Unfuddle, free and commercial, offering SVN and Git hosting
  • XP-Dev, free and commercial, offering SVN, Git and Mercurial hosting
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
There are various reviews of these remote repository options, including here, here and here.

Testing Tools/Services [link]

There are multiple categories of testing tools offered here.
Following are the subcategories offered:
CFML Code Testing Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • ColdFish, open source, by Jason Delmore (a code highlighting tool, rather than a testing tool, but doesn't fit in any other category here and could help some while testing code)
  • CodeCop, by Steve Bryant, "ColdFusion code checker."
  • QueryParam Scanner, open source, by Peter Boughton (finds code where CFQUERYPARAM could be added for improved security, performance)
  • VarScoper, open source, by Mike Schierberl. A var scope checking tool to help identify where you're creating local variables in CFCs without var scoping them
  • Note as well the CFML Syntax checker available in the ColdFusion Admin.
  • See also additional generic code testing tools.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
CFML Unit Testing Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Database Testing Tools [link]
See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Functional Testing Tools [link]
The following tools test the functionality of web pages, such as for regression (or even performance) testing. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Link Checking Tools [link]
The following tools test can check your site or a page for the validity of hyperlinks. Some are online services, others are downloadable tools Load, Stress, and Application Testing Tools [link]
There are many load testing and/or stress testing tools, free and commercial. (See also the newly created functional testing category, with tools that can also be used for load testing.) See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Note as well that I indicate here which tools indicate they support Flex or Flash testing (I use whatever words they do, not wanting to presume they mean one for the other.) Page Appearance Testing Tools [link]
The following tools test how web pages appear on different browsers. (See the next section for tools to test how pages perform in browsers.) See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Page Performance Testing Tools [link]
The following tools test how web pages perform within the browser. (See the previous section for tools to test how pages appear in browsers. See the next section for tools that test response time from the server. See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.
  • BrowserMob free instance test (hosted)
  • Full Page Test, free service that tests page load times (considering all components of a given page)
  • Gomez Instant Site Test, "Test your website's current performance from locations across the globe.", and free Instant Test Pro
  • GTMetrix, free hosted solution
  • Hammerhead, free, for Firebug (by the author of YSlow). For more, see this discussion of it, by its author.
  • IBM Page Detailer, free, for Windows (IE, Firefox, and others). "A graphical tool that enables Web content providers to rapidly and accurately measure client side performance of Web pages." Learn more about it here. (See Yslow for a more modern rendition of the concepts, though it's worth noting that I learned of this Page Detailer tool in the O'Reilly book, "High Performance Web Sites", which is written by the author of YSlow, and he discusses using Page Detailer--and not Yslow--in the final chapter on his analysis of the performance of 10 top web sites.)
  • PageSpeed browser extenstions, free for Chrome and Firefox
  • PageSpeed Online, free hosted service
  • PageSpeed Service, free hosted service "to automatically speed up loading of your web pages."
  • Real User Monitoring, free and commercial hosted service
  • SpeedTracer, free open source Chrome extension to analyze page performance within browser
    Speed Tracer is a tool to help you identify and fix performance problems in your web applications. It visualizes metrics that are taken from low level instrumentation points inside of the browser and analyzes them as your application runs. Speed Tracer is available as a Chrome extension and works on all platforms where extensions are currently supported (Windows and Linux). Using Speed Tracer you are able to get a better picture of where time is being spent in your application. This includes problems caused by JavaScript parsing and execution, layout, CSS style recalculation and selector matching, DOM event handling, network resource loading, timer fires, XMLHttpRequest callbacks, painting, and more.
  • Webpage Analyzer, free
  • Web Page Analyzer, free "website performance tool and web page speed analysis"
  • WebPageTest, free hosted solution
  • Web Site Grader, free web-based tool, a simple grading of your site focused on search engine optimization analysis
  • WebSite Speed Test, free, web-based tool
  • WebWait, free tool. Loads your website several times and calculates the average load time.
  • Yslow add-in for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari, "analyzes web pages and suggests ways to improve their performance based on a set of rules for high performance web pages.".
  • Zoompf, free and commercial hosted solution
  • See this list of other lists of testing tools: SoftwareQATest's list, as well as test everything, which collects several page testing tools into a single interface. See also Google's Page Speed resource page.
  • See also the category here, Page Response Time Testing Tools, for tools that test the response time of pages requested from the server.
  • See also the category here, HTTP Debugging Proxies/Sniffers/Web Client Test Tools, for tools that can also be used for some forms of "page testing".
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
Page Response Time Testing Tools [link]
The following tools test response time from the server: how quickly web pages are returned when requested. (See the previous section for tools to test page performance WITHIN the browsers.) See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above. Regex Testing Tools [link] Site Security Testing Tools [link]

This list offers a range of different tools for testing the security of your site. Most test for SQL injection vulnerabilities (from the outside), either to identify them (to help you) or to penetrate them (to help a hacker, or you, by learning what they can learn.) See also related subcategories in the introduction to the broader category above.

Note especially the nifty (and CF-specific) HackMyCF free and paid online service, from Pete Freitag and Foundeo. Site Testing Tools [link] Web Services Testing Tools [link]

Time Tracking/Invoicing/Billing Tools/Services [link]

Following are online or downloadable tools to provide time tracking, invoicing, and billing services.
  • fourteenDayz, free and commercial hosted service (free for 4 projects and 4 users)
  • 88 Miles, free and commercial hosted service (free for unlimited projects but no more than 40 hours a month)
  • AcceptPay, free and commercial service (free for up to 10 invoices per month). Also provides for credit card acceptance in commercial edition.
  • Billings, commercial downloadable tool (for Mac)
  • Cashboard, free and commercial hosted service (free for 2 active projects and 2 employee logins)
  • eBillity, free and commercial hosted service (free for 5 projects and 3 clients)
  • FreshBooks, free and commercial hosted service (free for 3 projects and 1 user)
  • Fanurio, commercial, cross-platform
  • Freckle, free and commercial hosted service (free for 1 project, 1 user)
  • Harvest, free and commercial hosted service (free for 2 projects, 4 clients, and 1 user) (This is the tool I have used happily for years.)
  • Invoice, commercial downloadable too (for Mac)l
  • Klok, free and commercial AIR app
  • OroTimesheet, commercial (for Windows)
  • Paymo, free and commercial hosted service,(free for timetracking for up to 2 users, and up to 3 free invoices)
  • ProWorkFlow, commercial hosted and downloadable service (happens to be written in CFML)
  • Senomix Timesheets, free and commercial hosted service (free for 2 users and 10 timesheets)
  • SideJobTrack, free hosted service (no longer taking new members currently)
  • SlimTimer, free hosted service
  • Tick, free and commercial hosted service (free for 1 project and unlimited users)
  • Tiktrac, free and commercial hosted service (free for 5 projects and 5 users)
  • TimeClock Online, free and commercial hosted service (free for 1 user), happens to be written in CFML
  • Timeless Time and Expense, commercial hosted service and downloadable program
  • Timeloc, free AIR app
  • TimeSnapper, commercial, for Windows
  • Timetracker, free AIR-based CFML app, from Ray Camden
  • TimeXchange.net, free and commercial hosted service (first year free)
  • Toggl, free and commercial hosted service (free for 5 users, limited features)
  • TrackMyPeople, free and commercial hosted service
  • Web TimeSheet, commercial hosted service
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

URL Rewriting Tools [link]

These tools can help you mask the fact that your pages are dynamic, to make them look static, which can be helpful for search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine friendly URLs.
  • Helicon APE, commercial, for IIS 7 (can be made to work for IIS 6), "provides support for Apache .htacces and .htpasswd configuration files in Microsoft IIS"
  • Helicon Isapi_rewrite, commercial and free versions, for IIS 5, 6, and 7, an "Apache mod_rewrite compatible URL rewriter for Microsoft IIS" (free editions in their version 3 and version 2 products)
  • Ionics Isapi Rewrite Filter (IIRF), free, for IIS "6 and later"
  • Mod_rewrite, free, for Apache 2+
  • PageExchanger (http://www.port80software.com/products/pagexchanger/), commercial, for Windows
  • Streamcatcher, commercial, for IIS 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7
  • URL Replacer, free, for IIS (6, it seems)
  • URL Rewrite, free, for IIS 7 (from Microsoft)
  • UrlRewritingNet, free, for IIS 6 and 7
  • See also:
    • Helicon LinkFreeze, commercial, for IIS 4, 5, and 6, "a fast and easy solution to optimize dynamic or database-driven websites for search engines. It transforms all dynamic links on your site removing all unwanted characters and making links look like static."
    • ServerMask, commercial for IIS 6 and 7, can eliminate file extensions from URLs, to help with preventing information leakage/deter hacking
    • IIS Rewrite, commercial, for IIS (which used to be offered at http://www.qwerksoft.com/products/iisrewrite/, but site no longer exists [now parked domain], but is still avialable to buy from programmersheaven)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Web Server Content Caching Tools [link]

Tools to cache content within web servers, to help speed web page processing for clients and on the server.

Web Services Browsing/Testing Tools [link]

Tools to browse web services, to see their available methods, arguments, return types. (If you're looking at these tools when a web service you're calling is failing, and you'd like a URL that shows how the tool works when the URL is valid, here is a web service WSDL URL that you can test with the tools below, which has worked for a few years: http://soap.amazon.com/schemas2/AmazonWebServices.wsdl .)
  • Dreamweaver - Don't miss the feature in the Application Panel, Components tab, to select "web services" from the drop down (if you have a CF page opened within a CF site), where you can provide a WSDL URL and DW will browse the web service, showing its available methods and their arguments, etc.
  • Eclipse - soapUI (see below) or Adobe Services Browser (in ColdFusion Builder and Adobe ColdFusion Extensions for Eclipse). Use Window>Show View>Other>ColdFusion>Services Browser. Then click the icon just left of the minimize icon ("Show Web Services"), then click red + to add a new WSDL URL.
  • GMorpher (http://www.gmorpher.com/Morph/dynamo/main.jsp) (defunct) free, web-based, and Dynamo Invoker (free, downloadable).
  • Liquid XML Studio, for Windows (commercial, free trial), "an advanced XML Development Environment and XML toolkit containing all the tools needed for designing and developing XML schema and XML applications, including web services testing and browsing. For XML novice or expert, the intuitive interface and comprehensive features will help you save time and money developing a successful XML project.”
  • SoapClient (free, web-based)
  • soapUI (free, open source downloadable, both standalone and as Eclipse plug-in)
  • StrikeIron (http://www.strikeiron.com/tools/tools_analyzer_windows.aspx), defunct, Web Services Analyzer for Windows (commercial, downloadable)
  • Web Service Call Composer (Web Service Tester) (downloadable, commercial), part of commercial Stylus Studio XML IDE
  • Web Service Proxy Generator (free, web-based (does not work with https urls)
  • Xmethods WSDL Analyzer (free, web-based)
  • XMLSPY IDE web service tester (commercial, downloadable)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Web Site Design Repositories [link]

These sites offer web site designs, most free, some commercial. (Be careful if you're looking for a particular one, as the names are often quite similar, such as freecsstemplates.org and free-css-templates.com, or oswd.org and openwebdesign.org.)

Wireframing/Prototyping/Mockup Tools [link]

  • Adalon (http://www.synthis.com), free
  • Balsamiq, free and commercial (while not CF-specific, can be used to create UI wireframes)
  • CFPrototype, open source, from Qasim Rasheed
  • FormMunkey, "FormMunkey is a custom tag library that can automatically create and dynamically manage Memory-scope data queries. Using standard HTML form tags it can process inserts, updates, and deletes against Memory-based queries, as well as inner, outer and cross joins between queries of queries. This allows you to create real, working prototypes that handle real data, with no SQL, no configuration files, and no models or controllers, for testing out advanced simulations", from MillionMunkeys.net
  • Fusebox Wireframe Editor, open source, from Kevin Roche
  • FuseBuilder, offered as honorware
  • Gliffy, free (while not CF-specific, can be used to create UI wireframes)
  • proto.io, free (while not CF-specific, can be used to create UI wireframes)
  • Rebar (http://www.cfopen.org/projects/rebar/), free, from Nat Papovich and others
  • TrafficMunkey, "TrafficMunkey is a ColdFusion framework built around an XML Site Map. This Site Map can be 'skinned' using graphic templates and navigation templates, for creating realistic, dynamic prototypes that are aware of where they live in the application's Site Map", from MillionMunkeys.net
  • Wireframe Viewer/Editor, open source (while not CF-specific, can be used to create UI wireframes)
  • WireframeSketcher, commercial, from Peter Severain, an Eclipse plugin that works with ColdFusion, ColdFusion Builder, Flash Builder, and also has stencils for Android and iPhone.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

WYSIWYG/Rich Text Editors [link]

When you want to make it easy for your users to enter text into a form, and permit them to mark it up (bold, italics) or add HTML (hyperlinks, images), that's where a WYWIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, or a Rich Text editor, comes in handy.

With respect to the editors below, note that the reference to platform may refer to either client or server requirements. Rather than detail them, I offer simply whatever platform information I could easily glean from the site. To confirm details for your needs, see the respective product site (such as system requirements pages) for more details.
  • ActivEdit (http://www.zrinity.com/activedit/), open source from Zrinity (as of March 2008, formerly commercial from CFDev then Zrinity)
  • Asbru Web Content Editor, commercial, cross-platform
  • Ekit, open source, cross-platform
  • EWebEditPro, commercial, cross-platform
  • CKEditor, open source and commercial, cross-platform (formerly known as FCKEditor)
  • KTML though popular, was retired when its maker was aquired by Adobe
  • SOEditor (http://www.siteobjects.com/pages/soeditor.cfm), free and commercial, for Windows
  • TinyMCE, open source, cross-platform
  • TTW HTML Editor, open source, cross-platform
  • XStandard, free and commercial, Windows and OS X
  • See also the following lists for still other WYWIWYG editors:
    • TTW ("Through the Web") WYSIWYG Web Editors - The List, with an assessment of platforms supported, licensing, and other comments, for each listed editor. Split into 2 lists, open source and commercial.
    • WYSIWYG editor directory from the makers of HTMLArea
    • Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of WYSIWYG tools ((http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/index.cfm?event=public.home&categoryID=843CF8F3-D969-5ECF-1849BF9EFBE19815)
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Background

I started this list back in 2002, which I hosted on my older Systemanage site. You can even see the original page, via the good ol' Internet Wayback Machine in this view of the page as of April 2002. Of course, I've updated it substantially since then, bringing it over to my carehart.org site in mid-2007 (and I continue to do so: last updated on May 16, 2013.) It now has over links to over 1,800 tools/resources in over 150 categories. I welcome additions/corrections/feedback. I've gathered most of them myself but I welcome community participation. Again, with regard to any of the above, I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

If you're a keeper of lists yourself, I'd ask that you please do not just copy/paste this page and its categories to your own site. Of course, the information I link to is public info. I'm referring to the organization of it. I certainly welcome people pointing others to this list, including deep-linking to a specific category. I may ultimately also create an RSS feed to track new entries on the whole list or in certain categories.

Brian Rinaldi's list

Some may have known of Brian Rinaldi's excellent site listing open source CFML products and projects, starting in 2006 (which he stopped updating in early 2010, but had been previously available at http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/).

Lest anyone think my site here is/was trying to compete with his list, not at all. Besides the fact that I started mine in 2002, I also don't focus just on CF open source projects. Indeed, I've been pointing to Brian's list (on the old SysteManage page) since Aug 06. If anyone's interested, you can see this by viewing pages from back then via the web archive site. I definitely had long been a supporter and fan of his list, and felt this one complemented rather than competed with his.

Of course, there's some cross-over (things on both lists), but I never just grabbed things from his list if they were not on mine. I just listed here things I'd heard of on my own. Indeed, where he had a corresponding category, I long pointed to it (at the end of each of my lists) so people could check out his also.



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