CF411: Tools and Resources to Consider for CF developers,
by Charlie Arehart (over 700 tools/resources in over 125 categories)

Find what you're looking for by viewing the categories below or just use your browser's find feature to search this one long page for something in particular. Last Updated: Apr 14, 2009

Introduction

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.

I look to improve this interface over time, adding RSS feeds for when I add/change items, perhaps enabling comments per tool/resource, etc. We'll see. Until then, use your browser "find" feature (ctrl-f) to search for things, or the table of contents below, and enjoy.

The Categories

Check out Brian Rinaldi's list, too!

Be sure to also check out Brian Rinaldi's excellent site listing open source CFML products and projects: http://www.remotesynthesis.com/cfopensourcelist/.

Lest anyone think I'm trying to compete with his list, I'm not at all. Besides the fact that I started mine in 2002, I also don't focus just on CF O-S projects. Indeed, I've been pointing to Brian's list (on the old SysteManage page) since Aug 06 (which was 4 years after I started my list). If anyone's interested, you can see this by viewing pages from back then via the web archive site. I definitely have long been a supporter and fan of his list. These complement rather than compete with each other.

Of course, there's some cross-over (things on both lists), but I'm not going to just grab things from his list if they're not on mine. I just list here things I've heard of on my own. Indeed, where he has a corresponding category, I point to it (at the end of each of my lists) so people can check out his also, which may have updates I don't.

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 CFML blogs. Some are popular and known by most, while some less popular ones may well offer some hidden gem. 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.
Dont' forget to consider using a Feed Reader or RSS to Email service to be kept informed of updates to these.

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.

CFML Certification Preparation Resources [link]

The tools mentioned here are still only oriented toward CF 7, so if you're looking for CF8-specific information, 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.
  • cf.Objective(), organized by Jared Rypka-Hauer, et al (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, USA; May 14-16 2009)
  • WebDU, organized by Geoff Bowers, et al (Sydney, Australia; May 21-22 2009)
  • Scotch on the Rocks, organized by Andy Allan, et al (June 1st, 3rd and 5th, in London, Edinburgh and Dublin respectively: yes, three one-day conferences)
  • Spring <br>, organized by Dave Hannum, et al (Athens, OH, USA; Tues June 9 2009)
  • CFUnited, organized by Liz Fredericks, Michael Smith, et al (Washington, DC area, USA; Aug 12-15 2009)
  • Adobe Max, organized by Adobe (location varies, North America in Los Angeles, CA; Oct 4-7 2009)
  • See also Teratech's list of Upcoming CFML conferences
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
  • There was also a CFDevCon, organized by Russ Michaels, et al, last held in London, England, though it did not happen in 2008, and as of this writing no plans for 2009 have been announced.
  • Webmaniacs, which was previously set for Apr 27-28 2009, has been replaced with CF & Flex Top Gun Training, organized by Fig Leaf Software, to be held June 8-10, 2009 (Washington, DC, USA)

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, and/or 8 specifically (some even offering BD), and most offer a choice of either shared, private, or virtual private servers (VPS).

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

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

CFML Podcasts [link]

I've divided the list into those that are active and those that seem no longer to be.
Active CFML Podcasts [link] Seemingly Inactive CFML Podcasts [link]

The following podcasts seem no longer to be updated:
  • ColdFusion Weekly, with Matt Woodward and Peter Farrell, went off the air in early 2008 after a 2 year run
  • OutLoud, with Hal Helms and Jeff Peters, ran for 47 episodes from Oct 2005 through Sep 2007
  • The ColdFusion Podcast, with Bryan Kaiser and Michael Haynie, ran for 38 episodes from Oct 2005 through Jan 2007
  • ColdFusion Muse, with Mark Kruger, ran for 13 episodes from Nov 2005 through May 2006
  • cfframeworks.com offered 8 interview podcasts hosted by Nick Tong and Kola Oyedeji, from Jan-Mar 2007
  • Mark Drew offered a few CFEclipse Videos as a podcast in 2006 (note they videos were designed to be small enough to view in an iPod)
  • the WebDU conference organizers (Geoff Bowers and Daemon), presented a couple of recordings of previous WebDU conferences in 2005
  • the Scotch on the Rocks conference organizers (Stephen Moretti and Andy Allan) tried to do this also with one episode in 2007
  • Aboutcast ran for a couple of episodes in 2006, hosted by Nic Tunney and AboutWeb
  • 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
  • I'm my own sql, hosted by C. Hatton Humphrey, ran out of HouseofFusion.com for just a couple of episodes in late 2006
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
Other Media Resources

See also other media resources which, while not podcasts, may appeal to those seeking audio/video presentations:

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

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 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 Application Development [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 also the later list of CF-oriented Troubleshooting Consultants, who can help with issues other than application development.) 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 also the previous list of folks who perform CF application development.) 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). 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.

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, 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
  • 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
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of blog tools
  • 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, free and fee-based hosted solutions, from Jake McKee
  • CFBlog, free hosted solution for the CF community, powered by BlogFusion
  • InstantSpot, free hosted solution, from Aaron Lynch and Dave Shuck
  • 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:
  • Amazoner, a tool to help a blogger easily recommend books that they like, using their Amazon associate ID
  • LiveWriter, a desktop application from Microsoft that makes it easy to publish rich content to your blog
  • Post2Blog, an alternative to LiveWriter
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

Bug/Defect Tracking Tools [link]

I've split this list of bug tracking and defect tracking tools into those written in CFML, and the rest, both open source and commercial.
Following are the subcategories offered:
Bug/Defect Tracking Tools Written in CFML [link]
Bug/Defect Tracking Tools Written in other languages [link]
(some downloadable, others as services; some open source, others commercial)

Caching Tools for CFML [link]

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).
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

CFML Debugging Tools [link]

  • CF Debug Copy for Firefox and CF Debug Copy for IE, open source from Nathan Mische, allow you to easily copy and paste the SQL query output generated by the classic ColdFusion debug template, parsing the query parameters
  • CF No Debug, open source from Nathan Mische, Firefox Extension and Servlet Filter to Disable ColdFusion Debugging
  • CFWatcher, open source from Ed Tabara, a CF monitoring tool built on the CF debugger
  • ColdFire, open source from Ray Camden et al, a Firefox/Firebug extension to aid in viewing CFML debugging outputl
  • ColdFusion 8 interactive step debugger, free from Adobe (part of the ColdFusion 8 Extensions for Eclipse)
  • FusionDebug, commercial, an interactive step debugger for ColdFusion, from Intergral
  • StarFish, open source from Ray Camden, a profiling tool built on the CF debugger, from Ray Camden
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.

CFML Documentation/Help Tools and Resources

See this section as listed above under CFML Resources.

CFML Engine Alternatives [link]

Code Formatting Tools [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]
  • Blackbox "ColdFusion Development Methodology", from Dan Chick
  • CFObjects, "object-oriented ColdFusion development framework", from Steve Brownlee and Orbwave
  • COOP, "a framework that separates mark-up from processing logic", from John Farrar
  • cfrails, (couldn't find any brief description), from Sammy Larbi
  • 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
  • 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
  • Fusebox, "the most popular framework for building ColdFusion and PHP web applications", from Team Fusebox
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Plum, "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#])
  • 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, "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, "a command-driven service framework for ColdFusion", from Paul Kenney
  • TheHUB, "homegrown application development framework", from Neil Ross
  • 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/Methodologies [link]
CFML ORM Frameworks/Methodologies [link]
  • DataFaucet, "collection of CFCs used to create dynamic object relational modeling (ORM)", from Isaac Dealey
  • 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 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:

Code Generators [link]

There are multiple categories of code generators offered here.
Following are the subcategories offered:
CFML Code Generators [link]
Flex Code Generators [link]

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. Database Comparison Tools [link]

Following are tools that can compare database data and schema.

Content Management Systems (written in CFML) [link]

The following are CMSes written in CFML. 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.

Database Engines [link]

I split the list into two categories: free/open source and commercial DBMSs. (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]
Commercial DBMSs [link]

Database Tools [link]

There are multiple categories of database tools offered here.
Following are the subcategories offered:
Database Coding Tools [link] Database Comparison Tools Database Migration Tools [link]

The following tools assiset with database migration/conversion, change migration, synchronization, conversion of stored procedures, and more. Database 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. 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
  • SiteDirector, commercial shopping cart
  • See also Brian Rinaldi's Open Source CF list of e-commerce tools
  • 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 Bolt) or that can be modified to support them (Eclipse, JEdit, and others).
  • Bolt, codename for new CFML editor from Adobe, as yet unreleased but discussed in Adobe Labs. Beta applications now accepted.
  • D20, open source, from John Farrar. An IDE for developing COOP-based CFML apps (not quite general purpose, but CFML-oriented nonetheless)
  • Dreamweaver, commercial
  • Eclipse, free (see discussion of CFEclipse and other plugins below in the subcategory Eclipse plugins)
  • E Text Editor, (Textmate for Windows), there is a Textmate bundle for ColdFusion
  • HomeSite, commercial, from Adobe
  • HomeSite+, which comes on the Dreamweaver CD, and adds some features over HomeSite (it's essentially the same as the old ColdFusion Studio)
  • IntelliJ, commercial (free for open source projects and educational use), which has an available CFML plugin
  • JEdit (open source, which does have CF support)
  • PrimalScript, commercial, from Sapien, which offers support for CFML
  • SourceEdit, free, for Windows
  • I welcome additions/corrections/feedback.
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.
  • AptEdit, for Windows, available in Lite (free), standard and pro (commercial) editions
  • 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 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 ++
  • NotePad 2
  • NoteTab, free and commercial, for Windows
  • PSPad, free, for Windows
  • 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
  • XML Copy Editor, open source, for Windows and Linux
  • 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]
  • CFEclipse
  • Adobe 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]
  • 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, an XML editing plug-in, available in free and commercial editions

Distributed Caching Tools [link]

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:
  • 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, 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 http://www.cfregex.com/cfcomet/ back in 2002, though not completely .) As you contemplate working with COM, if performance is an issue, consider these Adobe technotes: 1, 2, and 3<