Note: This blog post is from 2009. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

I actually did 2 Max talks (in addition to my Unconference talks), and I mentioned the other in a previous entry.

I'll note as well that I list this and all presentations I do, with links to PDFs or recordings, at the presentations section of my site.

Finding other CF Videos at tv.adobe.com

Finally, note that you can find other CF videos by selecting the "all product" category and choosing CF. Of course, you can also use the search field as well to find specific speakers or topics.

Note: This blog post is from 2009. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

I actually did 2 Max talks (in addition to my Unconference talks), and I've mentioned the link to the other in another entry (so as to title and categorize it separately).

I'll note as well that I list this and all presentations I do, with links to PDFs or recordings, at the presentations section of my site.

Different links for Max videos have been shared

Indeed, FWIW, I'll clarify that on that presentations page I previously listed a link to a recording of the talk which was available only to registered Max attendees. Unlike the first link offered above, at tv.adobe.com and open for all to view, this other link was at groups.adobe.com, specifically the Adobe Groups Max NA site, which required a login and you could only join if you were a registered Max attendee.

Sorry if that last part's confusing. It's just a result of Adobe trying different ways to make the content available, which was happening at the same time that the Adobe layoffs were happening.

Let's just thank them for providing the videos at all, and especially for all the free ones at tv.adobe.com.

Finding other CF Videos at tv.adobe.com

Finally, note that you can find other CF videos by selecting the "all product" category and choosing CF. Of course, you can also use the search field as well to find specific speakers or topics.

Note: This blog post is from 2008. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

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Note: This blog post is from 2008. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

I did a little digging, and hadn't seen anyone else write about these (it seems) in the CF blogopshere, so I'll share what I found. They're nothing dramatic.

Autonomy=Verity

In the first case, I guess I just missed the news, but back in 2005, Autonomy acquired Verity. (Seems like the acquisition last month of MySQL by Sun. Doesn't appear to have been too significant in the grand scheme. The tools continue to be known by their former company names.) Also, more digging found that this had been mentioned in the 8.0 release notes as well, but I just hadn't noticed it. FWIW, there was no mention in the CF7 notes/docs that I could see.

TVirtualStringTree in Report Builder?

What about TVirtualStringTree? Well, that isn't as obvious. It appears to be a Delphi component, and the only thing I can think of that's written in Delphi that might have been updated for 8.01 would be the CF Report Builder. Perhaps Dean Harmon or someone else from Adobe can confirm that guess. It's not important, of course.

Just one of those "things that make you go hmm" (to the younger folks out there, that's a reference to a bit from the old Arsenio Hall show of the early 90s. Gosh, now I know how my parents must have felt when they'd talk to me about the the Jack Parr show, when I was a teen in the 70's!)

PS: Searching the CF blogs

BTW, I said I hadn't seen any mention of this in the CF blogosphere. Was I going only on my memory? Heavens, no. I don't at all claim to have read most (or even 10%) of all many, MANY blogs out there on CF. It's great that there are so many, and that we have so many CF blog aggregators. But even then, none let you search all the past blog entries (at least it seems to me, as I searched for some text on that entry in all the aggregators and none found it).

So how does one do a quick search of most CF blogs? Well, last year I created a Google Custom Search Engine I call CFSearch. It lets me (and you)search only CF-related blogs and other resources. There are other CF CSEs out there, and I wrote about them back when I created mine.

I make a bookmark link for my CSE so that I can do such a search easily. Hope you'll consider doing the same.

Note: This blog post is from 2008. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

UPDATE: I have an update on this: the reason I had the issue was not related to SP1. And it wasn't that I'd "installed a .NET 2.0 app" since I installed Vista. Rather, it turns out that it was because I'd restored from backup some files into my IIS docroot that included a web.config that DID have .NET 2.0 config entries. Even so, this could happen to others, or to others who DO install .NET 2.0 apps, so I leave it for others to consider.

I'd been running Vista for a while on my development machine, and though I'd installed CF8 on it without problem, I chose at first to use the built-in web server to start (both with the standalone and multiserver deployments of the CF8 Developer edition.)

Today I decided to hook it to IIS. Since I'd not made the choice to use IIS on install of CF 8, I of course used the web server configuration tool (start>programs>adobe>coldfusion 8>web server configuration tool). Though I'm on Vista Ultimate and could define more than one web site (a nice bonus of the Ultimate and Business editions all Vista editions, without needing to buy a Server edition of Windows), I had not defined any beyond the default web site. (Update: I spoke today with Bill Staples, one of the folks in charge of IIS 7, about this whole issue, which is when I realized it came about from me doing the restore. Anyway, he said that the support of multiple sites is something in all editions of Vista. Nice.)

(One interesting thing that happened was I got a popup telling me that CF would need a few minutes to configure itself with IIS 7. I took a screenshot of the window that popped up but lost it from the clipboard. Perhaps someone else will see it and can comment here what it says, to help those doing searches later. But as it said, after a couple of minutes it did take.)

Error on first CFM page request

But when I requested my first CFM page, I got a big ugly IIS 7 error page (an HTML page), the crux of which reported:

Yikes. It went on to provide various details on the problem as well as some workarounds. The gist was that the system.web httphandlers entry in the config files had something that was no longer compatible with the new, default "integrated mode" of IIS (defined as the "managed pipeline mode"). What had CF done? How would I best resolve it?

Quick and dirty workaround: Change mode to "classic"

One of the workarounds described changing the "mode" for the "managed pipeline mode" from "integrated" to "classic". This is defined in the site's application pool, which you can modify in the IIS manager (selecting "application pools", then the app pool (by default, the "default web site" uses "DefaultAppPool"). See the screenshot here.

Sure enough, changing it to "classic" made the problem go away, but that may not be the best solution.

Better Solution: Migrating the .NET settings in a single, simple step

I did some digging and found one blog entry with a good bit of info, and he seems to assert that this is just a breaking change in IIS 7 for ASP.NET 2.0 apps.

He also made the case for not using the workaround above (changing the mode to "classic"), as it could cause loss of many of the nifty features that IIS 7 adds. Instead, he proposed that one should instead seriously consider the option to upgrade the .NET 2.0 app config entries to work properly in integrated mode. Turns out this is just a simple command line command:

I had set the mode back to "integrated" to confirm that the error came back (it did), so I then dropped to the command line (using start>run and entering "cmd") and pasted that line verbatim (right-click and paste, not ctrl-v) onto the command line (again, since I'm using the "default web site"). It came back with 2 lines in response:

I then re-requested my CFM page, and it worked, so that seems the solution.

Since I knew I didn't have any custom-written .NET 2.0 apps on my machine, I knew there was no great risk to me doing this. (I had not myself built any .NET 2.0 apps of my own, but I may well have downloaded and installed some app that's built on it. So it's possible that if you have not, that you will not ever get this issue. I'm offering it for those who may, so they can find it on a web search.) (See my update at the top of this entry.)

The blog entry also implies that this may be an issue for SP1, so perhaps others who are not yet on SP1 won't have seen this problem yet. If anyone reads this who is not on SP1 and it solves things for you, do let us know in the comments. (Bill Staples also confirmed that this was not an issue new to SP1.)

Hope this has been helpful for someone.

PS Please, I'm not interested in any snide comments about the wisdom/folly of using Vista. Like others, I have my reasons for doing so, and I've been very satisfied with it so far. I share the above for others in the Vista boat, whether by their choice or others'.

Note: This blog post is from 2008. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

In the 45 minute talk, we discuss both talks I'll be doing at the conference, first "Hidden Gems in the CF8 Monitor" and then "Step Debugging in CF 6/7/8". The first is a condensation of my 4-part series of articles in the Adobe DevCenter, where I highlight the most compelling tips, tricks, and traps I found. I think many will be surprised by them, and in the interview I share several from the talk.

Matt also asked me about how it compares to FusionReactor and SeeFusion, and I shared my thoughts for why there's a place for all, and along those lines (of how competing things fit together), he also asked me my thoughts on the open sourcing of BD/J2EE.

Of course, one of the things I clarified was that I left New Atlanta nearly 2 years ago (next week). Many seem not to have gotten that memo! But I explain more, including why I'm not so sure it will light the world on fire as a "free CFML engine" though it may well help a lot of people, so check out the discussion if you're interested in that topic.

I also shared some news that I've never blogged about nor spoken much about: the fact that when the roles of CF Product Manager (when Tim stepped down 2 years ago) and CF Evangelist (when Ben knew a few months ago that he was moving up to lead all the Evangelists in Adobe) first became available, I had the distinct honor of having been asked first (so I was told) if I wanted those roles. It's hard for that not to sound self-aggrandizing, which is why I've not mentioned it publicly, but I mentioned it in the interview to make the point to listeners that I really am all about CF now, and that plenty of folks at Adobe did realize I was still very much a CF community guy all along.

Anyway, I explained that I didn't take the roles simply because in the first case, the product manager role, it would have involved relocation to Boston (love Atlanta's weather too much, plus I was enrolled in an Atlanta-based seminary at the time). In the second case, Ben's role, it would have been awesome, but we all know it involves a LOT of travel. My wife and I just didn't want to be apart so much and so often (and again there are those seminary studies). It was tough to say no, but as I mentioned in the interview, of course Adobe got great folks for the roles ultimately, in Jason and Adam, respectively.

The interview concluded with my discussion of the Step Debugging talk I'll give at cf.o. I explained how it will cover both the CF8 Debugger (useful only on CF8) and FusionDebug (which can run on 6, 7, and 8). I explained (as I have many times) how though they're both based on Eclipse, that needn't be a show-stopper.

I explained how FusionDebug even offers an installer that bundles Eclipse, CFEclipse, and FusionDebug all at once, which is a great help for those challenged to install it (though it's also available as an add-in). I noted that the CF8 debugger is available only as an add-in, which can be a challenge to some, but I pointed out (as I have previously) that my 25-page chapter on the CF8 debugger, in the CFWACK, is available online. That should really help those who've been challenged to get started with the CF8 debugger. Anyway, I'll explain a lot more about using the debugger, and when/why/how one should, in the talk at the conference.

So, though I didn't plan it, I guess this interview was as much a show about how I'm not any one company's guy. :-) Whether it's supporting the CF8 monitor or FusionReactor/SeeFusion, the CF8 debugger or FusionDebug, CF or the other CFML engines, or even the consulting I do (done mostly on my own, but also some for Intergral and for Universal Mind, as I mentioned), I'm out here just trying to help where I can, whoever I can, however I can. :-) I just want to share info or tools and let folks make their own decisions. (In that regard, be sure also to check out my list of 400+ tools/resources for CFers and the CF Meetup that I run.)

Anyway, it took only a few minutes for you to read this entry. I think you'll enjoy the full 45 minute version in the podcast, which you can just click here to listen to the MP3 (no need to have an Ipod!).

Note: This blog post is from 2008. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

In the ColdFusion 8 Web Application Construction Kit Volume 2: Application Development, I had the honor of doing the chapter on the CF8 debugger. If I do say so myself, I think that it's a really complete introduction both to installing, configuring, and using the debugger, along with many tips, tricks, and traps--perhaps even a better one-stop resource than the docs themselves.

Best of all, it's one of the chapters that's been made available online. There was fear that Volume 2 would be too big and so a few chapters (mostly on older topics) were put into a 550 page PDF. My chapter is near the back of this PDF.

Also, note that if you have the print version of the book, it's technically chapter 52 of volume 2, but you won't see these online chapters listed in its table of contents. Instead, they appear in the TOC at the start of vol 3 (long story)

Sadly, I couldn't get permission to just cut out this one chapter, so you do need to get the full PDF. You should be able to easily jump to the starting page (using Ctrl-Shift-n), which is page 467 in the PDF, despite the table of contents on the first page which lists it at 471. And of course, you can print just selected pages from a PDF as well.

Either way, I hope you get great value out of the information offered. I'd really welcome your feedback.

(PS I mentioned last week that I'd also done an article on the CF8 debugger in the FusionAuthority Quarterly Update, in their recent CF8 Special Edition. Unfortunately, the FAQU articles are not available online.)

Note: This blog post is from 2008. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

If you've not taken a look at these, you may be missing out. There are some misconceptions about the monitor, and also I think most don't realize that it can do much more than they may suspect. There's precious little documentation (and discussion) about it, so you may find things here you won't find anywhere else.

• Part 1: Using the Server Monitor in development
• Part 2: Using the Server Monitor in production
• Part 3: Automated monitoring and request management with Alerts and Snapshots
• Part 4: Multiserver Monitor, Admin API monitoring, and more

The third and fourth parts, specifically, have the following sections:

Part 3

• Automated monitoring and request management with Alerts
• Substantial diagnostic details with Snapshots

Part 4

• An enterprise dashboard with the Multiserver Monitor
• Programmatic Monitoring with the Admin API
• Tweaking the Monitor in the Settings section
• Miscellaneous aspects of the Monitor

Sure, I've just written about FusionReactor yesterday, and will write still more about the new release. I don't see it incompatible to help people make the most of whatever tool they may use. I've written previously also about SeeFusion. Indeed, I've written previously that that each has their place, even in the face of CF8's server monitor.

I'd like to hear from readers

The DevCenter articles offer a feedback link, but so far I've not gotten any (and they say they will forward any they get). I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has read the articles. I really feel that they go way beyond what's available in the docs and help, to bring together information and concepts you might otherwise miss. Has it helped you at all?

Finally, do you ever wonder why some call this area of the Adobe site "DevNet", "DevCenter", and/or some the "Developer Connection"? Well, the URL has devnet in it, but the breadcrumb bar at the top of my articles shows "Home > Developer Connection > ColdFusion Developer Center". Go figure. :-)

Note: This blog post is from 2007. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

Some have lamented that in CFMX 6 and 7, it instead used the name of your server where CF is installed, which might be something like "server1" or "bingo", as in:

This might cause a recipient mail server to flag the mail as spam, if the mail server was a different domain name (like "yourcompany.com"). The bummer was that many found no way to fix this. Sure, in CF5 you could set it in a CFMAILPARAM to set a mail header, but CF 6 and above ignores that.

So the good news is that CF8 now does use that CF Admin or CFMAIL SERVER value to create the message-id. If I use CFMAIL SERVER="mail.carehart.org"..., for instance, I might get something like:

What about CF 6 or 7?

But what if you're on 6 or 7? Well, there's a solution for you, too, by way of a tweak in the CF startup script (jvm.config) or (less preferably) in code. Since the change for CF 6 or 7 deserves some explanation to do it justice, I'll take that up in a part 2 message next. I'll also lay out the whole problem with the auto-generated message-id and why it's a concern for some.

For now, I just wanted to get this word out to those who understand the problem already that CF8 solves it. Woo hoo.

Note: This blog post is from 2007. Some content may be outdated--though not necessarily. Same with links and subsequent comments from myself or others. Corrections are welcome, in the comments. And I may revise the content as necessary.

This particular talk was recorded at a joint meeting of two Australian CFUGs in September, though I also presented the talk at CFUnited in June.

Anyway, if you're interested in either or both of these debuggers (or even if you're ambivalent about them), do check it out.

(Though the recording has been available online for some time, the host had left it marked as requiring a username/password. When someone pointed that out, we resolved the problem and that's why I'm pointing it out now.)