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Remove Filter Year: '2007' - Month: '4'

ColdBox 2.0.0 Final Release is here, Come and Get it!!

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 28, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
Well, ladies and gentleman, after several months of hard work, 2.0.0 release is here. It has so many features, fixes and stability it will blow your mind. This is also the first release to include the newly enhanced ColdBox Dashboard Application (Separate License) that is a companion application to the framework. [Please read the FAQ for more information].

Below I describe all the changes for this release, and thank to GOD for helping me get this release in time.

Changelog for 2.0.0

Below I describe some of the major changes for this release. However, you can go to the Milestone Page at the trac site to get a full listing of the 56 issues that were solved for this release.

- Over 120 pages of documentation and growing are now available via the Trac site with tons of examples, guides, and external tutorials.

- Framework License change to Apache 2

- Dashboard Application 2.0.0 included, it is a separate entity and does not encompass the Apache 2 license. It is a separate license and the application is provided in compiled form.

- New RequestContext bus. This is in order to enable caching and encapsulation of the request collection. Please see the compatibility guide. Your 1.1.0 and below code will have to be modified slightly to accommodate this. All event handler methods receive the requestContext bus object as an argument called 'event'.The object is also called 'event',for the layouts/views.

Addition of new Application Settings:

- ReinitPassword: used to protect the fwreinit flag.

- onInvalidEvent: write the event to execute when an invalid event is detected.

- HandlerCaching: The framework will now cache your event handlers in the coldbox cache.

- IOCFramework: You can now declare which framework you are using: coldspring or lightwire.

- IOCDefinitionFile: Here is where you declare the configuration file to load onAppInit in conjunction with the IOCFramework declared.

- IOCObjectCaching: The ability to cache via the IoC Plugin the objects created by the IoC frameworks.

- AppMapping setting is now optional, coldbox detects its paths.

- Addition of Complex Settings for Arrays and Structures with simple syntax.

- Addition of datasource aliases.

Core Framework

- Addition of two new implicit methods for execution within event handlers: preHandler and postHandler.

- Addition of a 'getHash()' method to handlers and plugins. This retrieves the unique UUID of the created instance.

ColdBox OCM (Object Cache Manager)

A facility for in-memory caching. This facility caches your event handlers, plugins, custom plugins and anything you want. Look at API for usage. The framework has a reap frequency in which once every cycle,the framework will remove objects from the cache that have expired. This way, reaping is not performed on every request. A great way to balance cache access and reaping.

- Metadata settings for caching for custom plugins and handlers via the cfcomponent tag:

The cachetimeout is in minutes. The cache flag is by default set to true if not set. So if you do not set it explicitly to false, the framework will cache it at the default framework's timeout. Cache settings override via config.xml.cfm, please see wiki config guide.

Plugins

- Beanfactory.cfc - Addition of the populateBean method. It can now populate a named or instantiated bean from the request collection. Great for setting a bean with form data. It follows the bean contract, thanks to Sanah Ullah. Great for Transfer Object population.

- FileUtilities.cfc - new methods: getJVMFreeMemory(), getJVMTotalMemory(), isCFUUID()

- IOC.cfc - Added Inversion Of Control support via coldspring or lightwire. Coldspring is the only one supported now. Lightwire will be added in the next version. (Peter, please help with lightwire??)

- sessionstorage.cfc - New facade plugin to use session scope for permanent values

- renderer.cfc: renderExternalview(). Will render an external view. Any type of view: js,gif,etc.

- queryHelper.cfc - New plugin to help you sort and filter queries.

- timer.cfc - New plugin to help you time your code.

New argument to plugin factory: NewInstance it will create a new instance of the specified plugin.

New Debugging Panel

- The new debugging panel now includes the cache panel and monitor for monitoring AJAX Applications. This will blow your mind.

Handler Packages

- The framework now supports multi-package handler layout. you can now define packages for all your handlers due to ColdBox's new event registration system.

Miscellaneous

- The framework now supports for compiled code execution. Event multi-package compiled layouts.

- New eclipse snippets.

- Refactoring and code optimization.

- New ANT scripts for creating new applications and more.

- Addition of the framework pre-compiled: compiled_system. You now have a pre-compiled source for the framework.


Well, I believe this is a major major release and not all the little changes are here, for that check the Trac site. I hope you enjoy it, please send me your feedback via the usual channels and help support this project with your donations.

Luis

Converting structures/arrays to their string representations!

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 21, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
The following is a very useful JAVA tip for ColdFusion developers. Ever wanted to log a structure or array easily into a log file or use it as a string without actually looping and parsing to a string variable? Well, you always had the method right there lurking in the misterious but powerful Java world. The all ecompassing toString() method.

Actually all java.lang.Object inerit a toString() method as you can read in the java docs.

Below is the actual info:

toString

public String toString()

Returns a string representation of the object. In general, the toString method returns a string that "textually represents" this object. The result should be a concise but informative representation that is easy for a person to read. It is recommended that all subclasses override this method.

The toString method for class Object returns a string consisting of the name of the class of which the object is an instance, the at-sign character `@', and the unsigned hexadecimal representation of the hash code of the object. In other words, this method returns a string equal to the value of:

getClass().getName() + '@' + Integer.toHexString(hashCode())

Returns:

a string representation of the object.

As you can see, this method can be very useful. So how do I use it in Coldfusion? Very easily, jeje. look below:

//Create a structure

myStruct = structNew();

myStruct.today = now();

myStruct.name = "luis majano";

myStruct.url = "www.luismajano.com";

//Convert to string

#myStruct.toString()#

And there you go ladies and gentleman!! Enjoy this quick tip!!

More ColdBox Guides!! and 2.0.0 News!

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 21, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
I just finalized two very important guides that I know you will enjoy.

ColdBox ColdSpring Integration Guide

A complete guide of interacting with coldspring from coldbox, how to use it, sample code and features.

Logger Plugin: How to trace messages to the debug Panel

An informative guide of how to trace custom and dynamic messages to the coldbox debugging panel.

Enjoy this two new great guides. More will be posted soon. The 2.0.0 release is reaching its maturity and most likely will be launching by next weekend. I have had a tremendous response with this release and the framework has matured considerable since its 1.1.0 release. The framework is solid, powerful, extensible and faster than ever. The introduction of the coldbox dashboard as a companion application is amazing and it lets you configure your framework installation with ease, learn about your framework, learn about updates and actually report bugs. Future plans for this dashboard include application generators, external tool additions, extensibility, log viewer, etc. So stay tuned as these great tools are in development.

As always, I ask for your contribution to this great project. If you want to contribute with code, ideas, bugs, enhancements, please do so by the following manners:

* [email protected]

* ColdBox Forums

* ColdBox IRC channel on DALNet: #coldbox

Thanks again for your support and stay tuned for more updates to come as development continues. A great place to do live chat's with me and other of the collaborators is on the IRC channel. So please stop by and chat with us as this framework grows.

CF.Objective() here I come!!!

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 19, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
I am totally excited that I am going to my first conference in 4 years!! WOOOHOOO!! My old employer was not, to be political, a good establishment for professional growth. But now I am ready to join back the world and not be trapped in a cavern!! So CF.Ojective() here I come...

I just got confirmed on my trip to the conference and I am exciting out of my socks!! I printed out the schedule and created what could be my schedule for the conference:

My CF.Objective() Schedule

Friday May 4, 2007

  • 10:15AM - Either Chris Scott: Intro to aspect programming or Simon's XML for the rest of us.
  • 11:25AM - Dean Saxe: Application security and compliance
  • 1:30PM - Sean Corfield: Ajax Integration
  • 2:40PM - Mark Mandel: Advanced Transfer
  • 4:10PM - Mark Drew: The CFEclipse Project or Charlie Arehart's long named session title

Saturday May 5, 2007

  • 9:00 AM - Matt Woodward: OO Architecture or Hal Helms large scale application architecture
  • 10:15 AM - Jason Delmore: Scorpio (Have no clue what Steve Rittler's session will be)
  • 11:24 AM - Matt Woodward: Building sustainable software or Simon's Object think
  • 1:30 PM - Simeon Bateman session or Far Cry
  • 3:00 PM - Peter Farrel: Head first mach-ii or Howard Scholz (Have no idea what will his session be?)
  • 4:10 PM - Mark Mandel: Developing apps with Transfer

Sunday May 6, 2007

  • 9:00 AM - Keynote
  • 10:15 AM - Paul Kenny: Test-Driven Development
  • 11:24 AM - Sean Corfield: Real world SOA
  • 1:30 PM - Hal Helms: Object Oriented MOdeling or Rob's Cairngorm
  • 3:00 PM - Maxim Porges: CF/Flex with Java
  • 4:10 PM - Peter Farrel: Mach-II 1.5 or Daryl Banttari's Cryptography and digital security.

PS: I will also be taking some ColdBox CD's for anyone interested. (Final 2.0.0 Version)

What do You think about ColdBox?

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 17, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
I know this is late, but I have been swamped at work, so things have been slow.


Sean Corfield has blogged about ColdBox, over at http://corfield.org/blog/index.cfm/do/blog.entry/entry/ColdBox and does a mini-review on it. He also asks ColdBox users to give their opinions on why they chose Coldbox? Why they like it? etc?

Some people have already made their comments. So if you still have not commented, please head over there and submit your comments.

Thanks.

Luis

ColdBox Guides Galore!! More Documentation!

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 15, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
Hello Documentation Fans!! (Silence....)

I guess there are none!! Anyways, I have just spend most of my precious time updating almost all of the guides and content of the wiki for the upcoming 2.0.0 release. So you can head over to the ColdBox Trac Site and get your fix on all types of new, revised and out of hand documentation. You get more screen shots, samples, eye-candy and more.

Below are some of the revised and new content:

* External Resources Added

* IRC Channel Information

* Overview Guide UML Diagrams

* Install Guide

* Event Handlers Guide

* Plugins Guide

* i18n Guide

* ColdBox Exceptions List & Descriptions

* ColdBox URL Actions

* ColdBox Caching Guide

* My First Event Handler

* My First Custom Plugin

* My First Exception Handler

* Caching Objects Example

* Creating a message box style class

* Custom Exception Template

* Timer Plugin Example : How to time your code

As you can see, there are tons of new documentation, better organization and updated content. So get your documentation fix by heading over the the documentation site.

ColdBox on IRC, come and chat with us, ask anything!

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 15, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
Thanks to Mr. Charlie Griefer, we just set up the ColdBox IRC channel. You can connect to it via DALNET and then just join the coldbox channel. I will be mostly connected at night (Pacific Time).

This channel is to promote more live responses from the ColdBox community. You will be able to ask me any questions about ColdBox and more of the veteran ColdBox users will also log in and share their ColdBox experiences. So you veteran masters out there, please try to contribute by logging in and sharing your experiences. I will also try to spend more time in the channel on Saturdays to help out anybody wanting to try out ColdBox or just find out more information about this great framework.

Some of the software that you can use to log in to IRC are the following:


So remember: IRC on DALNET

Channel: #coldbox

You can also download the latest build of ColdBox (RC1) here.

See you there...

CFquestions.com A great place for CF Certications

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 04, 2007 00:00:00 UTC
I am just posting about this great website that Charlie Griefer just put up. Its called cf questions.com and its a great resource for those of you trying to get your ColdFusion certifications. He has done a great job on creating a very dynamic site for studying and a great way to contribute with questions of your own. So give the site a visit and support it, I am.

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