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Why use a framework?

Posted by Luis Majano
Jun 16, 2010 11:27:30 UTC

Catchy title huh?? Well, I was doing some digging around today and found some fantastic things I would like to share and open for discussion.

Why are frameworks like ColdBox, Model-Glue, Mach-II, etc, important? In all reality, they are extremely important, because if they did not exist we would end up rewriting them in some shape or form.  Software is all about reusability and adapting to change.  Nowadays it is also about adapting faster and faster.  How many developers working on tight deadlines have the time to ponder and think about all the “magical” ways they can make their components be reused in the future? Or how to really build that SES engine better than anything out there.  These are great things to have, but they don’t happen often in reality.  We are tasked and need to get things going fast and deliver our business.  I like this quote:

And let's face it, business requirements change so quickly that by the time someone else comes along to reuse your stuff, it probably needs to be re-written anyway. By Elastic Path

I can honestly say that every project I worked before using a framework started very simple and with simple architecture.  Then as requirements change and grow, more features are needed, and I get cornered into some areas of resolution:

1. I can rewrite what I have in a “get it DONE” fashion just in time for a release.  This could result in buggy or hard to test code.  I still have not really adapted but just expanded.

2. Download that super duper library I found and just squish into my simple architecture.  Again, I am introducing things that are hard to test and could result also in new bugs of introducing a library into my environment.  I have not really adapted myself to change, again, just expanded.

3. I can begin to modularize what I have, apply OO analysis and design and create a pseudo-framework that can accept new components more easily without breaking what I already have and expand it.  Ok, now I start to adapt, but at what costs?

I might like number 3 but I end up creating a framework of my own or home grown frameworks tested in one environment only, by a small subset of applications and only being able to adapt to a small arena of evolution.  This is where proven libraries and frameworks come into play.  There is a wealth of value in these libraries as they are used world-wide, different loads, different requirements and their number one priority is how to adapt to change and make our development more efficient.  Now, I won’t go into how one is better than the other, etc.  Each framework delivers their own feature sets, implementations, etc, but that does not REMOVE the benefits of reusing these libraries.

I am a big proponent of reuse and open source (couldn’t you tell), and I truly believe in avoiding building anything from scratch if I can.  I know there are cases when things that I need do not exist or are not built yet, and then I would consider building them.  If not, reusing libraries such as ColdBox, just empower me to deliver my business needs faster, gives me a great platform to develop on, I can get help around the world, I can extend its functionality to adapt for change, and so much more.

I strongly believe in community reuse and collaboration, why reinvent the wheel so many times for so many projects just because I don’t want to use something that somebody else wrote, or because I think frameworks are just too complex to work with.  This is not a good business decision that could potentially bite you in the future.  Writing open source frameworks and libraries is hard work and it takes immense number of hours on research, testability, adaptability, modularity, reusability, etc.  The work of framework authors is something to be valued upon and certain trust on them has to be developed.  I truly admire my colleagues like Dan Wilson, Mark Mandel, Matt Woodward, Peter Ferrell, Sean Corfield, etc.  I know their devotion to helping our community and at the end of the day make our community business needs better.  Relying on open source professional frameworks is something engrained in so many communities like python, java, ruby, etc.  The benefits really outweigh the cons.

In conclusion, this commentary arises out of certain discussions of late with some developers on why the need of reusable frameworks.  I hope this can give insight into why use a framework or open source library.  Again, I welcome your thoughts and opinions.

ColdBox Training at CFUnited

Posted by Luis Majano
Jun 14, 2010 09:33:35 UTC
Just a reminder that I will be teaching a 2 day ColdBox training event 2 days before CFUnited.  The registration is wide open and there are evensome cool discounts flying around (code:superweek).  For more information about this cool training event, check out the event page: http://coldbox.eventbrite.com/

New Ortus Solutions Website

Posted by Luis Majano
May 21, 2010 10:13:20 UTC

I just wanted to point out that we have released a new corporate website: http://ortussolutions.com which is now filled with lots of goodies, news and some upcoming products.

Training headed to the East Coast

Posted by Luis Majano
May 03, 2010 23:27:56 UTC
Finally after several months of getting this training prepared, we are heading to the DC area and holding our first 2 day ColdBox intensive training in July, 2 days before CFUnited.  So head on over to the ColdBox blog and find out about it. Hope to see you there!

CFObjective 2010 slidedeck and code

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 23, 2010 12:10:54 UTC
If you where not able to attend my ColdBox 3.0.0 presentation at CFObjective (Shame on you!), now you can at least see the presso and the source code we used.  Just head out to our wiki and download it now.

To those who attended, thank you very much!

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/11172436[/vimeo]

Get your coldbox extension update

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 18, 2010 23:13:28 UTC
New coldbox platform utilities extension update with integrated help, live API, doc search and orm event handler creations: http://coldbox.org/forgebox/view/ColdBox-Platform-Utilities

CFBuilder ColdBox Extension Updates

Posted by Luis Majano
Apr 01, 2010 00:00:00 UTC
I blogged a few days ago on the main ColdBox blog site that the ColdFusion Builder extensions have been drastically updated. They can now connect to ForgeBox and install any entry almost command like style, auto-update itself, and so much more. I am really happy with the way the extension is developing and we have great plans for it.

The most compelling reason for the extension is productivity! I have seen my development totally increase because of the extension. Where it can create my handlers, actions, views, integration tests and more all in one gentle sweep. So if you have not used the extension, I really recommend you take a quick spin of it, as it will totally change the way you develop your ColdBox applications.

ColdBox Training in London for SOTR

Posted by Luis Majano
Mar 05, 2010 00:00:00 UTC
Hi everybody, I just wanted to announce that I will be attending scotch on the rocks on May 24-25 for the very first time. I will also be presenting on ColdBox and we have organized (thanks to Andy Allan) a 3 day intensive ColdBox training right after the conference from May 26-28. We will be doing 2 days intense CBOX-101 course and then the last day we will hold a ColdBox bootcamp and build some apps the entire day!

Just remember that seats are limited, so reserve your seat right now!

CFObjective ColdBox Training, get it while it is hot!

Posted by Luis Majano
Feb 12, 2010 00:00:00 UTC

CF.Objective Coldbox:100 Training

April 21 - One Day

Course Description

Intro to ColdBox is an intense 1-day training course that will get you started with ColdBox Application Development. This course focuses on the main aspects of ColdBox Development and it delivers a one-two punch to get you started.

Requirements

Below is a listing of some of the course requirements or assumptions you will need:

  • Laptop or Personal Computer Basic CFC knowledge Intermediate ColdFusion Knowledge Basic understanding of web applications
  • Basic knowledge of CSS,XML,HTML,JavaScript and AJAX

More information at http://coldbox.org/index.cfm/courses/cbox100

Maximum number of students: 20

Price: $500 for Early Rate, $600 Regular Rate

Early Registration Deadline for cf.Objective() is February 14th! Save $100 by Registering Now!

ColdBox Training in 2 weeks, get this awesome discount!

Posted by Luis Majano
Feb 04, 2010 00:00:00 UTC
The ColdBox February 20-21st CBOX-101 training seminar is getting close and there are only a few seats available. I am running a super special available for only the next 5 days with a surprise and HEVY discount.

So if you are interested in attending the seminar, use the following link to register: http://coldbox.eventbrite.com/?discount=superweek

I am also willing to give awesome discounts for students. So if you are a student and would be interested in attending our seminar, please send me an email to [email protected] with the subject titled: Starving Student Needs ColdBox! And you shall get an amazing discount.

Again, you can register here: http://coldbox.eventbrite.com/?discount=superweek and view our event details here: http://www.coldbox.org/events/ca-feb-2010

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