Creating Your First Page with ASP

ColdFusion Tutorial - Lesson 1
by Charles Mohnike

Webmaster Rule Number One
When a potential employer/client asks you if you've ever worked with XYZ software running on platform ABC, say "yes" quickly and with great assurance. Then run home, fire up the Net, and figure out what the hell they were talking about.

I pulled this one a couple of years ago when interviewing for a book publisher that used a program called ColdFusion on its site. At first I wondered why the company needed a webmaster fluent in nuclear physics, but a quick HotBot search revealed that ColdFusion is a database-to-Web gateway that's turning into a very popular tool for businesses that need to get lots and lots of data on the Web lickety-split.

And therein lies your reason to be interested in this otherwise dry subject, because in terms of webmastering, if business likes it, you love it. Companies with lots of junk to put on the Web usually have budgeted lots of cash for the project, cash that they'll be more than happy to shower upon you if you show them how to assemble a cohesive, dynamic Web site out of their mess of databases.

ColdFusion is a tool made by Allaire that runs concurrently with most Windows and Solaris Web servers (it can also be used effectively on intranets, but we'll leave that for a separate tutorial and another check from the good folks at Wired). If you host your own server in-house, you can install the package on the same machine; if you host with an outside provider, you'll have to convince them to purchase and install it. There's also a growing number of Web providers offering ColdFusion as an available service. You can expect to pay more than you would for a standard hosting account, but, as you'll read in the next section, the time-saving properties of ColdFusion are well worth the extra loot.

Once installed, you'll access your database with ColdFusion templates, which look surprisingly similar to standard HTML pages. The difference is that you can create a single template and serve up tons of information dynamically rather than having to create a separate page for every item. You'll need a basic knowledge of databases and HTML, and if you're working for a client you'll need sufficient people skills to explain to them why they need to spend money to save money.

Who Needs It?

Unless your site is a simple, two-page ode to Leo Sayer, it's safe to say that you could save some serious man- or woman-hours by using ColdFusion. The question is whether the time saved will justify the extra dollars you'll shell out for the software or for the extra hosting fees your provider will tack onto your bill. Here's a little Cosmopolitan-style test to help you find out.

· Do you or your client maintain databases you'd like to see on the Web? Does the rest of the world really need to see this data or are you maybe being just a little delusional in thinking that we can't live without your massive archive of bootlegged Barry Manilow performances?

· Does your site require frequent updates, as in, say, new products, an events calendar, or a lengthy What's New section?

· Do you sell stuff on the Web?

· Are you the electronic equivalent of a pack rat? The sort that saves old National Geographics and Enquirers for "future reference"? Do you have lots of cats?

· Do you or your client have lots and lots of text-based documents you need to serve up?

· Do you like to spend hours goofing on the Web instead of designing the site you're supposed to be working on? Are you doing it right now and justifying it by telling yourself that you're bettering your skills by reading Webmonkey?

· Does your site host banner ads?

· Does your site use figures that need computation, such as product totals or inventory numbers?

Installing ColdFusion and Defining a Data Source
Installing the package is deceptively simple, and if you're an advanced enough user that some company is giving you the administrator password and letting you sit in the big kids' chair at their Web server then you shouldn't have any trouble. The reason I call the process "deceptive" is that setting this thing up is a breeze - the hard part doesn't come until later when you're building templates.

The installer will ask you a few questions about where you want to put the files, what Web server software you use, what program you use to create your databases, blah blah. As before, if any of these befuddle you, you'd better go find a grown-up to be present at the proceedings. And use those little blunt scissors if you have to cut anything out.

You'll probably be asked to restart your machine and/or your Web server software. If you're not the system administrator, make sure before you restart that you have access to that little list of things you have to do to get the server back up and running (stop and restart this process, delete that route, etc.). Even the best sysadmins have these; they're usually scrawled on a Post-It affixed to the monitor. Some administrators actually print these out so they're legible, but they're usually the anal types and probably wouldn't be letting you fool with their Web server in the first place.

Now you're ready to define your data sources in ColdFusion. The newer versions of the software use a Web page interface to do this and older versions use a standard Windows dialog box. Both are found under the heading ColdFusion Administrator.

A data source name (DSN) is the database you want to serve up on the Web. If you're running your own copy of ColdFusion, you can set up several; if you're using it on a provider's machine you'll probably be limited to a single DSN. Again, the setup is pretty straightforward stuff. Just point the administrator software to the database you'll be using and, if the database resides on a machine other than the Web server, supply any log-in and password information it will need to log on to that machine. The key word here is permissions: Your database should have read access enabled for the username your Web server uses to log in. Depending on the software you use to create your databases, this may be defined in standard file permissions or in the program itself.

Examining Your Database
This is the webmaster's equivalent of checking yourself for lumps. It's important to scout your databases for stuff that might confuse ColdFusion later. These include:

· Field names should be devoid of spaces. Use the underscore character, like new_items instead of "new items." If your database was set up by someone else, budget some time to explain to them why rewriting all of their database queries and macros will be worth it in the long run. Smile as you say this.

· Use key fields. Most database programs set these up automatically when you create a new table. Keys will greatly reduce the CPU time ColdFusion uses to search your database.

· Divide, divide, divide. If you're running ColdFusion on your client's server, you can use as many DSNs as you like. Use this capability by breaking up unrelated tables into separate databases and setting up each one as an individual DSN. Your CPU and hard drive will love you for it.

· Check permissions on the individual tables in your database and make sure that they have read-access for the username your Web server uses to log in. You'll also need to enable write-access for tables that will allow user input from the Web.

· Make sure that your databases, tables, and DSNs are named clearly and logically. As a former client used to tell me, "We wanna know that if you get hit by a bus tomorrow we can figure this thing out." There are actually two schools of thought on this; the other is that unnecessary complexity leads to job security.

· If your fields include large blocks of text, you'll want to include basic HTML coding within the text itself, including stuff like boldface, italics, and paragraph markers.

Review
We've covered a lot of ground today, but, if you're reading this tutorial on the clock, you can tell your superiors it was time well spent and more than makes up for the hours you frittered away checking your eBay auctions last week. To summarize, we discussed:

· How to convince a potential client/employer that you're conversant in something you know absolutely nothing about

· What ColdFusion does and why it's worth the extra bucks

· Who could benefit from it and who would do better to spend the money on something else, like a shiny, new pony

· Computer people don't get enough sex

· Installing ColdFusion and setting up a DSN

· Checking your existing databases for ColdFusion compatibility

Next lesson we'll start creating ColdFusion templates, talk a little about basic SQL (structured query language), and ColdFusion's tag library. Until then, why not get up and do something else? Walk around a little. It's fun!

Charles Mohnike is a technology writer and the co-founder of Zapt Digital Media, an electronic publishing firm.