SOSensible Blog

CF OS Blue(Dragon)s

2008-12-03T00:00:00-06:00

Well, it isn't quite CFUnited when many hoped to see the product go 1.0 but it is here and an impressive first product.

Here are some of the new features and a few comments.

Admin Console: No more editing of the configuration file, every aspect of the engine available through a fully functional administration console. (Note: Originally this was not planned for this release... this will be appreciated.)
CFSMTP: Build applications that respond to email coming in on Port25 immediately. No polling
CFIMAP: Access IMAP servers from your CFML application
Amazon SimpleDB: Need to utilise Amazon's SimpleDB? Then simply use CFQUERY! (Note: This will be interesting to get reviews on!)
Amazon S3: Push files up and down to Amazon's popular S3 service with extreme ease (This is in Railo in some way also, wonder if it's equal here. Also... will we see this in ColdFusion now?)
Memcache: Utilise this popular high performance caching layer deep within your CFML code
render(): Render full blocks of CFML code on-the-fly; think Evaluate(.) but for tags
CFCACHECONTENT / CacheXXX(): Full caching layer to let you really control what gets cached
CFMULTICAST: Lets you send and receive multicast packets
CFXMLRPC: Quickly consume remote XML-RPC services

There is more information on the OpenBD.org site and a WIKI.

Great Myths of Software Development

2008-12-02T00:00:00-06:00

We will look at 3 Great Myths in this post.

Objects cannot be expressed with tag based markup.
Design Patterns are patterns
High Level Languages are not pragmatic

Myth 1: Objects cannot be expressed with tag based markup.

Objects exist after a compliler has translated class based text code into compiled classes that are created as instances in running software. ColdFusion in version 6 introduced it's development community to standard objects based on the common code of that version. Historically we see that most languages create objects with script based code but this is not always the case. There are many types of objects out there. One of the most common type of ojbects is known as DOM these are the objects created with HTML markup. Language libraries like EXTJS seem to have found sweet spot solutions for letting JS developers create DOM with script. Both seem to work well and it is mostly a matter of style.

Now with that said, the JS vs HTML dom objects are equal. As time has passed and we have learned there are ways to design objects that interface together effectively. In electronics technology there are messaging packet standards that allow these physical entities to communicate with each other via messaging standards. They still need common interfaces but the messaging packets are essential. In software we tend to focus more on interface and the developer has to know more about the unique message packets they send in and take out. Because of this we find that one thing that makes integration more reliable is Unit Testing. Over time we have learned that Unit Testing is a two point test. We must test input and output. In reality Unit Testing doesn't care what goes on inside an object as long as it accepts the input and when appropriate returns the proper output. When we look at tags vs script again there is not change here in which is better.

Myth 2 : Design Patterns are patterns

Design Patterns are better thought of as generic principles that solve generic problems. There is a great deal of confusion that comes from the belief that design patterns are like a mold used to cut out holiday cookies. Principles don't change but the implementation of the principles does from one use to the next. If we add red to a white cookie we get something on the scale of pink to red. If we add it to a blue cookie we move to purple. That is just a principled illustration and like design patterns it only illustrates the difference between the cookie and the color. Design patterns are great things to understand and there is even a pattern called Anti-Pattern. This is not a specific pattern but the principle of learning where design patterns work wrong and make things worse. Therefore we can see that the study of design patterns is not meant to be rigid but a relaxed use of principles to improve software through good understanding of ways object oriented code can be created.

Myth 3 : High Level Languages are not pragmatic

Funny is the chant of a Java developer who would chide a high level language like ColdFusion. Then he turns around and promotes Spring or Hibernate. Often low level languages are so daunting that they create high level libraries to encapsulate common processes. A high level language is just a language that has these type of features packaged not only as a library but integrated into the commands built into a platform. If the language remains extensible and allows continued encapsulation like the lower level languages then it is actually out of the box the most pragmatic solution to be acquired.

CSS Is Dead (Tables are Back, kinda)

2008-11-19T00:00:00-06:00

Now those of us in the ColdFusion world will not let Kevin Yank forget his inpetuous article about the demise of ColdFusion. Especially with all the cool news coming out of Adobe MAX right now. That boy needs some help for sure about application server languages. Ignore his ignorance and consider looking for some good knowledge he does have to offer... he has a new book out that is marvelous. And it is FREE for two weeks as a PDF at SitePoint. (Note, your going to have to follow them on Twitter to get the free book.)

With that being said there is something us developers must deal with on a regular basis. CSS... what a pain it can be. Though his history is partially off the general context is right in this YouTube video. Check it out. (If you don't want to get the free copy be smart enough to get a print copy... in fact get one anyhow!)

Beyond the CFConversation Podcast

2008-10-21T00:00:00-06:00

If you are tunning into the Frameworks podcasts you will hear lots of interesting perspective on frameworks. If you are smart you will figure out that the one size fits all mentiality is not one of understanding. Choosing a framework that works for everyone is like choosing a vehicle that works for everyone. Imagine if everyone had to drive a truck or everyone had to drive a sub-compact car! One more thought would be should we all have hammers or should we all have nail guns? Obviously we need different tools for different jobs.

So first you may want to check out the podcasts. One was released last week end and one will be released next week end. ( http://www.cfconversations.com/ )

Next you may want to read about things happening outside of the CF realm. One good example is an article on SitePoint about a new application installer by Microsoft. This new solution lets you install open source applications on your web site. Hmmm... seems like the marketing department at even Microsoft has figured out the way to reach the public is to sell them on being able to install applications on the web site in an easy fashion. Yes, technical structure is a good benefit to any web site. Yet inside our community it seems (as you will hear on the podcasts) that a number of the vendors focus on being a 'control based framework'. Can anyone tell me if you would like to try to sell the management of your company on why a controller based framework offers more benefit than a solution that installs your choice of applications in an automated fashion? Yes, I know we coders are generally geeks but business doesn't make money because we are technically superior alone!

Now with that said let me say there are times where I will understand others may not want to use SOS as the solution of choice. We focus on the problem from more of a business centric view and then we also look at technical considerations. In about a week the beta 2 release of SOS will be uploaded for the public or developers that is to play with for a short season. We are getting very close to a full release of the product.

SOS Overview

Business Centric
Application Installer
Shared Authentication
Robust API
Supports coding in multiple methodologies
ADS (Approchable, DRY as in don't repeat yourself, and Sustainable) Standards
Active Schema
... more to follow
- documentation
- screen cast tutorials
- business overview (so the boss will understand)
- etc.

Now if anyone needs some consulting assistance just let us know and we will see what we can do to help you out.

SOS Beta Free Support

2008-10-13T00:00:00-06:00

If you would be interested in free support during the SOS beta fill out this survey. (This is a great opportunity to learn and get some one on one.)

Electric Ink Books

2008-09-28T00:00:00-06:00

Here we have the new trend in books. Electronic books that actually are more fun than a paper and ink book. This is the new cool for book reading like the iPod is to music. Of course when I got started the new cool was the Sony Walkman portable cassette player. (No picking on the old guy or you might get hit with the cane. LOL)

Lets take a look at the Sony® Reader. These readers can hold over a hundred books. The Reader has memory expansion and the electronics history of a great company for electronics. The interface is easy to master it uses the owners computer to acquire and transfer books or the memory slot.

What do these readers have in common. Both of them are great full strength outside in the sun reading devices. Most devices like this have been hard to use outside in the sun and these are great outdoor readers. Of course if you are the pool side reader they do not promise to be water proof so be careful in that area. The average cost of books can range from say 2 dollars for classics to twenty five dollars or so. Basically Amazon declares the average cost of a book to be around 9 or 10 dollars. I would say you experience may vary but it should be a clear savings vs the price of printed books. Considering the cost of the unit this is a good thing. Initially the price was someting that made me not interested but seeing the price and features in the iPod it has made me reconsider.

Now lets take a look at the Amazon Kindle. While it will cost you 50 more dollars than the Reader it has a nice set of special features worth considering. These include
Whispernet™ (service like cell phones without any signup or subscriptions that works where cell phones work), spinning navigation buttons, download RSS feeds, Magazines and News Papers. That set of extra features sounds like it is worth the extra ticket. I also heard last week one of the technical publishing companies is working on getting all of their books to the Kindle. I would love to have all of my technical books on a divice like this! It would be so nice to walk into a client site and have my entire library on this device for me to look up information. Getting my RSS feeds on a device like this... just makes my mind spin.

With all that said we have not set a final decision as which device we think we will get. Yes there is a stong front runner but until we know we will do a bit more research. Of course either company could send us a demo for review! We hope this is of value to you also as you look at what is coming in the world of technology. No, neither of these devices can work as a replacement for you iPod. There is no cover flow yet on either of them. They do both have incredible battery life. It will be interesting to watch this technology continue to evolve. Say... Adobe? What do you have out there? Is there something coming up in the PDF realm for such readers?

DB in the Amazon Clouds

2008-09-23T00:00:00-06:00

I just received an email for Amazon on the new database hosting for the clouds. Yes, they are still doing Amazon SimpleDB, but they are now going to be offering Oracle and MySQL support also!

- - - CLIP - - -
MySQL has long been a popular choice with Amazon EC2 developers, and with the addition of Amazon EBS it is even easier to use it with the AWS cloud. For those with a MySQL Enterprise subscription, MySQL now offers full support for Amazon's industry-leading virtual computing environment. Developers can now cost-effectively deploy an open source database in the cloud with full software and production support by the database experts at MySQL. MySQL enterprise on Amazon EC2 offers developers optimal performance, reliability, security, and uptime. See more details about running a MySQL database on Amazon EC2 and Amazon EBS, including a tutorial for the best practices on setting up a high availability MySQL database cluster using AWS.
- - - CLIP - - -

Hopefully that will be enough info to get you started... if not jump over and check it out at Amazon. :)

What is the OOP Flu?

2008-09-22T00:00:00-06:00

Well... first let me say I am not against good OOP any more than I am against birds. When we had the big discussion about the bird Flu my thought is the birds need a cure. I share the same thoughts about the guys who are not just users and teachers of OOP but they have the common symptoms of the OOP Flu.

Symptoms:

uncontrolled craving to use only objects
delusional thinking that objects make 'everything' better (result of symptom 1)
they explain how objects make development easier followed by a speech of learning one thing at a time because the concepts are hard to understand
preaching about the evils of spaghetti code followed by a sermon on the benfits of connecting objects with wired solutons (isn't that wired mess behind the desk called spaghetti also? unless of course you use a Mac laptop... but that would lead to the wireless concepts.... NOOOooo... will the analogies ever end!) LOL
anti-social behavior
- belligerent speech (calling people who aren't of the same mind names to slur character of other views)
- suggesting to employers such people are not good developers (of course ignoring how may big names who suffer from the flu were known as great developers before contracting the sickness)

We could go on helping you spot these sick types but more of what is needed is to cure them. We don't want to end up contracting a similar sickness trying to cure them. Above all we need to learn something we learned (or should have) during the 'Bird Flu'. We are still eating birds... we can survive this threat to our social order. We need to benefit from OO development even if some people apparently have gotten the 'OOP Flu'.

Here are some tips on how to avoid getting the OOP Flu.

respect your neighbor like you would like to be respected
remember these guys 10 years ago were not likely doing OOP, and who knows what they will be doing in 10 years!
don't believe what you don't understand without 'reason', and remember above all that charisma is not reason (aka... beware of the pied pipers)
walk and don't run, learn this either in a dedicated class (Hal Helms offers some, and I get nothing for the plug) or take your time.
Sean C. stated there are tradeoffs. (This means that OO in and of itself doesn't make things 'better'... you get benefits at a price and need to evaluate the exchange)
You don't need to do OO or ( alternative )... normally OO mixes quite nicely with other concepts hand and hand.
In time you may learn to do the same thing as those who suffer from the 'OOP Flu'... but without contracting the Flu... you should be doing OO because of reasons, not religion! OO doesn't make you a better person because you are a 'purist'. :)

Heres to your health!

John Farrar

DropBox worth checking out

2008-09-12T00:00:00-06:00

This is very nice! You can add it to your system, yes your system of choice and it lets you share files that automatically syncronize with any other location. Check out the demo video... not going to say much more than that because it's something you will love or not care about. I think it is clearly cool.

http://www.getdropbox.com/home

SOS v5 goes into beta

2008-09-11T00:00:00-06:00

This is beta 1 of a complete 100% rewrite of SOS. We have made things simpler... but that doesn't mean you will just download it and get it. We are going to be doing some online presentations and with that you will get it so easy it will blow your mind how much ColdFusion can do for us. Pardon me those who are the ultra OO guys, but though we use objects in SOS for the benefits there is a way to program ColdFusion without trying to imitate Java. (ducking the flames that will follow that comment.)

Stay tuned and we will be putting streaming videos online. You will find links either here or on http://sos.riaforge.com where our project AND the download are waiting for you. The QnA for the beta will be on the blog on that site so be sure to keep up to date there.

CF 8 Tag Poster

2008-09-05T00:00:00-06:00

Yes you can get one of these handy dandy posters! (Well, that is what we are told if we fill out a survey.)

Poster Survey Link

Social Tolerance in OS

2008-09-04T00:00:00-06:00

Here is a question that seems good for me to ask (and yes I know my blog doesn't support comments at this time... comments welcome but I don't have time to manage spam).

What is the right way to handle tolerance in open source libraries. With the current fame of the Rock Star design of the jQuery web site it has become apparent that this is a issue of question. There are a number of considerations.

Should the open source library seek the community at large or a targeted audience?
Should the expressions of a library express a disire to be 'fun' above a respect for what is considered strongly 'offensive' to others in the same community?

Apparently the social stir inspired a removal of the Rock Star on jQuery... but did it inspire them to express to those offended that they cared or that they just didn't want to deal with the objections? Did the jQuery leadership choose to express they were still sovereign of the ability to preserve fun? (aka, the easter egg snippet)

No one is being asked to share my conservative tastes or views. Yet, it seems time for me to consider that my association with the community can be a friendly one but certainly not a direct association. My relationship with the jQuery community is something I wish to publically define so my values are not a confusing matter. (P.S. If none of this matters to you... just ignore me on this, we all have views others don't share.) Yet, for me it is best to be an outsider looking in with this persistant need to what is in my mind use the jQuery platform to make a social statement.

At CFUnited they offer BOF sessions. Ray did a session this year on Sci-Fi. I am not against Sci-Fi but they seemed to have the understanding of segmentation. I was not even upset that he might have pulled some people from my BOF, LOL. My suggestion is if you are willing to make public social connections they come with a package. I don't do pictures of certain prophets out of respect and or tolerance. I don't have to agree to respect those who feel that way as people. The same way it seems respect for people's views on Rock music doesn't keep someone from listening to it or enjoying it. It does seem odd the 'need' to identify jQuery with Rock.

It's not my job to figure out so best regards to all the leaders. May you continue advancing the great library and we will continue to use it. You are doing a great job with the technical side and perhaps this social flaw is the equalizing side of what makes all things balanced, eh?

ColdFusion Free NOW to Educators

2008-09-03T00:00:00-06:00

Kristen Schofield gives the details at length, but here is the short version of it. Now faculty can easily integrate ColdFusion into their curriculum and enable students to advance their Web application learning more quickly and easily. I might add that if they are looking for books there is a 3 book set and there is my 'tutorial' book reviewed here for education.

Availability: Adobe ColdFusion 8 is now available free for download to eligible students and educators through https://freeriatools.adobe.com/coldfusion.ColdFusion 8 integrates with a broad range of platforms and systems. It's supported on the leading J2EE application servers and natively integrates Java, .Net, Microsoft Exchange Server, web services and more. For more detailed information about ColdFusion 8, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/.

*This free offering of ColdFusion 8 is for learning purposes only and not applicable to educational institutions using ColdFusion in production environments.

Comic Relief Intro: GOOGLE's new Browser

2008-09-02T00:00:00-06:00

Check your calendar, this is Sept. and not April 1! Yes, you read the blog post correct. Google is going to be trying out the browser market. Hey, it sure helped Microsft... now they want to take this for a spin. One nice thing is you get the intro in comic book form... sadly static comics. They must have gone to scroll comics, inc. to have this one put together! Yes, don't worry... still get to flip the pages... and pages... and pages... HEY, didn't someone tell Google we read comics so we get to do less reading! LOL

We are told the browser 'may' ship today. Oh... they agree with Adobe and Apple and it is reported they are building on WebKit. (Links to follow when they are posted.)

Next Gen Browsers

2008-09-01T00:00:00-06:00

OK... we could talk about individual features but that isn't going to help us understand what the driving features are in the next generation features of browsers. IE and Mozilla tend to be leading the way with IE 8 and the Mozilla Ubiquity project. In a nutshell it's about user controlled collaboration. It is about the user controlling integration and information in his own way.

So, what is the point? Next generation web sites should be thinking the way next generation browsers are headed. Does your site allow users to gather information and use it in a friendly collaborative way? How easy is it for them to pick pieces of information and share in a social network of choice? We have a project on RiaForge called cfOpenSocial. Send me a message if this is something you are interested in helping get to the community as an itnegrated library running in ColdFusion. If not look at what others are doing and make sure your site isn't going to be viewed as 'anti-social'.

Yes, the next features of the browser focus on two major concepts. They focus on being social and collaboration. Of course change helps keep us IT guys working... so in addition to giving more to the users that is good for us!

Mate Flex Framework

2008-08-29T00:00:00-06:00

If you have not seen this framework yet then it is worth checking out. Though not a 1.0 release yet it has features that make it better as ADS Technology than some alternatives. (Well, that is a subjective statement so you judge for yourself and watch the presentation.) I have worked some with this application and it was a delight. There is more to learn but with a few screencasts like this added to the site they could have a great introduction to the framework.

Mate Framework Home Page

Note: I am also very interested in simpler use of Modules in Flex. Mate offers a very nice way to integrate modules with the event based way of the framework.