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ColdFusion MX: Forms
In the previous articles we did a lot of code reuse through many of the tags and devices that ColdFusion gives us in ColdFusion MX: Reusing Code. That is a bit of an overview on all the things that we can use as a developer to help us architect a great web application. Now we get to use what is commonly the first thing that makes a web application – Forms. Forms are the essential part of every website it seems. In a web application we use a form to collect data from the user, use the form to display editable data from a database back to a user or insert data into the database from the user.
In this article we’d like to build a form application that will collect contact information from a user that is interested travelling to some exotic location. We’d like to store that data in a database and use things like server-side validation on the form data the user supplies.
We’re going to work with ColdFusion MX and explore the following tasks:
- HTML Forms
- The Database
- ColdFusion & Forms
- Conditional Processing
- <cflocation>
These topics will give us a chance to explore everything there is to explore about forms from the standpoint of collecting data from a user and inserting into a database. This will be essential to other upcoming articles when we want to reverse the process by taking information back out of a database and putting them into forms for a user to insert, update or even delete database data.
Rob Sherman
Rob Sherman Bio:
Attended Fullerton College for a BS in Computer Science and began designing web pages in 1991. In 1994 he began working for an Internet Service Provider called Compulearn in Tarzana, CA. While there he began teaching various computer classes like Access, Word, Excel and Internet related courses. Aside from teaching he became the Webmaster for Compulearn and started designing website for Compulearn and it’s clients. Some of those clients included: Arco, Gilette, Vision Correction Centers, various legal and insurance offices, AT & T, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, a teen website called Moxiegirl, State of Arizona, and the United States Commerce Department.
Rob also decided to take on other responsibilities and worked for a non-profit organization called the Global Schoolhouse Foundation in 1997. This non-profit organization had a mission of bringing Internet technology into the classrooms for both students and teachers. The work this foundation performed was even recognized by now presidential candidate Al Gore, and more recently President George W. Bush and met with the organization periodically. Rob excelled in the ColdFusion language and was building web based projects that brought teachers and students together from over 30 countries.
In 1999, Rob left the Global Schoolhouse to take on the title of Director of Development for an online auction website located in Paris, France. This website was Eurobid.com. In February of 1999 the idea of a truly multi-lingual auction website for the European community was just a thought, but by the end of that same year it became a reality. While continuing to work from the states, Rob put together a team of ColdFusion developers across the U.S. as well as system administrators and was responsible for architecting one of the strongest auction communities in all Europe.
After leaving Eurobid in 2000, Rob formed his own consulting corporation, known as CFDude, Inc. and maintains several clients. He also became a Macromedia Certified Instructor (along with Macromedia Advanced Certified ColdFusion Developer) teaching courses for Andrew’s Technology all over the U.S. and later taught ColdFusion MX and Flash MX 2004 classes for RoundPeg. Rob was also selected to be a part of the pilot program for the Macromedia Certified Professional Program and is one of the first Macromedia Certified Professionals. Rob presently holds the following certifications: Advanced ColdFusion Developer/Trainer; Flash MX Developer/Trainer; Flash MX 2004 Developer/Trainer.