Adobe 38000827 - Macromedia ColdFusion MX Standard Edition Evaluator Manual page 29

Macromedia® ColdFusion® MX Evaluator's Guide
Integration with the Java and .NET Platforms
One of the most highly valued features of ColdFusion is its ability to integrate with virtually
any technology. Developers working in ColdFusion can easily integrate databases,
directories, file servers, email servers and legacy systems as well as emerging
technologies like XML, WML, and web services. ColdFusion MX takes this openness to
the next level by expanding the integration ColdFusion offers with the Java and .NET
platforms.
Integrating with Java Technologies
While a ColdFusion developer doesn't have to know anything about the Java language to
build ColdFusion applications, in many cases it is useful to reuse functionality that has
already been built in Java. Alternatively, for more complex applications, many
development teams choose to build parts of the application in ColdFusion and other parts
in Java – for example, writing presentation logic in ColdFusion and transactional back-end
logic in Java. ColdFusion MX makes it easy to do both.
ColdFusion MX offers several ways for developers to integrate with Java technology. One
of the most powerful is the ability to import JSP tag libraries and reuse them just like
ColdFusion tags. JSP tag libraries are tag-based components created in Java that enable
Java developers to package functionality for reuse in web application development. Just
as there are thousands of downloadable ColdFusion tags on the Macromedia ColdFusion
Exchange, there are thousands of JSP tags available from online exchanges such as the
Apache project (Apache.org).
The code sample below illustrates how a ColdFusion developer could import a JSP tag
library and reuse it in a ColdFusion page. In this example, the tag library takes a query
result as an argument and automatically generates HTML tables using a standard
corporate format.
<CFIMPORT TAGLIB="/WEB-INF/lib/tableGen.jar" prefix="tableGen">
<tableGen:querySubmit style="corporate" table="#myResult#">
The CFIMPORT command imports the tag library (tableGenerator.jar) into ColdFusion
and assigns it the "tableGen" prefix. The ColdFusion developer can then work with the
JSP library as if it were just another ColdFusion tag by appending the appropriate method
to the tag prefix.
Another way to reuse Java components in ColdFusion applications is to call Java servlets
or JavaBeans from within a ColdFusion page. Since ColdFusion is itself a Java
application, the interface between CFML and Java is seamless. For example, a developer
building an intranet portal in ColdFusion MX could easily call a JavaBean written by the
central IT department to retrieve sales data from a mainframe order entry system.
Finally, using the built-in Java server that is part of ColdFusion MX Server, developers
can execute servlets and JSPs on the same server that is running ColdFusion. Thus, part
of the site can be built in ColdFusion and seamlessly interoperate with other sections
written in Java.
Integrating with Microsoft .NET
Building on a strong history of integration with Microsoft technologies, ColdFusion MX
provides enhanced interoperability with the .NET architecture, enabling developers to
easily integrate with Microsoft products and to reuse functionality built with Microsoft
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