About Coldfusion - Adobe 38043740 - ColdFusion Standard - Mac Development Manual

DEVELOPING COLDFUSION 9 APPLICATIONS
Introducing ColdFusion
How a web server and web application server work together
The following steps explain how a web server and web application server work together to process a page request:
1 The user requests a page by typing a URL in a browser, and the web server receives the request.
The web server looks at the filename extension to determine whether a web application server must process the
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page. Then, one of the following actions occur:
• If the user requests a file that is a simple web page (often one with an HTM or HTML extension), the web server
fulfills the request and sends the file to the browser.
• If the user requests a file that is a page that a web application server must process (one with a CFM, CFML, or
CFC extension for ColdFusion requests), the web server passes the request to the web application server. The
web application server processes the page and sends the results to the web server, which returns those results to
the browser. The following image shows this process:
1. W eb brow s er
reques ts a w eb page.
Because web application servers interpret programming instructions and generate output that a web browser can
interpret, they let web developers build highly interactive and data-rich websites, which can do tasks such as the
following:
• Query other database applications for data.
• Dynamically populate form elements.
• Dynamically generate Flash data.
• Provide application security.
• Integrate with other systems using standard protocols such as HTTP, FTP, LDAP, POP, and SMTP.
• Create shopping carts and e-commerce websites.
• Respond with an e-mail message immediately after a user submits a form.
• Return the results of keyword searches.

About ColdFusion

Adobe ColdFusion is a rapid scripting environment server for creating dynamic Internet Applications. ColdFusion
Markup Language (CFML) is a tag-based scripting language that is easy to learn. CFML provides connectivity to
enterprise data and powerful built-in search and charting capabilities. ColdFusion enables developers to easily build
and deploy dynamic websites, content publishing systems, self-service applications, commerce sites, and more.
2. W eb s erv er rec eiv es
. the page reques t. .
In te rn e t
5. T he w eb s erv er
s ends the output
to the brow s er.
Last updated 1/20/2012
3. W eb s erv er ins truc ts
applic ation s erv er to
proc es s the page.
A p p licatio n
W eb Server
Server
4. T he applic ation s erv er
proc es s es the page and
generates output.
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