Welcome to ColdFusion MX: From Static to Dynamic in 10 Steps. This book is designed as a quick-and-easy introduction to the world of dynamic, data-driven web publishing using Macromedia ColdFusion MX. ColdFusion currently powers thousands of the web's most dynamic sites and is used by hundreds of thousands of web developers around the world. Allaire Corporation first released ColdFusion in 1995. Allaire has since merged with Macromedia, and Macromedia has now released the most exciting version of ColdFusion yet: ColdFusion MX. ColdFusion MX enjoys seamless integration with other popular Macromedia products, such as Flash MX and Dreamweaver MX. ColdFusion's popularity is due in no small part to the fact that it is so easy to learn and use. This simplicity of use, coupled with ColdFusion MX Server's power and scalability, makes it a popular choice among web developers and major companies around the world. According to Macromedia and Media Metrix, ColdFusion is used by 40% of top 50 web properties and more than 70 Fortune 100 companies. Some of the more visible companies using ColdFusion include FAO Schwartz, Victoria's Secret, Half.com, BMW USA, Pepsi, Ford, Hertz, Autobytel.com, and others (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Corporate ColdFusion sites. |