Samples Data Files

Samples & Data Files

The best way to learn a product is by using it, and in this book you learn ColdFusion by building applications, some really simple and some quite sophisticated. The applications you'll create are for a fictitious company named Orange Whip Studios, or ows for short.

Building the applications involves writing code, using databases, and accessing images and other files. You don't need to create all of these manually-they're included on the accompanying CD-ROM. You can install all of these files or just the ones you need, the choice is yours.

What to Install

The ows files are in a directory named ows on the CD-ROM. This directory contains subdirectories that each contain the files that make up the applications. Note the following subdirectories:

• The data directory contains the Microsoft Access database used by the example applications. (For other databases visit the book Web site at http://www.forta.com/books/0321223675/.

• The images directory contains GIF and JPEG images used in many of the applications.

• The sql directory contains a SQL query utility used in Chapters 6, "Introducing SQL," and 7, "SQL Data Manipulation."

• The numbered directories contain files created in specific chapters in this book with the directory number corresponding to the chapter number. For example, directory 8 contains the files created in Chapter 8.

All readers should install the data and images directories. Thos book walk you through creating the tables or designing the images. Without the databases most of the examples won't work, and without the images your screens won't look like the screen shots in the book.

The sql directory is optional and should only be installed if you have no other tool or utility with which to learn SQL.

CAUTION

To ensure database and server security, don't install the files in the sql directory on production servers.

The numbered directories should not be installed unless you plan to not try the examples yourself (which would be a pity). These files are provided so you can refer to them as needed, or even copy specific files to save time. To really learn ColdFusion you'll want to perform every lesson in the book and create the files yourself.

Installing the OWS Files

To install the ows files, simply copy the ows directory from the CD-ROM to your Web server root. If you are using ColdFusion in stand-alone mode (on Windows) using installation defaults then the Web root will be:

 c:\cfusionmx7\wwwroot 

If you are using Microsoft IIS the Web root will likely be:

 c:\inetpub\wwwroot 

Web server roots are explained in Chapter 1, "Introducing ColdFusion".

To install the ows files do the following:

1.	Create a directory named ows beneath the Web server root.
2.	Copy the data and images directories from the ows directory on the CD-ROM into the just-created ows directory. You can copy the entire directory; you don't need to copy the files individually.
3.	Copy the sql directory, if needed.
4.	Copy the chapter directories, if needed. If you plan to create the files yourself-which we recommend-you'll be creating your own files in the ows directory as you work through the book. As such, you may want to copy these files into another location (not the newly created ows directory) so they will be readily available for browsing if needed, but not in the way of your own development.

And with that, you're ready to start learning ColdFusion.