Best PracticesWhen Is ColdFusion the Right Platform?


One of the few drawbacks of ColdFusion over other platforms such as ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, and PHP is that ColdFusion is relatively expensive compared to the others. ASP functionality is native to IIS, so no additional downloads or configuration is required. JSP, PHP, and ASP.NET are free downloads that can be downloaded and installed easily. ColdFusion, on the other hand, can cost up to $6,000 for the Enterprise Edition. So why use a product that costs that much, when you can get others for free? There are several reasons.

First, the $6,000 Enterprise Edition is really for companies that are going to run multiple sites and applications from more than one server. So if your company is looking to develop a web presence, an intranet, and a host of dynamic applications, it would make sense to spend the money on a server platform that will not only enable you to leverage database content, but has search functionality, reporting capabilities, and a wide variety of messaging functionality built in. That way, you're not having to look around at third-party applications that might affect the way your applications perform.

The Standard Edition, weighing in at $1,300, is also oriented toward an environment where multiple applications and sites will be developed, but everything will be stored on a single server. This is an ideal option for small- to medium-sized businesses who need their own web servers (as opposed to a hosted site).

But what if your company or organization doesn't have the budget for $1,300 plus the cost of a server and someone to maintain it? The answer is to find a hosting company that offers access to the ColdFusion platform to its clients. There are quite a few reasonably priced companies out there that offer ColdFusion in their packages, and because ColdFusion has a web-based configuration utility, they often allow you to create DSN entries on the fly via your browser.

So if you aren't part of a Fortune 500 company or don't have a budget that allows you to purchase the necessary equipment and licenses to run ColdFusion...fear not! Options are available that will allow you to leverage all that ColdFusion has to offer without breaking the bank.



Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
ISBN: 0789733854
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 337

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