Articles by Hal Helms

ColdFusion and the Rise of Right-Brained Thinking

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:30:00 EST

Recently, I've been reading a book recommended to me by my friend, Clark Valberg. The book is A Whole New Mind; its author is Daniel Pink. In this article, I'll discuss why I think the premise of the book holds such promise for ColdFusion programmers - and how it challenges us to rethink how we define what our work is.

A New Vision for ColdFusion

Sat, 02 Sep 2006 11:00:00 EDT

During a recent conversation between Mike Britton, Brian Kotek, and myself, we were discussing the features that we'd like to see in ColdFusion 8. (A podcast of this discussion can be found at helmsandpeters.com.) I'd like to share with you some thoughts on the topic. Much that follows is taken from a talk I gave last year at the Cfobjective conference. It lays the groundwork for a vision for ColdFusion that concludes this article.

Security Matters

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:00:00 EDT

It seems that not a week goes by without another story of a major organization inadvertently leaking private data. In one recent week, representatives of a Rhode Island government agency reported that tens of thousands of credit card transactions on a government-run site had been stolen by Russian data thieves. In the same week, the private firm, Providence Home Services, announced that backup tapes of patient records - some 365,000 of them - had been stolen from one of their employees' car.

Creating Object-Oriented Presentation Layers

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 04:30:00 EDT

For the past several weeks, I've been immersed in writing a large application - so immersed, in fact, that I missed writing my column for last month! This application has been particularly interesting to me because it makes such extensive use of AJAX - that combination of JavaScript, DOM manipulation, and the XMLHttpRequest object that has caught the attention of the general public. It's also been interesting because it has allowed me to experiment with the idea of creating an object-oriented (OO) presentation layer.

Mixins

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 14:00:00 EST

In the last two installments of 'Foundations,' we looked at the issue of static v dynamic typing in ColdFusion and I argued that treating ColdFusion as a statically typed language led to disappointment and defeat. In this issue let's explore some of the possibilities available when we no longer treat ColdFusion as 'Java Lite' but accept it on its own terms..

ColdFusion Developer's Journal Special "Frameworks" Focus Issue: Mach-II

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 17:45:00 EST

It's all Simon's fault. We say this to all framework writers who, even now, are trying to recover from the task assigned them by CFDJ's editor-in-chief: provide an article and an implementation of the Macromedia Pet Market application in their chosen framework.

Toward a New Orthodoxy – Dynamic Typing

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 11:15:00 EST

Last month, we took a long look at strong typing. We saw that while strong typing offers many benefits in a language such as Java, trying to attach strong typing to ColdFusion produces really difficult problems. And last month, due to my 'in' connections, we were even able to briefly interview the Java compiler.

Why Should ColdFusion Be Statically Typed?

Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:30:00 EST

In this article, I argue that by adopting the static typing model found in languages such as Java, we have been seduced into accepting a bad model - or at least a model that is inappropriate for the dynamic typing mechanism inherent in ColdFusion. I'll explain the problems that such a mindset has caused and how the promised benefits of static typing fail to materialize in ColdFusion.

Arrays and Structures: Problem Solving

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 06:45:00 EDT

In the first etude, we looked at arrays; in the second, we worked with structures. In this etude, let's work through some exercises that may use one or the other or both. Ready to dig in?

Études: Studies in Structures

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 17:00:00 EDT

The life of a writer is sometimes a lonely one. After writing something, you send it out and aren't sure how it will be received. Last month was a happy change: I received a lot of feedback from my column introducing the idea of études. In the introduction to the series on études, we looked at arrays. This month, let's do a workout on structures after a quick primer.

We Programmers Need Etudes

Thu, 16 Jun 2005 15:00:00 EDT

Have you ever noticed the correlation between musicians and programmers? Some of the best programmers I know are or have been musicians. I recently had a class where 70% of the students were active musicians - some even with CDs of their work.

Rethinking Decorators

Thu, 16 Jun 2005 14:00:00 EDT

Ben and I were talking about my earlier CFDJ article on the Decorator design pattern [cfdj, vol. 6 issue 11]. In the article, I explained how the Decorator pattern could be used in situations in which there exists a base class with various options.

Creating Configuration Files

Wed, 13 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EDT

In their book Head First Design Patterns, the four coauthors lay out a series of key principles for creating robust software designs. One of the most important of these principles is 'Find what varies and encapsulate it.' In this article, let's apply this principle to the use of configuration files and explore the support for old-style .INI files and XML files.

Abstractions

Fri, 11 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST

I've been busy lately providing training in implementing object orientation (OO) with ColdFusion components (CFCs) to several companies. I've found that most ColdFusion developers approach OO as something to 'layer on' over their traditional programming practices. Even many Java developers make this mistake, which means that they don't often see many benefits from a foray into object orientation.

Designer Coffee and the Decorator Pattern

Tue, 14 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST

While standing in line at my local coffee shop the other day, I was thinking about how helpful a thorough knowledge of design patterns is for a developer. In case you're unclear about what design patterns are, think of them as time-tested solutions to very specific problems.

Saving Polly

Wed, 24 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST

My heart beat faster as the mail carrier handed me the mail. There it was: my latest edition of Thrilling Tech Tales magazine. As I always do, I immediately turned to the exact center of the magazine to read the latest installment of 'The Adventures of the Morphic Family.' This week, it was about Polly, the daughter and heir to the family farm. I eagerly began reading...

Extreme Programming

Wed, 20 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EDT

The Agile Manifesto is the product of 17 smart, well-meaning developers who met in February 2001 to discuss problems in software development. The list of developers included Kent Beck, Alistair Cockburn, Martin Fowler, Ron Jeffries, Robert 'Uncle Bob' Martin, and Dave Thomas - people who have all made substantial contributions to software development.

'Selling' ColdFusion

Wed, 15 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EDT

'I'm getting a lot of resistance,' my client told me. 'Prospective clients love the functionality of our application, but they shy away when they hear that it's developed in ColdFusion. Their IT people don't like it and we're starting to lose sales.'

Fusebox or Mach-II?

Fri, 13 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EDT

For more than seven years, Fusebox (www.fusebox.org), now in its fourth version, has been the dominant framework for building ColdFusion applications. During that time, Fusebox has evolved from a set of best practices into a mature framework capable of tackling very large jobs while remaining easy enough to use for everyday small tasks.

An OO Approach to War

Tue, 20 Jul 2004 00:00:00 EDT

With the advent of ColdFusion components (CFCs), introduced in ColdFusion MX version 6.0 and greatly improved in version 6.1, ColdFusion MX allows CF programmers to enter the mainstream of object-oriented (OO) programming. With the overwhelming success of the J2EE and the .NET platforms, OO has become the dominant paradigm for building commercial software and gaining a thorough, working knowledge of it is essential to any programmer's long-term career success.

A Wedding Invitation: CF & Java

Wed, 14 Jul 2004 00:00:00 EDT

If you missed this year's CFUN conference (June 26-27), you missed a lot. In addition to the great time spent meeting and talking with other ColdFusion programmers, Ben Forta gave a keynote demo of the next version of ColdFusion, code-named 'Blackstone'.

Seven Strategies for Surviving Outsourcing

Tue, 22 Jun 2004 00:00:00 EDT

One of the most enduring of American legends is that of John Henry, the 'steel drivin' man,' who pitted his strength against a machine - and won. Unlike many legends, John Henry was a real person - a former slave who was hired by the C&O Railroad to cut holes in rock into which explosives were placed in order to create tunnels.

Adventures in Encapsulation Part IV

Tue, 11 May 2004 00:00:00 EDT

I was playing a particularly tough game of online Texas Hold'em with someone who called himself 'all_or_nothing'. I looked at my two hole cards: a 10 of spades and a 10 of clubs. It was down to just the two of us, vying for the total prize money of $5.00.

Adventures in Encapsulation Part III

Tue, 13 Apr 2004 00:00:00 EDT

I recently gave a class in Fusebox 4 during which the issue of security came up. This issue seems to cause a good deal of trouble for programmers - so much so that when we wrote Fusebox 4 we provided some built-in abilities to help programmers with this.

Adventures in Encapsulation Part 2

Tue, 09 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

It's past midnight and I'm in my car, prowling Atlanta for a good cup of coffee. (Such are the challenges of members of the Cult of the Midnight Programmer.) My cell phone rings.

Adventures in Encapsulation Part I

Wed, 25 Feb 2004 00:00:00 EST

I've just returned from a four-day class on Mach-II (www.mach-ii.com) that Ben Edwards and I gave to a group of developers at Macromedia in San Francisco. It was great fun to be working with so skilled a group.

Is ColdFusion Dying?--Why has Macromedia made a big deal of the fact that CFMX is built on Java, asks software development guru

Fri, 30 Jan 2004 07:27:23 EST

When they hear that I run a class entitled 'Java for ColdFusion Programmers,' many developers ask me: 'Why the class in Java? Is ColdFusion dying?' It's a fair question. After all, technology in general and languages in particular have a lifespan. It's also true that ColdFusion is being squeezed by two behemoths: Java on the one side and .NET on the other. That's clearly an unenviable position. Yet Macromedia is working very hard to ensure that ColdFusion does not become a casualty. Can ColdFusion withstand the pressure and continue to thrive? It's an important question because only thriving languages generate high salaries, interesting projects and perks for their developers.

The Benefits of Well-Written Software

Tue, 13 Jan 2004 00:00:00 EST

Mae West, the indomitable actress/comedienne of the 1930s and '40s, left us with some unforgettable quotes. She gave us such lines as, 'When caught between two evils, I generally pick the one I've never tried before,' and 'Too much of a good thing...can be wonderful.' She also offered the ironic observation that 'Virtue is its own reward.'

FLiPping the Software Development Process

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 00:00:00 EST

In the past, I've written in broad terms about FLiP, the Fusebox Lifecycle Process, a methodology for delivering successful software projects that work (despite its name) with any - or no - software framework. In this article, I want to 'drill down' on one aspect of FLiP and see how it is used in practice.

Unnatural Acts

Tue, 11 Nov 2003 11:09:08 EST

Ah, television! Where else can you see so much action? Murders are routinely committed and solved, dastardly plots are hatched and foiled, and characters learn some deep life-truth - all within a single hour.

Build a Simple Mach-II Application

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 00:00:00 EDT

In the August edition of CFDJ, Ben Edwards and I presented a first look at Mach-II, a new, object-oriented framework for building software applications. In this issue, I offer a tutorial (with commentary) on building a simple Mach-II application.

Pull, Don't Push, Your Tables into Excel

Tue, 23 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Spend a little time on the ColdFusion Support Forum and you'll soon encounter frustrated ColdFusion developers trying to extract data into an Excel spreadsheet format.

Programming an Interactive Help Desk

Tue, 23 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

The great Victorian novelist, Charles Dickens, wrote of the time period of the French Revolution: 'It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.'

So You Think You Know ColdFusion?

Tue, 23 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

O.K., but before you hang out your shingle, you might want to take this little test of your ColdFusion powers. So slip into the phone booth, put on your CF costume and away we go. . .

Fusebox and the Quest for the Holy Grail

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Everybody wants reusability, but nobody does it well, it seems. And that's frustrating. We know as coders that we end up writing software that's virtually identical over and over again.

Fusebox Perspectives:

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Why is Fusebox important? To help answer that question, let's explore the similarities between the state of software development in 2000 and the state of rifle making exactly two centuries ago in 1800.

Using Wireframes

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Everyone who has ever developed an application is all too familiar with the problem of clients' shifting notions of what they want and need in an application. I sometimes think the process of building a web application is much like building a house.

Don't Sell the Site, Sell the Quizzle

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

One of the great things about developing for the Web is the fun factor. While our grimmer, more serious IT cousins are exiled in lands populated by such dread monsters as COBOL and FORTRAN, and must do daily battle with the demon, MainFrame, our lot is far more pleasant.

Answers to "So You Think You Know ColdFusion?"

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

The answer is...C. And did you know that ColdFusion processes application.cfm when an application page in the root directory or any of its sub-directories is requested?

Fusebox 4

Thu, 11 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

The latest version of Fusebox - version 4 - has been taken out of beta and placed into general availability. Over the last seven years, Fusebox has grown from a collection of best practices and snippets of code into a full-featured, robust framework on which developers can build true Web applications.