Adobe ColdFusion is a tested application server that simplifies complex coding tasks; it is a good platform for developing modern web applications. Features in this application allow you to perform programming tasks at a higher level than most other available languages. ColdFusion application frameworks help to build more elegant software right out of the box. There are many frameworks in this application; you have to choose the right one to get good results for your project.
About ColdFusion Application Frameworks
Flawless integration with a large number of features has brought lot of applauds to this web development server. To get positive results from this server, it is very important to familiarize yourself with a suitable framework to improve productivity in addition to employ's ability. The best thing is to use only one application framework to structure multiple ColdFusion applications into a single web fusion application, there are several tools that old fusion offers for building your framework, how you map the directory structure etc. By the end of this article, you will be gaining the adequate knowledge to choose. Here we are giving brief notes on available ColdFusion frameworks.
FuseBox
Fusebox is a web application framework that can be called as the first and most popular framework for ColdFusion. Being a Model-view-controller framework, you can use an XML file to configure your control layer or using conventions based CFC to configure it. By doing this, you can easily incorporate your own application logic very easily into the Fusebox paradigm and reuse it across projects easily as well.
Fusebox is completely extensible using plugins which allows you to extend the core functionalities without considering the core files. The Fusebox 4 and 5 core files do not require ColdFusion components so the framework code is procedural rather than object-oriented.
This framework provides Dependency injection along with inversion of control and aspect oriented programming in an effort to make the configuration and dependencies of CFCs easier to manage. The main advantage of Coldspring framework is its capability to provide complementary services to other applications and frameworks. If you are planning to build large applications, Coldspring will be an excellent choice among the many frameworks available. Coldspring can be used if you want to manage CFC dependencies. Most of the MVC frameworks like Model-Glue, Mach-II, and Fusebox supports Coldspring via plugins. Coldspring aspect-oriented programming also allows you to use remote proxies for exposing services to remote invocations.
Versions of ColdSpring Framework: 1.0, 1.2, 2.0
Lightwire
It will not provide any additional functionality above and beyond dependency injection. Lightwire framework is a very lightweight framework. It contains only two CFCs, this framework can be integrated and deployed easily with almost any project and with minimum effort. An alluring output of your LightWire configuration file is that it tends to be a single source of living documentation for every object dependencies.
Lightwire is composed of two main files: LightWire.cfc and BaseConfigObject.
A conventions-based HMVC framework which is fast and scalable and suites for CFML engines like ColdFusion and Lucee.
A modular architecture has been implemented and comes with a wide variety of application building options like modules. Some of them include caching support, logging, error handling and integration with dependency injection frameworks like ColdSpring and Lightwire. It can greatly increase your productivity as they make many of the common tools you need to develop applications available to you. This framework works well for larger projects that need interaction with other applications or the apps that requires alternate front ends.
ColdBox is implemented with CommandBox CLI to provide you with automations, structuring, OS integration, and much more. This is the one and only framework in CFML that allows integration and Behavior Driven testing using TestBox. The main three ColdBox internal modules are:
WireBox - Conventions Based Dependency Injection and (AOP) framework.
CacheBox - Enterprise caching engine, cache aggregator and API for CFML applications.
LogBox - Enterprise logging designed to give you flexibility, simplicity and power.
CF Wheels is an open source CFML framework that has been inspired from Ruby on Rails and Django and, to an extent, other frameworks in the ColdFusion (like Fusebox). This is the ideal framework for those who are looking for faster application development. The framework offers a great organization system for your code. Inbuilt ORM and validations make it simple and quick to get your app up and running. You cannot match this feature with any other frameworks in terms of speed and development.
The full package comes with a lot of functionalities with advanced built-in modules for database migration even across different DBMS. CF Wheels uses industry established concepts, such as MVC and ORM, and encourage clean and pragmatic design. The framework also has good caching options that you can fine tune as well as solid overall performance.
The configuration is super easy and you will get a lot of support in the real world. It's a scalable, easy and quick platform to deploy and build great CF apps.
If you are about to develop high-traffic sites, then you are advised to use Mach-II framework. This is the most matured and powerful object oriented-MVC framework for CFML. Some exciting features of Mach-II include sophisticated caching and logging functionality along with a very nice dashboard for helping with development and monitoring of your applications. It consists of a rich form tag library complete with data binding. ColdFusion is an easy language to learn because it is tag based like other applications like HTML. The application also comes with its own Web-based administration system that makes it convenient to manage your web pages.
Mach-II is based on two main software architecture principles of Event-Driven and Implicit Invocation.
A modular architecture has been implemented and comes with a wide variety of application building options like modules. Some of them include caching support, logging, error handling and integration with dependency injection frameworks like ColdSpring and Lightwire. It can greatly increase your productivity as they make many of the common tools you need to develop applications available to you. This framework works well for larger projects that need interaction with other applications or the apps that requires alternate front ends.
It follows a simple, convention-based approach to MVC (Model-View-Controller) applications, as well as REST APIs. It comprises with DI/1 that provides dependency injection (a.k.a. inversion of control), and AOP/1 that provides aspect-oriented programming features on top of DI/1.
Use FW/1 for building multi-featured database-driven web applications. On the long run, you can implement business logic to applications via adding controllers and/or services and domain objects as needed to implement the validation and data processing.
Coldfusion Frameworks
Adobe ColdFusion is a tested application server that simplifies complex coding tasks; it is a good platform for developing modern web applications. Features in this application allow you to perform programming tasks at a higher level than most other available languages. ColdFusion application frameworks help to build more elegant software right out of the box. There are many frameworks in this application; you have to choose the right one to get good results for your project.
About ColdFusion Application Frameworks
Flawless integration with a large number of features has brought lot of applauds to this web development server. To get positive results from this server, it is very important to familiarize yourself with a suitable framework to improve productivity in addition to employ's ability. The best thing is to use only one application framework to structure multiple ColdFusion applications into a single web fusion application, there are several tools that old fusion offers for building your framework, how you map the directory structure etc. By the end of this article, you will be gaining the adequate knowledge to choose. Here we are giving brief notes on available ColdFusion frameworks.
FuseBox
Fusebox is a web application framework that can be called as the first and most popular framework for ColdFusion. Being a Model-view-controller framework, you can use an XML file to configure your control layer or using conventions based CFC to configure it. By doing this, you can easily incorporate your own application logic very easily into the Fusebox paradigm and reuse it across projects easily as well.
Fusebox is completely extensible using plugins which allows you to extend the core functionalities without considering the core files. The Fusebox 4 and 5 core files do not require ColdFusion components so the framework code is procedural rather than object-oriented.
Latest version: 5.6
Get more information @ http://www.fusebox.org/
ColdSpring
This framework provides Dependency injection along with inversion of control and aspect oriented programming in an effort to make the configuration and dependencies of CFCs easier to manage. The main advantage of Coldspring framework is its capability to provide complementary services to other applications and frameworks. If you are planning to build large applications, Coldspring will be an excellent choice among the many frameworks available. Coldspring can be used if you want to manage CFC dependencies. Most of the MVC frameworks like Model-Glue, Mach-II, and Fusebox supports Coldspring via plugins. Coldspring aspect-oriented programming also allows you to use remote proxies for exposing services to remote invocations.
Versions of ColdSpring Framework: 1.0, 1.2, 2.0
Lightwire
It will not provide any additional functionality above and beyond dependency injection. Lightwire framework is a very lightweight framework. It contains only two CFCs, this framework can be integrated and deployed easily with almost any project and with minimum effort. An alluring output of your LightWire configuration file is that it tends to be a single source of living documentation for every object dependencies.
Lightwire is composed of two main files: LightWire.cfc and BaseConfigObject.
Read more blogs on Lightwire @ http://lightwire.riaforge.org/blog/index.cfm/LightWire
ColdBox
A conventions-based HMVC framework which is fast and scalable and suites for CFML engines like ColdFusion and Lucee.
A modular architecture has been implemented and comes with a wide variety of application building options like modules. Some of them include caching support, logging, error handling and integration with dependency injection frameworks like ColdSpring and Lightwire. It can greatly increase your productivity as they make many of the common tools you need to develop applications available to you. This framework works well for larger projects that need interaction with other applications or the apps that requires alternate front ends.
ColdBox is implemented with CommandBox CLI to provide you with automations, structuring, OS integration, and much more. This is the one and only framework in CFML that allows integration and Behavior Driven testing using TestBox. The main three ColdBox internal modules are:
Latest Version: Coldbox 5RC1
Get More information @ https://www.coldbox.org/
CF Wheels
CF Wheels is an open source CFML framework that has been inspired from Ruby on Rails and Django and, to an extent, other frameworks in the ColdFusion (like Fusebox). This is the ideal framework for those who are looking for faster application development. The framework offers a great organization system for your code. Inbuilt ORM and validations make it simple and quick to get your app up and running. You cannot match this feature with any other frameworks in terms of speed and development.
The full package comes with a lot of functionalities with advanced built-in modules for database migration even across different DBMS. CF Wheels uses industry established concepts, such as MVC and ORM, and encourage clean and pragmatic design. The framework also has good caching options that you can fine tune as well as solid overall performance.
The configuration is super easy and you will get a lot of support in the real world. It's a scalable, easy and quick platform to deploy and build great CF apps.
Latest version: CFWheels 2.0.1
Get More information @ https://cfwheels.org/
Mach II
If you are about to develop high-traffic sites, then you are advised to use Mach-II framework. This is the most matured and powerful object oriented-MVC framework for CFML. Some exciting features of Mach-II include sophisticated caching and logging functionality along with a very nice dashboard for helping with development and monitoring of your applications. It consists of a rich form tag library complete with data binding. ColdFusion is an easy language to learn because it is tag based like other applications like HTML. The application also comes with its own Web-based administration system that makes it convenient to manage your web pages.
Mach-II is based on two main software architecture principles of Event-Driven and Implicit Invocation.
Get More information @ http://mach-ii.com/
Model-Glue
A modular architecture has been implemented and comes with a wide variety of application building options like modules. Some of them include caching support, logging, error handling and integration with dependency injection frameworks like ColdSpring and Lightwire. It can greatly increase your productivity as they make many of the common tools you need to develop applications available to you. This framework works well for larger projects that need interaction with other applications or the apps that requires alternate front ends.
Latest version: Model-Glue: 3.2 RC 2
FW/1 - Framework One
It follows a simple, convention-based approach to MVC (Model-View-Controller) applications, as well as REST APIs. It comprises with DI/1 that provides dependency injection (a.k.a. inversion of control), and AOP/1 that provides aspect-oriented programming features on top of DI/1.
Use FW/1 for building multi-featured database-driven web applications. On the long run, you can implement business logic to applications via adding controllers and/or services and domain objects as needed to implement the validation and data processing.
Latest version: FW/1 4.1
If you have struck in the middle of the project and worrying about which framework to use, just ping us and we will be happy to help.