CFUnited Blog

Full list of Adobe sessions is now here

Hi everyone,

I know you have all been drooling over these much-anticipated sessions...so I'm going to cut to the chase...

1. Easy RIA with ColdFusion 9 and Flex 4 - Josh Adams - If you're interested in getting started using ColdFusion and Flex together but aren't sure quite how, this is the session for you. In this session, you will learn about: *The various ways in which Flex applications can make calls to ColdFusion applications *Using the features of Flash Builder 4 and ColdFusion Builder to generate Flex-ColdFusion integrated applications *Calling the ColdFusion 9 Exposed Services Layer from Flex applications

2. ColdFusion Powered Offline Applications using AIR ORM - Jayesh Viradiya - ColdFusion 9 simplifies the creation of offline enabled applications with Adobe AIR. In this session learn how to utilize the client side, ActionScript ORM library available with ColdFusion 9 for client side data management and allow ColdFusion to manage data synchronization and conflict resolution with the back-end database.

3.ColdFusion 9 Deployment Best Practices - Tata Sankaram - How you configure and lay out your ColdFusion servers is critical for optimum application performance. In this session learn best practices for setting up your production environment for load balancing, clustering, and graceful server failover.

4.Task Oriented development with ColdFusion Builder - Kiran Sakhare - Discover how you can streamline your ColdFusion application development with ColdFusion Builder and Mylyn, a task and application lifecycle management plug-in for Eclipse. This session will cover installing the Mylyn plug-in and managing tasks in a ColdFusion project.

5.Getting Started with ColdFusion Builder - Sandeep Paliwal - In this session learn how to get started with your first application in ColdFusion Builder. We will cover the basics of Eclipse-based development as well as ColdFusion Builder specifics including connecting to your ColdFusion server, working with databases and debugging.

6.Extending Java Applications with ColdFusion - Rupesh Kumar - ColdFusion is designed to be used in conjunction with Java, leveraging the powerful capabilities that the Java runtime offers while providing the benefit of rapid application development. In this session learn how you can easily utilize ColdFusion 9 to quickly expand and leverage the functionality of existing Java applications.

7.Exploring LCDS3 and ColdFusion 9 Applications - Kevin Schmidt - This session will provide an overview of LCDS 3 and BlazeDS 4 and how it integrates into ColdFusion 9 applications. We'll talk about what's changed in Flash Remoting since ColdFusion 8 (it's 9x faster) and how to leverage the built-in functionality of BlazeDS. We will also cover server-side data management and how LCDS3 can simplify how Flex applications manage data through ColdFusion.

8.How Catalyst will Transform ColdFusion Development - Terry Ryan - Catalyst makes front end design easy. More importantly it makes pretty front end design easy. If there ever was a compliment for ColdFusion's ease of back end development, it's the ease of front end with Catalyst. See how this tool can be brought into your workflow and super charge your development.

9.Building multi-player games on the Flash platform with ColdFusion, Flex and Data services - Greg Wilson - Learn how to build scalable, interactive, multiplayer games using the Flex, AIR, ColdFusion and BlazeDS/LCDS. Employ publish/subscribe messaging, CF remoting and other tricks to build something far cooler than just another multi-user chat application. Synchronize graphics across players, learn how to handle player disconnect, reconnects, tolerate poor networking conditions, latency, etc.

10.Adding real-time data visualization to your application or website - Greg Wilson - Every time your application accesses the server, data is available to do many more things than simple logging. Learn how to take this data and create valuable visualizations to show usage trends in real-time. Then with some simple IP to Geo techniques, the data can be visualized with maps to show visitor locations. Learn to use ColdFusion's event gateway to publish the data and use Flex to consume the data and visualize it with various mapping APIs from Google, ESRI, Mapquest and others to build compelling, animated application dashboards.

Well...there you have it! Make sure you schedule these ASAP!

Also, if you have yet to register, this is the most perfect excuse :)

Adobe releases some sessions for CFUnited

Hi everyone,

I'm here to inform you of some of our much-anticipated TBA topics!!

Adobe has let us in on a few of their topics!!

Check them out...

Building multi-player games on the Flash Platform with ColdFusion, Flex and Data Services - Greg Wilson: Learn how to build scalable, interactive, multiplayer games using the Flex, AIR, ColdFusion and BlazeDS/LCDS. Employ publish/subscribe messaging, CF remoting and other tricks to build something far cooler than just another multi-user chat application. Synchronize graphics across players, learn how to handle player disconnect, reconnects, tolerate poor networking conditions, latency, etc.

Adding Real-Time Data Visualization to your Application or Website - Greg Wilson: Every time your application accesses the server, data is available to do many more things than simple logging. Learn how to take this data and create valuable visualizations to show usage trends in real-time. Then with some simple IP to Geo techniques, the data can be visualized with maps to show visitor locations. Learn to use ColdFusion's event gateway to publish the data and use Flex to consume the data and visualize it with various mapping APIs from Google, ESRI, Mapquest and others to build compelling, animated application dashboards.

Check back in with us, as there will be more to come from Adobe!

Enjoy!

First BOF Session

Did I forget to mention that our first BOF session is already posted?????

Apparently I did! My bad!

Our first BOF is:

CFWheels - Finally, a framework for the rest of us

A discussion on ColdFusion on Wheels and how it provides fast application development, a great organization system for your code, and is just plain fun to use. From Convention over Configuration to an ORM that can be used with ColdFusion 8 and Railo, join Chris Peters, Mike Heinke and Chaz Chumley as they answer your questions and demonstrate some great sites builds on CFWheels.

This BOF will be on Thursday, July 29th at 7:00 pm. Make sure to schedule this BOF if you're interested!!

Also, for all you CFWheels junkies, there are two sessions with CF on Wheels!

ColdFusion on Wheels - Convention over Configuration - (Mike Henke) - Thursday, July 29 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Object Relational Mapping in CF on Wheels - (Chris Peters) - Thursday, July 29 from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Happy scheduling!

Important Topics for Government Developers

Hear what Chaz Chumley, one of our Advisory Board members and fellow speaker, has to say about CFUnited for developers in the government:

Working for the government has its benefits and its challenges. As a web developer I often have constraints with technology. Being told what I can use, what I can't. Facing challenges to common problems but not always knowing what tools to use and what new technology is best suited for a government business.

With a lot of government agencies using ColdFusion, having a conference like CFUnited makes my life a little bit easier. Yet, every year the schedule comes out I find myself wondering with so many great presentations what will I benefit from the most. Often there are multiple topics going on at the same time and since I can't be in two places at one time, I may split my time between them. While this is not the best way to absorb all the information what else can I do?

So I thought I would help those this year that face this challenge by suggesting the Top Ten Topics to take in based on a typical application life cycle:

1) Setting up a Solid Local Development Environment - Kurt Wiersma

Good development starts with a solid development environment and for new to seasoned developers this is important to us all. If you find yourself struggling with the setup and are tired of wasting your time scouring the Internet to figure out the best way to setup your environment, then you don't want to miss this topic.

2) HTML5: The cool, the really cool, and the "huh"? - Christian Ready

As web design has progressed over the years and government websites needing a facelift to bring them into the Web 2.0 era, HTML and CSS has stepped up to make it easier. So what exactly changed with HTML5 and how do I use it along with CSS3 to get more bang for my buck in the latest browsers? Well this topic is for you as Christian shows you the ins and outs of the latest flavor of HTML.

3) ColdFusion and jQuery: Two Great Tastes that Go Great Together - Jeff Coughlin

Since ColdFusion 8 we have been introduced to Javascript User interface enhancements and with even more tools introduced in ColdFusion 9 you may be scratching your head. Maybe there is more you would like to do with the client interaction than what ColdFusion provides. JQuery is a great javascript library and ColdFusion a great server-side language. If you like to put your chocolate in the peanut butter and see what you come up with then you don't want to miss out on this topic.

4) Hidden Gems in ColdFusion Builder - Charlie Arehart

With cost and budgets constraints always at the forefront of government, it pays to know which editor you should be using to do your development in. Adobe has released a great editor target specifically for ColdFusion development but extensible to allow you to build upon it without buying additional software. Join Charlie as he shows you how to get the most out of ColdFusion builder.

5) ColdFusion and the Open Source Landscape - Sean Corfield

I have started to see a trend of the government moving toward more Open Source with databases, programming and server environments. Why? More Support? Cheaper costs? Where does that put ColdFusion? Join Sean as explains how ColdFusion plays a big part in the Open Source Landscape and how you can benefit both from the community and your next budget meeting.

6) CFWheels - Convention Over Configuration - Mike Henke

Choosing a framework in general can be a daunting task. How you manage your development team can often dictate which one to use. With so many good frameworks out there, how do I choose? I prefer convention over large XML configuration files and finally we have a framework that fits just that mold. Join Mike as he walks you through ColdFusion on Wheels, based on the popular Open Source Ruby on Rails, this framework has powerful database interaction, extensible plug-in support, provides rapid development, SES friendly url's and works out of the box on both ColdFusion and Railo.

7) Writing Secure CFML - Pete Freitag

If there is one thing synonymous with Government, it's Security. Being able to write secure ColdFusion code should be at the top of everyone's list. This presentation will cover several common yet dangerous vulnerabilities, and offer tips and tricks to protect your applications.

8) Searching with Apache Solr - Shannon Hicks

Search functionality or the lack of it has always been a topic of long conversations. Government agencies generally pay a hefty price tag for leasing a Google Appliance and while Google search is definitely powerful, it lacks the ability to provide a more faceted approach. With ColdFusion 9 introducing Apache Solr and Lucene you will definitely want to attend this session as Shannon explains how to harness this new search functionality.

9) ColdFusion Report Builder - Chaz Chumley

How many times has your manager or director asked you for a report? Does your agency spend a lot of money on report writing tools? Do you know ColdFusion provides a reporting tool for free? You definitely want to join us for the presentation as we look at how easy it is to use ColdFusion Builder to build and display reports right inside your applications.

10) AIR development with jQuery and ColdFusion - Raymond Camden

With Web 2.0 the buzz around the Government now a day, teams are scrambling to find the next coolest widgets, iPhone application or user interfaces to build. Why not consider AIR then to take your existing ColdFusion application and easily turn it into a desktop client. Join Ray as he walks your through how to put the tools you already know how to use to work in developing an AIR application.

Last bit of topics!

Hello!

I know everybody has been anxious to see the rest of the topics!

Mate Flex Framework: What's in it for me? - Laura Arguello

20 Security Threats to Flex Apps and How to Avoid them - Elad Elrom

Flex Data Binding Pitfalls - 10 common misuse mistakes - Elad Elrom

Object Relational Mapping in CF on Wheels - Chris Peters

ColdBox Platform 3.0.0: Sustainable ColdFusion Applications - Luis Majano

ColdFusion Powered iPhone Applications - Luis Majano and Joshua Geise

Flash Catalyst: Design to Flex - Dee Sadler

CSS and the CMS - Dee Sadler

Beginning Flex for ColdFusion Developers - Brian Rinaldi

These will most likely be the last of the topics released, not including sponsor-speaker slots. Those will be released as they come in.

Thanks to everyone who submitted topics!!

Topic Selection Procedures

As we finalize topic selection for CFUnited 2010, we are lucky and proud to have had so many quality submissions from great speakers. Topic Selection at CFUnited is quite an exciting process, a real nail-biter! To pick and choose what topics make the cut we relied on guidance from our wise, and much appreciated Advisory Board, including our faithful Track Chairs who oversee each track. Using a sleek spreadsheet within the genius of Stellr Intranet containing all the topics submitted to the Call for Speakers, the board voted on the topics in each track.

The public was asked to assist the process. Given the same spreadsheet the board uses to vote, people put in their two cents. As results came in from the vote, Stellr was able to use them to run a double check on the advisory votes. Also, if there is a discrepancy amongst the advisory votes and the public votes, we would If a topic got few advisory votes but was getting a lot of public votes, we could start a discussion with the board possibly reexamining their choice and giving a topic a second chance. This worked the other way too, examining why topics that had a high number of advisory votes were not popular with the public vote. Thanks to all the public voting, we were provided important leverage among the community voice and the voice of community experts!

There are other things too that come in to play like feedback on surveys from last years' presentations, which is we why we encourage attendees to participate in those. We do read them and we even send them to every speaker. They love it - you should see them go all gaga! They are always so eager to hear attendee comments. Makes you think twice about skipping them, huh?

The submissions for each track are key. We strive for topic relevancy and diversity. We aim to create a balanced event with engaging presenters - true rock stars. The topic selection process at CFUnited is indeed supreme, intricate, thorough and glorious in action. For example, from last week's release of topic, Pete Freitag's "Writing Secure CFML," received highest number of public votes of all the topics and it received a high number of votes from the Advisory Board. (Yay for Pete Freitag!). Another example is our own Elliott Sprehn, known as a good, interesting and reliable speaker. We were able to look at the public votes to see which topics we would like him to speak on. He submitted 3 topics, and the two chosen had the highest amount of votes.

As topic selection slowly comes to its close in 2010, we are pleased with the results and grateful to all who contributed to this thrilling contest. We look forward to completing the selection process and making those announcements. Hip Hip Hooray for all of our bona fide presenters and tasty topics! Woot woot for CFUnited!

And the topics just keep coming...

Some more topics to look over!!

Designing Scalable and Creative Algorithms - Elliott Sprehn

HTML5: The cool, the really cool, and the "huh?" - Christian Ready

Locking Down ColdFusion - Pete Freitag

Writing Secure CFML - Pete Freitag

Excel Generation Made Easy with CF9 - Ajay Sathuluri

Accessible Javascript - Sandy Clark

How To: Data Structure Upgrade - Selene Bainum

Advanced T-SQL - Selene Bainum

Validation in ColdFusion - Dan Vega

Developing Web Applications for Mobile Devices - Dan Vega

You can check out their descriptions and read over the full list of topics!

Also, if you still haven't registered, make sure you do so before 3/31/10 when the prices go up!!

Some more topics!!!

We have a few more topics for you...and no worries...we still aren't done :)

Make Your Model Promiscuous - Scott Stroz

Advanced Model-Glue Code Generation Techniques - Ezra Parker

What's New in Model-Glue? - Ezra Parker

Architecting for the Enterprise - Gary Gilbert

Getting the most development out of your Mac - Shannon Hicks

You can read their descriptions and start playing eenie-meenie-miney-moe about what topics you're going to attend!

Also, if you still haven't registered, make sure you do so before 3/31/10 when the prices go up!!

A couple more topics...

I know, I know, I was being selfish; I have a couple more to let out! I just didn't want to spoil everyone!

Here we go...

Get the Lead out - Practical Optimization - Dan Wilson

Setting up a Solid Local Development Environment - Kurt Wiersma

Using ColdFusion 9 Server Manager to Cluster and Manage CF - Mike Brunt

Clean Code: Why it matters and how it's done - Brian Kotek

Papervision 3D and Beyond - Simon Free

Hidden Gems in ColdFusion Builder - Charlie Arehart

Building a QA - Testing Environment for ColdFusion Applications - Mike Brunt

ColdFusion and the Open Source Landscape - Sean Corfield

Don't worry, this isn't the final release!

Check out the topics' page to see these topic descriptions and our full list of topics!!

Public Voting will be Extended

Hello all you voters!

We have had a lot of people chatting and voting about topics, so we decided to extend the public voting on topics to February 20, 2010.

So yes, please keep voting!

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