ColdFusion Programming Services

What is ColdFusion?

ColdFusion Server is powerful, enterprise-class application server software that is used to build database-driven applications that run on your LAN, in your web sites, on mobile devices, or in Windows applications. Originally built by Allaire and then purchased by Macromedia, ColdFusion is now owned by Adobe. It is very easy to get started building web sites with ColdFusion, and this is one of the aspects of ColdFusion that is commonly criticized. It is important to note that a poor web site application can be built using ANY language (PHP, ASP, JSP, etc.), so it is important to choose a ColdFusion development firm that can grow with your business.

Is ColdFusion powerful enough for my web site?

Yes! One of the largest web sites in the world, MySpace®, was built with ColdFusion and the Fusebox framework. These are the same methods we utilize. We are not endorsing MySpace, but it is impressive that ColdFusion scaled to meet their needs as one of the top three busiest web sites in the world. As the ColdFusion Java server started to reach its limits (at around 7 million users), MySpace utilized another technology called Blue Dragon to help scale their site further. Delaware.Net, Inc. is an authorized partner and reseller of Blue Dragon, and this allows us to deploy your ColdFusion applications on Java and .Net as well.

How is the future of ColdFusion?

It is very bright! Recently, Adobe purchased Macromedia, which allowed them to acquire the ColdFusion server platform. Now that Adobe owns ColdFusion and Flash. It isn't hard to imagine the power of what can be built using Flash, Video, PDFs, and mobile devices as these applications now converge under the Adobe brand.

What is Fusebox, and why should I care?

Fusebox is an open-source ColdFusion framework (collection of controller files) that Delaware.Net uses to build all of our ColdFusion applications. Fusebox provides us with a way to help standardize how we build our applications, so that multiple developers (and our customers) can manage their ColdFusion applications more efficiently. No two ColdFusion programmers code applications the same way, and messy code will cost you money because it is harder to debug. Using a popular application framework helps solve this.

Benefits of formatting your ColdFusion code with Fusebox:

• Fusebox naming conventions for all of your ColdFusion files makes them easier to debug.
• Application files are atomic, so a file called "qry_getemployees.cfm" contains a query that gets employees, and that is all that the page does. Instead of reading through 3000 lines of code to fix a bug, the page mentioned above might have only 20 lines.
• Small component applications can become almost drag-and-drop when reusing code using various techniques.

Fusebox also helps us to make code that is reusable and modular. There are now several frameworks other than Fusebox that all provide these benefits, and we can work with those as well.

Can we fix or manage your existing ColdFusion applications?

Yes. If you have a ColdFusion web site and you feel trapped by your developer or provider, we can help you. Delaware.Net has improved web site applications for higher learning institutions, utility companies, and very large organizations. You can engage our services on an hourly basis, or we be happy to provide you with a project proposal (which will be less expensive for larger projects). If you are putting your project out for bid, we can also respond to your Request For Proposal (RFP).

How do we bill for ColdFusion work?

We bill in 1/2 hour increments, so you do not have to pay for a full hour of development work if you have a small fix that needs to be done. You will need to sign an agreement with us for liability reasons before we work on your site. If your site is down, and you need emergency help, we will do our best to assist you quickly, but our existing clients always come first (unless we charge you a priority rate, as time permits). If you anticipate that you will need ongoing programming assistance with your web site (wherever it is hosted), ask us about a maintenance agreement which will give you a lower hourly rate and save you money.

What's Next?

Request a quote online or give us a call to talk about your project.