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ColdFusion, yup thats right. You can have your struts and scaffold, my website is power by cold fusion.

ColdFusion, by itself isn't a framework. It's a language. A framework for coldfusion is Fusebox

Fusebox somewhat introduces the concept of MVC to Coldfusion. A framework is supposed to reduce code duplication, and make stuff like CRUD a lot easier.

Ah! A kindred spirit. You might want to check out fusebox if you haven't allready. I find that the MVC system works wonderfully therein and that fusebox's layout system takes 90% of the headache out of the layout files.

Even though it's built to work primarly with Cold Fusion, there's a Fusebox port - which as long as you don't need to build a HUGE application works really well.

I just started looking into PHP (somewhat as a result of this article) but I found the following frameworks:

Seagull

WASP

Fusebox

Mach-II

Forget about code semantics, focus instead on application development theory and techniques, application frameworks, design patterns, etc.

I personally develop in both ColdFusion and PHP along with the Fusebox framework, and have just started using the fantastic FuseBuilder tool for the design stage. The using the Fusebox Lifecycle Process (FLiP) and a design tool that works with it (FuseBuilder) ensure that clients get what they want, no hassle, no "but it should be blue with green buttons". I can't promote FuseBuilder enough, it has become the bread and butter of both my day-job and side consulting.

Damien

Re MVC and ColdFusion there are two popular OS CF frameworks out there that are based on the MVC pattern: http://www.fusebox.org/ for an approachable non-OO that provides IOC and some separation of business logic and views. http://www.mach-ii.com/ for a more oo implicit invocation events and listeners take on MVC. Cheers.

Granted, any language can be misused to create horrible code, but with rapid development with template languages, you have to be careful not to let the ease and simplicity of the language lull you into poor programming.

In my experience, bad programming starts with the developer, not with the language. Languages that are more difficult to code in simply make the barrier to understanding a little higher, so they're *more likely* to be used by someone with good programming skills.

Remember: The main goal of programming is to ensure that the end result solves the problem presented. Elegant code that doesn't result in what you want is probably worse than slightly ugly looking code that actually works.

I've encountered plenty of programmers who are skilled at coding, but aren't good at paying attention to the needs of the project, so they spend time on the wrong elements, implement features that aren't needed, and omit features that are needed.

The advantage of more flexible coding (which is equally possible with ColdFusion as it is with a more complex language) is that it is faster to make changes to the system. If everything was hardcoded or overly-coupled, then changes will be difficult. However, for well coded ColdFusion applications, changes are very, very easy to make -- much easier than a similar implementation in a "real" language.

I've been coding in ColdFusion for a long time and I won't claim that I've never written bad code, but the language itself allows for applications that are very well written, robust, fast, and easy to update and change.

Fusebox is the most popular programming methodology for ColdFusion, and they have versions of it for PHP as well now. I'm not sure how well it works with PHP, but I do know that it does a fantastic job with ColdFusion.

PHP has shown just how powerful integrating data and presentation can be through inlining code directly into a webpage layout.

A lot of people using PHP, ASP, JSP, ColdFusion are doing their best to separate data collection and manipulation with the actual presentation of the data.

My particular favourite methodology fusebox tries to help programmers separate the model and the view. It is unbelievable how simpler web applications are to write when you do separate data and presentation.

I may be feeding the troll but they don't let me feed the aninamls at the zoo anymore.

One way to help structure your PHP application would be to use Fusebox, an open standard that encourages separation of logic from data (from a DB for example) and presentation (HTML).

I have used Fusebox with several Cold Fusion applications and have that it with FuseDoc are a great combination for creating a webapps in a standard fashion. It allows new developers who are familar with the Fusebox structure to pick up on your design quickly and implement their assigned pieces in a more reusable manner. Here is a good tutorial on Fusebox with PHP. This site is another great Fusebox with PHP resource.

A ColdFusion, Java, and PHP developer's weblog might also be helpful. (Disclaimer this is my weblog! :)

Since you specifically mention ColdFusion as the development target, make sure you take a look at Fusedocs, a part of the Fusebox development methodology. Fusedocs are similar to Javadoc -- it is a way to self-document ColdFusion code in an XML format which can then be turned into more formal documentation.

You also owe it to yourself to check out Hal Helms website where he has tools for Fusedocs (including CF Studio VTML plugins) as well as the related wireframing and DevNotes tools -- both of which are extremely useful.

I've been doing CF for nearly 5 years and Fusebox, particularly the new Fusebox 3, is a useful design/development methodology as well as framework for building CF apps. Plus its all free/open-source/community-based/etc.

It's not terribly complex, but it does help when you have to pickup where someone else left off by making everyone code in a similar style.

Even if you decide not to use it, it incorporates some interesting ideas that might help you in other ways. (Organizing what the function of each page is, what variables are used, etc.)

Part of FuseBox is FuseDoc which is a XML based spec for putting docuementation inside your CF code. By using Fusebox and FuseDoc you can break your web apps out into separate modules that work together much like different objects in C++ or Java. This allows you to have multiple people working on an app at the same time, while also separating your content from programming logic. I have used this approach in several web apps and it has worked well. Couple these techniques with something like CVS and some organizational programming standards (make standards that make sense!) you should be able to improve your work enviroment.

but then you will run into the same problem w/PHP.. a bunch of code that is not reusable. The fusebox methodology of writing CF (or even php) applications greatly contradict this myth.

I have adapted portions of the ColdFusion Fusebox methodology (http://www.fusebox.org/).

This technique makes perhaps excessive use of includes for code organisation, but it seems to work (with adaptation) for a range of situations...ASP, PHP, Python.