TIP: Learning the Basics of ColdFusion (and programming in general)

I consult for a local trucking company on developing ColdFusion reporting tools for an existing management system. Its a unique approach to development because I don't develop at all, I actually train their network admin to develop web-based applications. Its fun and I enjoy doing it very much.

Recently, we've reviewed some essentials to ColdFusion development (and possibly other languages). While its not an exhaustive list of what a programmer should know, I'm highlighting the elements that are somewhat difficult for beginners.

IF/ELSEIF/ELSE statements

Programs make decisions. Plain and simple. The basis for developing a program is so that it can make decisions for us quickly and much faster than mere humans. Albiet, those decisions are at a much lower level (a program usually gives us information so that we can make more informative major decisions) but the program still makes many small decisions based on the information it encounters. As a beginning developer, you must understand how to program those decisions using IF/ELSEIF/ELSE statements.

Components (CF), Classes and/or Objects, and OOP

ColdFusion components mimic objects and classes in other programming languages. They are powerful and provide for easier maintenance and much more modular code (can be ported to other applications). Additionally, using object-oriented code can make team-oriented development much more enjoyable. Also, understanding the fundamentals of methods and functions in components is essential to making those components work.

Frameworks

Frameworks allow faster development and also easier maintenance. Mach-II, Fusebox, and ColdSpring are all ColdFusion frameworks designed to assist ColdFusion developers in creating applications faster. If you can get started using one of these, mroe power to you. But remember, you can always develop your own framework (unless you don't want to reinvent the wheel).

Enjoy programming! While I tend to ColdFusion, its fun no matter what language you're using.