An Introduction to Integrating ColdFusion, ColdSpring, and Flex 3

AN INTRODUCTION TO AN INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATING INTEGRATING COLDFUSION, COLDFUSION, COLDSPRING, AND FLEX COLDSPRING, AND FLEX 33

A Presentation to the Kansas City Adobe RIA User GroupMarch 25, 2008Download this presentation at http://www.brucephillips.name/blog

GoalsGoalsLearn how to use ColdSpring to

manage dependencies between ColdFusion Components (CFCs)

Learn how to use ColdSpring to automatically create CFCs that Flex can use

Integrating ColdFusion, ColdSpring, and Flex 2

What Do You Need To What Do You Need To Already Know?Already Know?How to create and use CFCs

◦Service, Gateway, DAO, Bean CFCsA basic understanding of how to

create a Flex application that uses ColdFusion and remote object services◦mx:RemoteObject component


What Do You Need To What Do You Need To Have?Have?ColdFusion version 7.0.2 or

higherColdSpring 1.0 final release (see

ref. 1)Flex Builder 2 or 3


Example ProjectsExample ProjectsExample projects

◦Example1NoColdSpring, http://www.brucephillips.name/flex/coldspringexample/example1nocoldspring.zip

◦Example1, http://www.brucephillips.name/flex/coldspringexample/example1.zip

◦Example2, http://www.brucephillips.name/flex/coldspringexample/example2.zip

Microsoft Access or MySQL Database◦http://www.brucephillips.name/flex/colds

pringexample/data.zip 5

Integrating ColdFusion, ColdSpring, and Flex

Setup Example ProjectsSetup Example ProjectsDownload the zipped project filesImport into Flex Builder

◦File – Import – Other – General – Archive File

Download the zipped data file and unzip it. Use justCSdb.sql to create a MySQL database or use the justCSdb.mdb Microsoft Access database

Create a data source in ColdFusion administrator named justCSdbMySQL that refers to the database

6Integrating ColdFusion, ColdSpring, and Flex

ColdSpringColdSpringDeveloped by Dave Ross

(www.d-ross.org) and several others

Manages the dependencies between CFCs

Read an Introduction to ColdSpring and ColdSpring and Dependency Injection for the beginner part 1 (ref. 3 and 4)


CFCs DependenciesCFCs DependenciesUserServic

e CFC

UserDAO CFC

UserService m_userDAO: UserDAO

getUserByID()

UserDAO read()

The UserService CFC is dependent upon the UserDAO CFC. It must have an object of type UserDAO.


Managing CFC Dependencies Managing CFC Dependencies Without Using ColdSpringWithout Using ColdSpringHardwire the dependenciesShow Code example

(example1NoColdSpring)◦Within the UserService CFC create an

object of the UserDAO CFCOn large projects with lots of

Service, Gateway, DAO, Bean CFCs that are dependent on each other, hardwiring these dependencies can be cumbersome and time consuming to manage


Get and Setup ColdSpringGet and Setup ColdSpringDownload ColdSpring zipped file

(ref. 1)Unzip it to your web rootShould now have a ColdSpring

folder under your web root◦C:\ColdFusion8\wwwroot\coldspring

Under the coldspring folder are an examples and a docs folder


Integrating ColdSpring and A Integrating ColdSpring and A ColdFusion ApplicationColdFusion ApplicationAdd code to Application.cfm (or

Application.cfc) to create the ColdSpring BeanFactory object◦A bean factory is a container that

holds all of your CFC objects◦The ColdSpring BeanFactory object is

stored in application scope◦See example1 – Application.cfm◦See example1 – Application.cfc


Provide ColdSpring Your Provide ColdSpring Your Applications Configuration Applications Configuration ParametersParametersColdSpring reads an XML file that

describes the CFCs, their dependencies, and any additional properties for your application

This line in Application.cfm/cfc reads the configuration XML file◦<cfset

application.beanFactory.loadBeans(expandPath("services.xml"))/>


Services.xml – Telling Services.xml – Telling ColdSpring About Your CFCs ColdSpring About Your CFCs and Dependenciesand DependenciesSee example1 - services.xmlCFCs are defined in the XML by the

bean elementThe bean child element named

property defines dependencies◦See bean definition with an id of

userServiceFor each property we need a

comparable set method in the CFC◦See example1 - UserService CFC

setUserDAO methodIntegrating ColdFusion, ColdSpring, and Flex 13

Services.xml continuedServices.xml continuedSee the bean definition with an id

of userDAO◦Can also pass values to a CFC’s init

method using the constructor-arg child element of the bean element See init method for the UserDAO CFC and

note the argument named dsn


Changing Services.xml or Changing Services.xml or a CFCa CFCAppend reloadApp=1 to the

index.cfm URL◦See example1 - Application.cfm◦See example1 – Application.cfc

(onRequestStart function)Forces the BeanFactory to be

recreated and ColdSpring to read the services.xml file


Using CFCs Being Managed Using CFCs Being Managed By ColdSpringBy ColdSpringWhen you need an object of a

CFC being managed by ColdSpring use the BeanFactory’s getBean method◦See example1 – index.cfm


CFCs Are Ignorant of CFCs Are Ignorant of ColdSpringColdSpringThe UserDAO and UserService

CFCs are ignorant of ColdSpring◦ColdSpring makes has no

requirements except that your CFCs have an init method Using an init method as a pseudo-

constructor is a ColdFusion best practice (ref. 11)

◦These CFCs could easily be used in an application that isn’t using ColdSpring to manage dependencies


ColdSpring and ColdFusion ColdSpring and ColdFusion FrameworksFrameworksMost major ColdFusion

Frameworks (Mach-II, Model-Glue, FuseBox) include the ability to integrate ColdSpring

Complex applications often use ColdSpring and a framework together


ColdSpring and FlexColdSpring and FlexIf ColdSpring is managing the

dependencies between CFCs how can we use those same CFCs with Flex?◦Cannot call the UserService CFC directly

from Flex because its dependencies have not been resolved See example2 – UserService CFC -

getUserByID method Call from Flex will fail because

variables.m_userDAO object doesn’t exist◦Need to connect Flex to the UserService

CFC being managed by ColdSpringIntegrating ColdFusion, ColdSpring, and Flex 19

ColdSpring and RemotingColdSpring and RemotingColdSpring can automatically

create a remote façade CFC that we can connect to with Flex

The remote façade CFC will expose any CFC’s being managed by ColdSpring with their dependencies resolved


Creating A Remote Façade Creating A Remote Façade CFCCFCAdd a bean element to the

Services.xml configuration file◦class attribute value should be

RemoteFactoryBean◦See example2 – services.xml

Specify the target (the CFC to create a remote façade for)

Specify the name of the remote CFC Specify where to write the remote CFC Specify the methods to expose


Have ColdSpring Create The Have ColdSpring Create The Remote Façade CFCRemote Façade CFCModify the Application.cfm so that

when ColdSpring finishes processing the configuration XML file it will create the remote CFC object in application scope

See example2 – Application.cfm/cfcThe first time the application runs

ColdSpring will create the remote façade CFC◦In this example UserServiceRemote CFC


Remote Façade CFCRemote Façade CFCSee example2 –

UserServiceRemote CFC (in model folder)

Note the function getUserByIDThe remote façade CFC can be

used by Flex or Ajax applications


Connect Flex to The Remote Connect Flex to The Remote Façade CFCFaçade CFCUse the mx:RemoteObject component

to connect Flex to the Remote Façade CFC

See references 7, 8, and 9 for how to connect Flex to ColdFusion CFCs

See example2 – example2.mxml (in src folder)◦Note Flex is connecting to the

UserServiceRemote CFC◦Should be able to run example2 Flex

project, click on the Test Connection button, and get Bruce Phillips back from the ColdFusion CFC


CautionsCautionsMake sure the remote façade CFC

exists (has been created by ColdSpring) before trying to connect to it using Flex

Research how to integrate Flex into ColdFusion applications that use a framework (Mach-II, Model-Glue, FuseBox) combined with ColdSpring◦How does the framework integrate

ColdSpring and can ColdSpring still create remote façade CFCs?


Questions?Questions?This presentation is posted on my

blog at http://www.brucephillips.name/blog

My email address is [email protected]


ReferencesReferences1. ColdSpring Framework,

http://www.coldspringframework.org/

2. ColdFusion Developer's Journal Special "Frameworks" Focus Issue: ColdSpring; http://coldfusion.sys-con.com/read/176181.htm

3. The Blog of Andy Jarrett, ColdSpring and Dependency Injection for the beginner part 1

4. ColdSpring Online Documentation, http://www.coldspringframework.org/docs


References continuedReferences continued5. Remote Synthesis Blog, Objects and

Composition - Connecting To Flex6. Developing With ColdSpring,

ColdSpring and Remoting 7. Flex 3 Remote Object Components,

http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/data_intro_2.html

8. Flex 3 Using RemoteObject Components, http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/data_access_4.html


ReferencesReferences9. Using ColdFusion With Flex 2,

http://download.macromedia.com/pub/documentation/en/flex/2/using_cf_with_flex2.pdf

10.FuseBox and ColdSpring, http://corfield.org/blog/index.cfm/do/blog.entry/entry/Fusebox_5_and_ColdSpring

11.ColdFusion MX Coding Guidelines - Good Practice, http://livedocs.adobe.com/wtg/public/coding_standards/goodpractice.html


Documents

An Introduction to Integrating ColdFusion, ColdSpring, and Flex 3