Rating: 
Summary: For a book touted as being "for the beginner"....
Review: ...it didn't disappoint. It's rare that a "beginner's book" turns out to be just that, but this one is a rare exception. The book does such a wonderful job "introducing" you to ColdFusion, it makes you wonder why all tutorials can't be written this way. Moore does a superb job of breaking (what I thought was a monster of a language) ColdFusion down to its simplest terms and made it VERY easy to digest. I've not yet completed the book (currently on step 8), but I have already ordered a more advanced book for further study - he writes in a way that MAKES you want to learn more (as well it should)!
Bravo, Mr. Moore! Excellent introduction to ColdFusion - highly recommended reading for anyone wanting to take their design and site management to the next (necessary) level.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: After reading several books...I wished I started with this one. The information was presented in an easy to understand format. All pre-writen chapter code can be downloaded from the books website. Great book!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: After reading several books...I wished I started with this one. The information was presented in an easy to understand format. All pre-writen chapter code can be downloaded from the books website. Great book!!
Rating:
Summary: 10 Steps Should be 10 EASY Steps
Review: As a reviewer of books, I find myself ensconsed in a lot of material that is dry, difficult to follow and that finds me jumping from section to section quickly and out of order.10 Steps is an easy read, easy to follow and has found me working with ColdFusionMX faster than I could have imagined. I've long been a part of the Flash community and there is no easy way to explain how Macromedia has worked to pull all of their products together. If you're hoping to use any of the MX tools in the future, this certainly isn't a bad place to start. Even better are the real-life examples that allow you to expand to your own needs and to give you a further understanding of the tool. I've monkeyed around with .ASP for years and have never felt comfortable developing in the tool, but do feel very well-versed in HTML. Barry Moore's writing style and examples have caught me up to speed in literally no time at all. Amaze yourself with what can be accomplished with ColdFusionMX and 10 Steps!
Rating:
Summary: A Beginners Salvation!
Review: At last, a book that not only allows beginners to enter the realm of Coldfusion programming, but also shows exactly how it can be done! As a programmer who has taught a few Jnr developers how to program in Coldfusion, I have found it frustrating to find resources online. I have found that this book covers most if not all basic elements to get you started and into the role of 'Coldfusion Development'. I have found it also covers a lot of the new CFMX features, which most CF 5.0 programmers may find of value. It also illustrates good coding practices, mapping framework architecture and best of all, it actually teaches you how to make an actual real world / resalable cf-based product. Personally, this book is a great buy and will aid me in future training of junior developers. Nice work Barry!
Rating:
Summary: A Practical guide for the beginner
Review: Barry has produced what every beginner wants an to easy to follow and easy to understand guide to Cold Fusion MX. His examples are clear and concise; with the 'make over' examples building to a 'real' basic commerce site. It leaves the student with a sense of achievement. Barry has stuck a good balance, I liked his "not too heavy, not too light" way of explaining the how to use Cold Fusion MX in a practical way.
I would recommend this text to any person considering Cold Fusion as means to build flexible dynamic sites that work.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic for a beginner to jump right in!
Review: Barry Moore does a fantastic job of clearly presenting 10 steps to move from a static to a dynamic website. This book is very clear and concise and does a great job of explaining the functionality behind each step. This book was easy to follow, making my learning experience very enjoyable. I also thought it was a terrific idea to include a link to a website with the most current code changes and other useful ColdFusion information for the inexperienced. The only negative thing I can say is the coding in Step 9 is incorrect due to the fact that this book was created based on the beta version of ColdFusion. Barry does post the correct coding for Step 9 on his website, however the coding does not work properly. He has a Forum on his website and I posted a response (for help) as well as sending him a personal email and as of today I have not heard back from him. The unfortunate part is Step 9 has to do with Security and in my opinion that is a crucial part of learning ColdFusion (if that is what you want to implement on your site and most people do). It was important enough for Barry to dedicate an entire chapter to this subject, so I still don't understand, why he wouldn't have "working" code displayed on his site. Regardless of Step 9 and the coding issue, this is a terrific book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is new to ColdFusion.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic for a beginner to jump right in!
Review: Barry Moore does a fantastic job of clearly presenting 10 steps to move from a static to a dynamic website. This book is very clear and concise and does a great job of explaining the functionality behind each step. This book was easy to follow, making my learning experience very enjoyable. I also thought it was a terrific idea to include a link to a website with the most current code changes and other useful ColdFusion information for the inexperienced. The only negative thing I can say is the coding in Step 9 is incorrect due to the fact that this book was created based on the beta version of ColdFusion. Barry does post the correct coding for Step 9 on his website, however the coding does not work properly. He has a Forum on his website and I posted a response (for help) as well as sending him a personal email and as of today I have not heard back from him. The unfortunate part is Step 9 has to do with Security and in my opinion that is a crucial part of learning ColdFusion (if that is what you want to implement on your site and most people do). It was important enough for Barry to dedicate an entire chapter to this subject, so I still don't understand, why he wouldn't have "working" code displayed on his site. Regardless of Step 9 and the coding issue, this is a terrific book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is new to ColdFusion.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction to ColdFusion
Review: Barry Moore's book "Cold Fusion MX: From Static to Dynamic in 10 Easy Steps" is an excellent introduction to Cold Fusion. The 10 steps are: an overview of how CFML (Cold Fusion Markup Language) works; variables; databases and SQL queries; conditional program flow; forms; database manipulation; email; the Cold Fusion application framework; user security; and lists, arrays, and structures. There is no attempt to deal with any HTML authoring, it is assumed that the reader will already know how to code and develop static web pages. The book progresses in logical steps as an already existing site is "madeover" into a dynamic database powered site. The book is treated as a companion to material presented and available on [internet site]. This site contains links and other supporting material for users and readers of the book; and it also contains a set of files that are to be used in the practical exercises in the book. Each step or chapter introduces the problem to be addressed. The issues are dealt with in a clear and straightforward style with examples of code and resulting web page. While CFML is deceptively easy, there are a few tips and tricks that need to be known and if not applied can trip many a new developer. These are handled clearly in sidebars or notes that are obvious and easy to refer back to. At the conclusion of each chapter, the lessons learnt are applied to the original site. Using the files downloaded from [internet site] the user is directed to make various changes. The editing directions are provided in free form; but backed up by a full listing of what the final page should look like. I did found these sections took time and care and I did need the full code listing to assist in the process. This aspect of the book has been handled in a way to accommodate users whether they complete the exercises or not. In the downloaded files users get: the original site; snippets of files to edit; final edited files; and the final madeover site. This means that if you do not wish to do the exercises, you can simply choose to test the new site; examine the Cold Fusion pages and pull the CFML code to pieces. If you have difficulties completing the exercises, the solutions are available for you. The book is an introductory book for Cold Fusion and concentrates on the Cold Fusion development framework. The chapter on user security is based on the way user security is handled in Cold Fusion MX and users must refer to the web site for changes to the text. The book was based on a beta version of Cold Fusion MX and there are alterations for the coding for this chapter. Many of the new features for Cold Fusion MX are left to the end of the book and only briefly explained as they are complex and powerful and beyond the scope of this book and its purpose. Difficulties in installing Cold Fusion and configuring the server are also provided at the end of the book and steps to change settings explained there. The language of the book is clear and concise. There is an engagement and directness in the style that makes the material easy to read, and understand. I would recommend this book as a first introduction to Cold Fusion as it is simple yet comprehensive in the material it covers. I particularly liked the chapter on the application framework as that provides an excellent treatment on what is quite a complex and baffling area for many new developers. With the help of the links in the book and the web site; there is enough support to whet the appetite and direct users who wish to learn more about the power and versatility of Cold Fusion MX.
Rating:
Summary: Expertly Targets CF Newbies
Review: Coming from an HTML background myself, I wish I had a book like this one when I was making the transition to dynamic sites. Barry takes an easy pace to bring the reader along gently and explains dynamics concepts fully and expertly. The scope of the book is very defined and targeted. This is a great book for HTML designers or coders who are ready to get started with ColdFusion MX. Way to go Barry!
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