As one of the most powerful server-side languages for building dynamic Web applications, ColdFusion is a key technology for high-end Web development. Programming ColdFusion is a comprehensive tutorial to ColdFusion that puts all of the material necessary to master this scripting language between two covers.This book is suitable for experienced Web developers with no background in ColdFusion to learn the development tool from scratch, but it"s especially well suited to those with some prior exposure to ColdFusion who want to master the product. The early chapters move quickly through the basics of ColdFusion, leading up to more in-depth topics.One of the key elements of ColdFusion is its ability to connect Web pages to databases for dynamic, data-driven solutions. Programming ColdFusion focuses on making the most of the database features, including drill-down queries, query caching, stored procedures, and transaction management. The text also deals with issues like state, security, directory services, and much more.The material is presented in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner with an excellent balance of overview discussion, sample code, and screen shots. ColdFusion is a tag-based language and there are plenty of fine examples of how to make the most of it. An appendix also provides a reference to the entire dialect. This tutorial is a great tool for mastering ColdFusion. --Stephen W. Plain Topics covered: Language structure Passing data Database queries and updates Complex data types Maintaining state Security Error handling Dynamic form controls FTP File access E-mail Verity search engine Regular expressions Custom tags