Background
Originally released by the Allaire Corporation
in 1995, ColdFusion is a cross-platform Web application server that provides fast, scalable integration of browser, server, and database technologies. It was, in fact, the first Web application server on Windows NT.

Now in version 4.0, ColdFusion has been adopted by nearly half of the Fortune 500. CF's ability to create dynamic, interactive Web applications through multiple database access allows for almost endless uses: guest books, shopping carts, order entry and inventory control, electronic mail, directory services, search engines and surveys to name but a handful.

ColdFusion supports e-commerce, business intranets, and dynamic content publishing. Its capabilities include visual programming, database, and debugging tools.

Open integration with a wide range of Internet and enterprise technologies such as XML, COM, and CORBA permits fast construction of complex Web applications.

Readily scalable due to a variety of advanced server features, ColdFusion also provides complete security using devices like authenticated remote access and encrypted communication. Even secure same-server multiple application hosting can be achieved with ColdFusion 4.0.

ColdFusion addresses major concerns shared by Web application developers around the world:

• Scalability
  ColdFusion is highly scalable. ColdFusion applications can be set up to run on multiple hosts seamlessly and transparently when application loads exceed host server capabilities. Many high visibility ColdFusion powered sites handle millions of hits per day.




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Stoneage, a huge automotive Web site was one of the first commercial sites to use ColdFusion. With over 16,000 dealers, more than 250,000 cars, new and used vehicle purchasing, parts and service, and multitudinous prices, it is an ideal application for ColdFusion, and is indeed 100% CF powered.

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• Security
  ColdFusion readily utilizes any and all existing security systems.



• Extensibility
  ColdFusion supports all popular Web-based technologies and products, and will support user-generated tags written in C, C++, and dHTML.



• Rapid Development
  • ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) is easy to write, and facilitates rapid prototyping, development, and deployment
  • ColdFusion pages are plain text files, like HTML, and can therefore be created in any HTML editor. HomeSite (also from Allaire) and Dreamweaver are highly suitable editors for CF applications, though CF Studio is the editor of choice, providing features not readily available in other programs.