ColdFusion E-Commerce User Conference

by Eva Holtsmark

Editor's Note: This article was originally published by Michael Smith in his CFConf mailing list. Reprinted with permission by Michael Smith.

Adam Churvis of commerceblocks.com did a full "brain dump" of ColdFusion knowledge to a filled auditorium in the DC metropolitan area this weekend. We got the code, savvy and techniques all in one.

The 2-day seminar cost $49, and at the end of the last day, he asked us, "Who here in the audience would have paid $195 to attend this?" Half the audience raised their hands in agreement! Churvis may be an e-commerce evangelist, but he is also a devoted programmer, and an engaging teacher too.

He made complex ideas seem doable. His homey presentation included true-life stories from the trenches of e-commerce and ColdFusion development battles. He admitted (and in one case demonstrated) his own mistakes to ensure us he knew us — and our mistakes. His metaphors made ideas entertainment: "If a client offers a big carrot and an unfair legal contract then tell them what they can do with the carrot!" In other words, all the technology in the world can not help you, if your business relationship sucks. Optimization is not to be performed at the query level but at the 'create table' level, DDL not DML. Write it out in pencil and paper! Or maybe take a look at commerceblocks product...save yourself the effort.

A few of the many incredible techniques, tips and tools he shared:

1. Techniques:
   • Indexing your website:
     "TITLE tag and the first X# of words found in the body of the home page."
   • ABC Always Be Closing - upselling/cross-selling, post-sale e-mail
2. Tips:
   • "Database locking granularity? The difference between a boulder and a grain of sand."
     MSAccess = Table-level locking, SQL7 = page-level locking, Oracle = row-level locking
3. Tools:
   • E/R Studio data modeling
     http://www.embarcadero.com/products/Design/design.htm
   • E-commerce hosting
     http://www.comstar.net
   • Payment processing
     http://www.authorize.net
     http://www.cybercash.com
   • remote access, PC Anywhere
     http://www.symantec.com

I really enjoyed the show. And, Churvis is 'happy to help.' Contact him at (770) 446-8866 or at info@commerceblocks.com and he promises to help you. He even invited each of us to his home for dinner whenever we are in Atlanta. The guy is incredible; try the shopping at http://www.commerceblocks.com.

Want to see what you've just been reading about? Visit the ColdFusion E-Commerce User Conference Photo Page.

• Subscribe
• RSS

• Editorial
• Specials
• Community
• News
• Tech and Tags
• Views
• Reviews
• Techniques
• Security
• Best of ColdFusion Talk
• Knowledge Base
• Blog Watch

• Tipical Charlie