Tim Buntel: ColdFusion to the MAX!
This week, we sat down with Tim Buntel to get the inside track on what's
happening at the Adobe MAX conference in two weeks (September 30 - October 3).
Judith Dinowitz:
It's been said that most applications only use ten ColdFusion tags. What features from ColdFusion 8 do you see being added to that core of use?
Tim Buntel:
PDF capabilities, Exchange server integration, our AJAX proxy and UI controls, and the various CFML and CFC improvements are proving very popular with
developers. But the Server Monitor is one of the most popular (and
important) new features.
JD:
The new UI elements in ColdFusion 8 are great, but are people using them? Is
there a focus at MAX on helping people make use of these elements?
TB:
Developers have been using all of the new CF8 features since we released the
public beta in May. MAX has many ColdFusion 8 sessions, including topics about
how ColdFusion can help deliver more engaging user experiences. The presentations
on ColdFusion Powered Ajax, ColdFusion PDF Integration, Flex 3: Integrating with
ColdFusion, Image Manipulation in ColdFusion, and Leveraging ColdFusion with
Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) Applications all focus specifically on the UI side of things.
JD:
ColdFusion programmers tend to look for ColdFusion at a conference. Besides AJAX integration, can you point to other areas that will engage the ColdFusion community?
TB:
JD:
The standard canard of ColdFusion dying or being dead has come up more than
once. Is Adobe targeting resources that the community can use to stand against this?
TB:
Press and analyst reaction to ColdFusion 8 has been exceptional, with over 200 articles and reviews published. SD Times? recent review said it well: "ColdFusion 8 is sure to please and solve the problem of Web frameworks for a long time to come."
JD:
What advice can you give to our readers that will help them get the most out of the conference?
TB:
Investigate some of the other Adobe technologies beyond ColdFusion, too! There are over 200 sessions and 50 hands-on workshops held in five distinctive tracks, so there's plenty to discover.
You can find out about all of the Adobe MAX events (MAX North America, MAX Europe and MAX Japan) at http://www.adobe.com/events/max/.
MAX North America will take place in Chicago from Sept. 30 - Oct. 3.