Yahoo! Adds ColdFusion Developer Center

 
Jun 18, 2007

by Charlie Griefer, Fusion Authority Staff Writer

The Yahoo! Developer Network, a repository of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that has allowed developers from the worlds of Java, C#, Perl, PHP, and Ruby (among others) to leverage various Yahoo! technologies for over two years, has finally carved out a spot for ColdFusion. As of June 7, 2007, ColdFusion obtained its very own Developer Center within the Yahoo! Developer Network.

This is a significant event for two reasons:

  1. Code samples and How-To articles make it easier to interact with various Yahoo! web services. For example:

  2. ColdFusion gets exposure! ColdFusion developers are used to hearing on a semi-annual basis about the impending death of ColdFusion. Unfortunately, it's not terribly surprising. Other similar technologies are free (high level overview... let's not discuss that .NET requires Windows, which is not free). These technologies have a larger user base and therefore generally get more exposure (if not all of the exposure). Unless you're a ColdFusion developer, you don't generally know about the exciting innovations that come with each new release... or just how easy it is to build and deploy applications using ColdFusion.

    This is a huge first step in ColdFusion taking its (rightful) place alongside of .NET, PHP, Ruby, etc. The potential exposure of ColdFusion to other developers through this highly visible Yahoo! site could have significant ramifications. It's not a stretch of the imagination to assume that other developers would take a peek at some of the ColdFusion sample code, and be blown away at just how easy ColdFusion makes building Web based applications. Frankly, this is exposure to the global developer community unlike anything that ColdFusion has experienced in the past.
As an added incentive, build something notable using ColdFusion and the Yahoo! Web Services, and you might find your application showcased on the Yahoo! Applications Gallery.

Big thanks go to Ray Camden, who took the initiative to make this happen. In between releasing open source applications, maintaining sites like RIAForge, and writing 4.2 blog entries per day, Ray convinced the folks at Yahoo! to include ColdFusion in the Developer Network, and wrote all of the text you see there. If there are any suggestions, or if you find any typos, you should email Ray at http://www.coldfusionjedi.com/contact.cfm and let him know.

Eagle-eyed readers will no doubt notice that ColdFusion has yet to appear in the left-side navigation panel at the Developer Network. This has been brought to their attention, and they said that they intend to update the links to include ColdFusion in the very near future when they roll out a new site design.

In the meantime, test drive some of the sample code. Create some apps that will ultimately be showcased in the Applications Gallery. ColdFusion has some much needed exposure now... but this should be just the start. We can all pitch in and help it gain momentum by taking advantage of what's currently out there.

Charlie Griefer is a Software Engineer at ESRI in Redlands, CA. He has been using ColdFusion since version 1.5, and enjoys being an active part of the community. Visit him (and other ColdFusion addicts) on IRC's DALnet #coldfusion.

In his spare time, he enjoys being a father of three and a husband of one.

This bio is subject to change without notice.

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