Hands-on Mach-II: Let GreatBizTools Show You the Way

 
Mar 10, 2008

by Judith Dinowitz

Mach-II has evolved greatly since it was first introduced in 2002 as an attempt to upgrade Fusebox to the ColdFusion component standard in ColdFusion MX. The framework has become full-featured since the first version; however, object-oriented programming concepts are not the easiest to learn. This can lead developers to falsely accuse Mach-II as being too difficult when they are really just frustrated with understanding object-oriented concepts. That's where GreatBizTools comes in. GreatBizTools is Mach-II's corporate sponsor, and the company has decided to apply its expertise in creating custom training programs to Mach-II. It is offering a two-day, pre-conference training course for Mach-II in conjunction with cf.Objective(), which GreatBizTools says will give attendees a firm foundation in both object-oriented concepts and Mach-II development.

"Building Object-Oriented Applications in ColdFusion" will take place on April 30th - May 1st at the Crown Plaza Riverfront in St. Paul Minneapolis. The two day workshop will cost $895. The first day will provide a foundation in object-oriented concepts designed for people who are new to object-oriented programming and Mach-II. These ideas will then be applied heavily on the second day, focused on building better Mach-II applications. Those who already know object-oriented programming concepts can skip the first day and pay $495 for the second day. There are no prerequisites.

"This is not a beginner's course for ColdFusion," said Peter Farrell, CIO of GreatBizTools. "This is for people who are comfortable working in the language and want to extend their skill set. I've personally seen a lot of advertising for new jobs involved with CF. They usually list knowledge of Fusebox, Model-Glue or Mach-II as a plus. It's a good thing for programmers to know."

The GreatBizTools Advantage: Hands-on Training with Accelerated Learning Techniques

How will this training differ from sitting in on Mach-II lectures at cf.Objective()?

"One thing that we don't want to do is have two days of lecture," said Peter. "You can learn from that, but it's not the same as getting information and applying it. One of the good things I saw this year is that they (cf.Objective()) have added longer workshop sessions. We are running hands-on labs throughout the day. We require that people at the workshop bring a laptop or notebook computer. We want people to also be able to ask questions and say, 'I can do it this way or that way... Which way would you recommend?'"

"I don't think that frameworks are going away any time soon. They're being more heavily used," he said. "Programming is a job where you have to be continuously developing your skill set. You have to constantly learn new things. Most people learn the frameworks from sample applications and some tutorials that have been put out. But we want to fast track people through accelerated learning techniques. The rest of learning Mach-II comes from experience."

Denise Hartsoch, COO of GreatBizTools, explained that GreatBizTools uses accelerated learning techniques to create training that helps adults learn better and faster. "Learning happens when you're integrating that knowledge and you're able to apply it," she said. "We want people to come away from the workshop with something they've actually built in the workshop, and come away with it integrated."

The workshop runs from 8:30 - 5:00, which may seem longer than most workshops, but Denise explained that the structure was deliberately set to optimize the participant's time. She said that most training programs run from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm – but with breaks, you might have five hours of actual learning. With breaks, the GreatBizTools program gives you a full seven hours of learning. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are provided as well. All participants get a book with the presentations and a Mach-II quick reference poster.

You can learn more about the course through a detailed workshop brochure available at http://www.mach-ii.com/resources/cfo2008TrainingInformation.pdf, and download a PDF for managers at http://www.mach-ii.com/resources/cfo2008TrainingInformationManagers.pdf. There are discounts for groups of five or more that can be applied when registering on the cf.Objective() site. Fusion Authority readers who register can also get a discount of 5% off the regular workshop price by applying the code gbt508 on the registration form at https://www.bestmeetings.com/registration/cfobjective/cfobjective.cfm.

Why Partner with cf.Objective()?

While GreatBizTools could have done this alone, they found it easier to join with cf.Objective(), which takes place where they are based, in Minneapolis. Since cf.Objective() was not running its own pre-conference training this year, it was a natural partnership.

Denise said, "We have no interest in developing our own conference at this point in time. We are interested in offering workshops in other parts of the country. We like the direction cf.Objective() is going. We had the opportunity to partner up with them, and it made sense to do so. [With the conference] being local to Peter and Kurt, it's a great opportunity to actually have the workshops there."

Peter said, "I have to say that cf.Objective() is probably the best conference I've gone to for ColdFusion. I like the intimate atmosphere that the conference gives, and of course, the advanced topics. There are many sessions at cf.Objective() that I'd be interested in seeing."

Future Endeavors

GreatBizTools is launching this workshop in Minneapolis, but they're looking to take this to other parts of the country. They're also offering custom on-site workshops for organizations, and plan to publish several technical user guides (at least three in 2008). They produce over 600 human resource management products, and are launching a web-based assessment site, built on Mach-II, which will allow organizations to administer and score employment tests online. Their own company website (http://www.greatbiztools.com) runs on the Mach-II 1.6 bleeding edge version, and provides very real-world testing of the product.

Judith Dinowitz is the Editor-in-Chief of the House of Fusion magazines and journals, where she enjoys serving up ColdFusion goodness on a weekly and quarterly basis.

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