There is no replacement for actually writing code. Buy a couple of the better recommended ColdFusion books and make a project for yourself. Then go and implement said project. Try and pick something that is useful. Good first projects are something like a home library manager for your DVDs or a basic accounting ledger (Quicken style program). You get to do basic create/read/update/delete operations. Since web applications almost always rely upon relational databases learning how to properly normalize and design a relational database is a critical skill that should not be overlooked in your learning of ColdFusion. Great ColdFusion code plus a terrible database design insure you will be frustrated more often than not. The same goes for a great database and bad CF code. The two skills should be developed hand in hand. CF books will often give database design bare minimum coverage.
Get: Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming Third Edition. Learn it and every trick in the book. It says advanced in it but it has one of the best chapters on normalization you will find anywhere. That book combined with a good CF manual and a nice project (of limited scope) will have you well on your way to coding great ColdFusion applications. If you just try and buy a CF book and slog through it chapter by chapter your learning experience is going to take longer most likely. There is no replacement for writing code and doing something useful. Having a project gives you goals.
Once you have your first sample application working and under your belt and you have a decent feel for database design and how CF looks and feels you need to move on to learning about OO and CFCs while evaluating one of the frameworks like Model-Glue. It is a huge leap but you can learn OO concepts pretty well independent of everything else you will be doing. OO programming really does take some work so its best to get into that mode of thinking as early as possible in your programming tutelage. It is one of the dominant programming paradigms right now and it is a huge benefit to you if you learn how to think OO earlier rather than later as procedural habits are hard to break for some, so its best to never get them. Going from OO->Procedural has always seemed easier than going from Procedural->OO. Most people learn procedural style code and then move up to OO and the habits they learn while developing procedural code are hard to break in some cases. (If this whole OO vs. procedural business doesnt make sense to you read these two links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_programming ).
So the procession goes something like this: Write first app learning basics of CF and database design. Begin learning OO and slowly convert first app over to one of the MVC frameworks. From there don't look back. To learn OO concepts I recommend taking a look at Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java or Thinking in C++. They are freely available on his website and the first chapter of either book are purely abstract and discuss the basics of OO and how to think in OO terms.
You can't do this all at once. It takes time and you have to build step by step. Ideally in 3 months of dedicated effort you would have a good idea of database design and CF to your name. In 6-9 months you should be relatively comfortable with CFCs and OO concepts. In 12 months you should be ready for anything coming your way large or small. I will say it once again as it is the most important message in this long email: Write Code!
That is how I would recommend it. I am probably forgetting something so I am sure others will add to this. Everyone learns differently :)
Jeremy
On 6/17/06, Robert Reil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Here's an easy one!
Whats the easiest cost effective way to learn how to get up and rolling in CF?
Budget a couple hundred.
I have servers, and software. Should I take a class, a web school, or use Forta's Web App Construction site?
Opinions and links welcome...
Robert P. Reil
Managing Director,
Motorcyclecarbs.com, Inc.
4292 Country Garden Walk NW
Kennesaw , Ga. 30152
Office 770-974-8851
Fax 770-974-8852
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