| Developing ColdFusion MX Applications with CFML |
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Building and Using ColdFusion Components |
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| Developing ColdFusion MX Applications with CFML |
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Building and Using ColdFusion Components |
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ColdFusion components encapsulate application functionality and provide a standard interface for client access to that functionality. Clients access component functionality by invoking methods on components. Components support a variety of client interfaces, including web pages, Flash movies, web services, and other objects accessible from ColdFusion components and pages. Component method invocation serves as the gateway to component functionality, including passing parameters and receiving component method results.
Like other ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) code reuse techniques, such as user-defined functions (UDFs) and custom CFML tags, components let you create application functionality that can be reused wherever you need it. If you want to modify, add, or remove component functionality, you only need to make changes in one component file.
Note: For more information about UDFs, custom tags, and other ColdFusion code reuse techniques, see Chapter 8, "Reusing Code in ColdFusion Pages".
As your development projects grow larger and teams of developers become involved, ColdFusion components can structure CFML to serve as building blocks for design pattern methodologies.
Established design pattern specifications represent the accumulated knowledge of veteran software developers, which is used to establish guidelines for application development. When applied correctly, design patterns streamline software production, manage the application development process, and ensure code maintainability for the life cycle of the application.
When making the decision about whether to use a design pattern methodology for a development project, keep the following points in mind:
For more information about design patterns, see Rapid Development: Taming Wild Software Schedules, Steve McConnell, 1996: Microsoft Press.