The need is to get data from SQL Server D/B and put in HTML format on web/intranet What would be easier to do 1. Install IIS, Use ASP to serve data from d/b 2. Use CF (Does CF needs app/web server like IIS/Apache). This application will be hosted on Intranet, I have hardware required. I have little knowledge of VB and long back used CF for something. Any suggestions are appriciated!
ASP is Microsoft's own creation, as is SQL Server. Also, I was once informed that it costs $2500 USD to install and use ColdFusion. So I really haven't done much with it myself. I've been using ASP for about 6 years now and, once you learn the tips and tricks (specifically, using include files and creating custom subs and functions to do the stuff you want), you'll find it's really easy to do most things with it. The hard part is the initial learning curve, although it's not anywhere near as steep as it was back in 2K.
My personal preference is ASP especially in your situation because you're also using SQL Server. As mentioned above they are both Microsoft's creation and because of that they perform quite well together. Furthermore, if you haven't used either language before ASP is relatively easy to understand. Hope this helps.
Although you can get them to do the same things, I think ASP would be a little easier to pick up. There are also more resources available for you with ASP.
There was (not sure if it still exists) a free version of CF that did most of the basic functions of CF. Yes it runs as an application server on windows with IIS. CF is easier to learn but learning a little ASP will probably be more beneficial.
DEFINETLY alot more resources for asp. www.planet-source-code.com is a good place for some asp scripts.
I think CF is a dead language. Of course, there will always be people who use it, but the community has shrunk over the years. Personally, I think only Java & PHP will really last, so I'd point my career in that direction. But if they're not choices, for me I'd go with the not-CF choice. -T
And if we could just get rid of the rest of the Macromedia crap, we'll be all set. The reason I would disagree with you on the languages is because of a scenario I've seen a number of times, which is: I have a client who knows Access. I have a site that I'm building for the client. Client wants to download the database and look at it at any time. Yes, I could build an admin section for them to do that, but they know Access. AFAIK, only ASP works with Access in this regard.
PHP & Java will talk to Access via ODBC just fine, assuming that the server is Windows. If the server is Unix/Linux, then I don't think the Access database would run. In any case, the situation you describe will never be a major component of the Web industry. It'll be a niche, certainly. Heck, COBOL is still a viable niche for a few old-timers. But certain technologies shrink while others grow. I don't see the ASP/Access setup as a big growth opportunity. Although PHP & Java are huge already, I see them getting more entrenched. Maybe 5 years from now Ruby will dominate the Web landscape. I hope not. I like other languages more. Anwway, back to your point, I still do a lot of Perl work, so even though the cgi-bin directory is pretty much out of fashion, Perl can still pay the bills in other ways. I imagine it's the same for anyone who has deep knowledge of a particular technology. But aside from screen-scaping and text-crunching, I'm not sure I'd ever advocate Perl. Similar issues push me away from CF. -Tony
The CF is dead arguement is sounding more and more like the old capitalism is dead we heard from the communists. CF is alive and well and grows a little more every time someone says it's dead. Let's go look at one of the biggest banks around, bankofamerica.com, lot's of .cfm there. Looking for a car, autobytel.com is one of the biggest if not the biggest auto shopping sites, CF again. How about myspace.com, I see .cfm there. How about searching for SQL Server Magazine, the first result at Google is windowsitpro.com, this must be a .NET site, no, CF again. A buddy of mine took a job at EBay to work on Flex stuff and he IM'ed me about a ColdFusion CMS. It turns out there's alot of CF inside EBay. A third of Macromedia's CF license were sold to the US Government. Why? Because they could get PHD's to administrative assistants up to speed with common tasks in no time. I could go on and on. CF appears to be less prevalent because there aren't forums loaded with configuration and conflict questions as with other languages (read Java). It's incredibly backwards compatible while usually being a couple years ahead of the competition with things like sessions, Flash forms, messaging, etc. CFML is not a language that requires a lot of research because it's so well thought out and it allows you to dwell on the solution you need not the syntax.
Search for Java jobs on monster.com maxes out at Monster's 20 page limit. In the last week, it looks like about 475 jobs have been posted. Search for PHP again maxes out the Monster max page limit. However, in the last week it's only about 25 jobs that have been posted. Perl also maxes out the page limit, with 50 jobs that have been posted in the last week. Cold Fusion? 9 pages of results, 14 jobs posted in the last week. Let's try Dice. Java: 14370 jobs. Perl: 4141 jobs. PHP: 923 jobs. Cold Fusion: 354 jobs. Let's try RentACoder. Java: 125 jobs. Perl: 69 jobs. PHP: 354 jobs. Cold Fusion: 10 jobs. Overall, all this searching does NOT convince me that "Cold Fusion is alive and well." It's dead last on every job site. However, all this searching did convince me of something else: PHP is not as pervasive as I expected. Most of my jobs are PHP, and I charge high for my work, and I still have to turn down jobs. But clearly my own experience isn't industry wide. Java is just huge. -Tony
why dont u try PHP its easy and if u have any problems post here and i will be happy to help u u right tbarr60 i dont think cf is dead, hey has anyone see new language adobe are developing? FLEX aboyd u are right as well when u say theres more demand for php programmers BUT dice is not good place to get figures from, u have to remember good programmers are up to the noses in work and they dont have time to check Dice, the work just flows to the by word of mouth i myself know C / JAVA / PHP / SCHEME inside out, now u might say "C is so 80s", "java is so 90s", and "what the hell is scheme?" but i still regualry program in java and c, infact im getting more jobs in the last year now i dont know CF or .NET but im sure if i had to adapt the learning curve wont be steep
aboyd, Thanks for checking the job scene. I'd always heard it took more Java developers to produce a web application and the company I am now with is pushing for Java and I do see that it takes a lot more effort to produce an application and many of those apps fail and have to be redone. They tried once to replace an intranet portal that two CF developers got up and running in two months. After 4 months the Java guys gave up. They were having trouble integrating with existing systems, things that are non-issues with CF. As far as jobs go, I am getting about 30 contacts from recruiters every month. I asked one yesterday about supply and demand and he said that the demand was still there but the supply wasn't what it used to be. People do run off to PHP, Ruby, and other buzzy languages. I will be employed as long as I want to be, my preference is to be employed using the most productive language.