Macromedia has launched ColdFusion MX for J2EE Application Servers,
a scripting technology that can now be deployed on application
servers from IBM, Sun Microsystems and Macromedia.
ColdFusion, which features an accompanying run-time environment,
enables development of applications such as dynamic Web sites,
intranets, and content management systems. Other applications that
can be deployed include full-text searching, charting, and a
graphics engine.
The product, originally described by Macromedia in April, enables
deployment of Web services by automatically handling interactions
between programs and Soap (Simple Object Access Protocol),
according to Macromedia.
The J2EE version of the product supports IBM's WebSphere
Application Server as well as the Sun ONE and Macromedia JRun
application servers. A version for the BEA WebLogic application
server is planned for late 2002. IBM will be reselling ColdFusion
MX while Sun will co-market it with Macromedia.
Adding support for third-party application servers means developers
can use ColdFusion capabilities on these platforms, said Phil
Costa, senior product marketing manager for ColdFusion. This means
enterprises will have fewer environments to manage.
ColdFusion is a rapid application development technology that uses
a high-level scripting language integrated with Macromedia tools
such as Dreamweaver MX. "As a result, companies that have invested
in that infrastructure can develop applications faster and get
their development team up to speed and productive more quickly than
if they had gone to the Java development language directly," Costa
said.
Through use of the ColdFusion Components capability of ColdFusion
MX developers can encapsulate and reuse code to build applications
that can be automatically accessed as Web services or as remote
services for Macromedia Flash clients using Macromedia Flash
Remoting, according to the company. This enables connecting of
applications using Macromedia Flash Player to server-side business
logic and data, Macromedia said.
While BEA has been recognised as the industry leader in application
servers, it is not the first to get the ColdFusion MX port. Costa
attributed this to "a combination of user demand and business
relations".
To extend support of ColdFusion MX applications to the Microsoft
.net programming framework, Macromedia is enabling connectivity to
.net through Web services. Applications also can be linked to
Microsoft COM objects.
ColdFusion MX For J2EE Application Servers costs $3,399 (£2,182)
per processor. Specific versions are labelled ColdFusion MX For IBM
WebSphere Application Server and ColdFusion MX for Sun ONE.