ColdFusion MX

Prior to 2000, Allaire began a project codenamed "Neo", that would rewrite the basis of ColdFusion using Java, which would allow for greater portability among different platforms.

On January 16, 2001, Allaire announced that it would be merging with Macromedia. Shortly after the merger, Macromedia continued with the incremental release of ColdFusion 5.00 and in June 2002, Macromedia released Macromedia ColdFusion MX (6.0), extending the naming convention of Macromedia's line of products. ColdFusion MX was completely rebuilt from the ground up and was based on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) platform. ColdFusion MX was also designed to integrate well with Macromedia Flash using Flash Remoting.

Starting from the MX (6.0) release, ColdFusion is compiled to bytecode, like JSP and ASP.NET. The compiled .class files are readily accessible, and are cached until their source changes, like JSPs.

With the release of ColdFusion MX, the CFML language was also extended to support basic OOP.


[edit] ColdFusion MX 7
With the release of ColdFusion 7.0, the naming convention was amended, rendering the product name "Macromedia ColdFusion MX 7". CFMX 7 added Flash-based, and XForms-based, web forms and a report builder that output in Adobe PDF as well as FlashPaper, RTF and Excel. The Adobe PDF output is also available as a wrapper to any HTML page, converting that page to a quality printable document. The enterprise edition also added Gateways. These provide interaction with non-HTTP request services such as IM Services, SMS, Directory Watchers, and an asynchronous execution. XML support was boosted in this version to include native schema checking.

ColdFusion MX 7.0.2, codenamed "Mystic" includes advanced features for working with Adobe Flex 2.

Create better Internet applications quickly and easily

Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software solves the day-to-day challenges of Internet application development, allowing you to be extremely productive as you create and deliver engaging online applications. And because it fits into any IT environment, you can use ColdFusion 8 for everything from small departmental applications to highly scalable, reliable implementations of your most important business applications.

Now from Adobe
With a host of new features, dramatically improved performance and scalability, and easier integration with enterprise IT environments, Adobe ColdFusion 8 is a must-have release for ColdFusion developers.
New in ColdFusion 8
Server Monitor
See exactly what's happening in your application to help identify bottlenecks and tune the server for better performance. ColdFusion 8 also features a Multiserver Monitor to gain insight on all servers in a cluster.
PDF features
ColdFusion 8 applications can dynamically generate and interact with PDF documents and forms for a printable, portable way to intelligently capture and share information.
Ajax features
ColdFusion 8 can easily provide data to existing Ajax applications and frameworks. You can use simple tags to access a large library of prebuilt Ajax user interface components such as rich text editors, data grids, tree controls, tab navigators, and more.
.NET integration
With ColdFusion 8, you can specify any .NET object — either local or remote — and use it in your ColdFusion application, just like any Java™ or other object resource.
Microsoft Exchange Server integration
Programmatically interact with a Microsoft Exchange server to perform common tasks such as reading, creating, and modifying calendar events, contacts, tasks, and e-mail.
Interactive debugger
ColdFusion 8 introduces an Eclipse™ plug-in debugger. Use it to set breakpoints, watch variables, and step through code, making it easier to debug all your