Angel Chrystian Torres

How to Create More CF Developers in Middleware-Earth 🧙 Legacy Coders: The Wizards of Yesteryear Our tale begins with the seasoned sorcerers of code, those who've mastered the ancient runes of CF, including tags and custom tags. These wise beings crafted the foundations of Middleware-Earth, but as time passed, some remained nestled in the comforts of their mystical towers, hesitant to explore the expanding horizons of modern ColdFusion. The Challenges They Face: Fear of the new realms (modern CFML code) and the belief that their ancient spells (legacy code) are sufficient to keep the darkness (inefficiency) at bay. The Path Forward: We must extend our hands, or better yet, our staffs, to guide them towards enlightenment - embracing MVC frameworks, best practices, and the camaraderie of the ColdFusion community. “We're also seeing a lot of people on the other end of the spectrum who are what I'd call the legacy ColdFusion developers: people who learned how to use ColdFusion in maybe 2000, or 2001. They learned how to use the CF include tag and maybe custom tags, and they kind of stopped learning at that point. They're not doing object oriented development, they're not following best practices, they're not using MVC frameworks. “There's a lot of web development still being done in ColdFusion where the developers are just using old technology – CF includes and custom tags and not a whole heck of a lot else. Either because they're scared to learn new things, or they think it's going to be overly complicated. Maybe they think it's too many files, or too much code. Perhaps it doesn’t actually solve the problem. Maybe they're just not aware of it either. There are a lot of people that just for whatever reason are not able to budget time and money to go to conferences and to learn what the current trends are. “I think we need to bridge that gap more and fix that problem. Let's take the people that are still writing code as if it's 2001, whether intentionally or otherwise, and help them improve. It's actually not that hard to go from your old CF to modern CF code.”- Nolan Erck @nolanerck, Owner and Chief Consultant at South of Shasta Consulting [southofshasta.com] Students: The Future Wizards of CF In our journey across Middleware-Earth, we've discovered a pressing need: the summoning of new developers. As we venture into the realms of education, we find that the future of our land depends on the young hobbits - students with a spark of interest in IT, awaiting a guiding light. Here is a deft, two-step plan which could help guide young students towards CF: 1. The Fellowship of CF Ambassadors: A visionary band of ColdFusion champions, tasked with inspiring the next generation. They carry the torch to high schools and colleges, illuminating the path towards a career in ColdFusion development. 2. Their Mission: To demystify the realm of coding, showcasing the magic of ColdFusion and the fulfillment of bringing code to life. Through challenges and rewards, we can engrave the essence of ColdFusion in their hearts. “To make ColdFusion more alive, I wish it gets included in the academic courses at schools and universities.”- Uma Ghotikar, Solutions Architect at ICF (From CF Alive episode, "077 Fundamentals of Unit Testing, BDD and Mocking (using TestBox and MockBox) with Uma Ghotikar") 🌟Onwards! Prepare your scrolls and quills for next week's edition, where we shall delve deeper into the strategies of recruiting new members to our fellowship. From the halls of academia to the bustling marketplaces of job fairs, we shall uncover the secrets to attracting the brightest minds to the lands of Middleware-Earth. P.S. If the ancient code of your CF application feels as dense and impenetrable as the forests of Mirkwood, fear not, bold 'Legolas of Web Development'! Send your message on the wind, a note via the swiftest Mirkwood spider, or a beam of light through the dense foliage. As wise as Gandalf confronting the Balrog, we stand ready to guide, transform, and protect your web presence. Together, let's navigate the twisted paths of outdated code, shining a light of modernity and efficiency on your project, much like the sun breaking through the dark canopy. Let's stride forward, casting aside the webs and shadows, to reveal a renewed, vibrant digital domain. 🕸️🌞

ColdFusion Evolution (ColdFusion Chronicles from Middleware-Earth) 🌅⚔️ Hail and well met, champions of Middleware-Earth! As tales of battles and ancient code scrolls illuminate our path, we turn our gaze towards the respected Elder Language of the web - ColdFusion. Is it fading like the Elves preparing to depart to the Undying Lands? Or does it remain strong, a beacon for all of Middleware-Earth? The Cure Lies in Evolution, Not Extinction 🌱 While many lament the age of ColdFusion like the passing age of Númenor, it's crucial to remember that age brings wisdom. And as Bilbo would say, "Age is but a number!" Ponder this: Over 370,000 souls in the Amazon Web Services realm sought ColdFusion's power, so much so that even the mighty Adobe questioned its eyes! 🤯 In the Wise Words of Nolan Erck, the Grey 🧙♂️ The bane of ColdFusion? Not orcs, but the prevalence of nine-to-five CF sorcerers. Many wield its power daily but remain oblivious to its true might, because they don't learn new CF features, tools and modern programming methods. Yet, the wise ones recognize the truth: ColdFusion is ever evolving, setting new benchmarks and pushing boundaries. Forge Ahead with Innovation 🛠️ To fortify ColdFusion is to innovate! Forge unique solutions and share them as if they were legendary weapons of Middleware-Earth. Embrace open-source camaraderie, such as the Ortus Solutions, Corp Box products, a sign that faith in CF burns brightly. Heed these paths to enlightenment: Absorb wisdom from other languages.Strengthen ties with 3rd party tools.Integrate and showcase exemplary CF spells er code, in other magical artifacts and scrolls. Echoes from the Past 🍂 Mike Brunt, the revered CF whisperer sage, once proclaimed: “What we must never forget, in my opinion, is that without ColdFusion, the dynamic web, the web as we’ve come to know it would have been a long time coming. ColdFusion was around before Bill Gates thought the internet was anything worth thinking about, or at least the web.” Relive his insights in this CF Alive episode 009 CF Tuning and Troubleshooting. The Future of CF (Peering Into the Palantír)🔮 Adobe, the guardian of ColdFusion, unfurled a roadmap that assures us of CF's bright journey, stretching 10 years ahead. Witness the prophecy here. Naysayers prophesied doom, but behold! Adobe returned, mightier, with ACF 2021, ACF 2023, ACF 2024, and promises of more. Kishore Balakrishnan, the senior marketing herald from the Adobe citadel, proclaims: “ColdFusion is alive and doing better and better. There are people who create some amazing applications. People asked them, ‘What language is that?’ Then the moment they realize it’s ColdFusion, you should see their reaction. They say, ‘I thought ColdFusion is dead.’” As the sun sets over the mountains of Middleware-Earth, let us prepare for next week’s newsletter on "Modernizing ColdFusion". Until then, may your code be ever efficient and your servers ever resilient! 🌄🍂🍷 P.S. Should your legacy CF application weigh upon you like the burdensome One Ring? Fret not, "Frodo of CF"! DM me and like the brave Samwise, we stand ready to aid. Together, we'll reforge and rejuvenate your app, casting out the darkness from Mount Doom’s fiery depths. 🌋