Picking a ColdFusion MVC Framework [closed]

Answer 1

I've been using CFWheels for a couple of years and I've not found a better framework. It's inspired by Ruby on Rails and is very easy to learn with great docs and a very active community.

www.cfwheels.org

Answer 2

I'd go with either CFWheels or FW/1. Both are very easy to use for those new to CF frameworks (I still count myself in that group) and don't have nearly as steep a learning curve as some others. Coldbox looks amazingly powerful, but I had a hard time getting my head around it.

Answer 3

Seeing you are NEW to ColdFusion what I would do is pick ONE FRAMEWORK and stick to it. At first it will be hard you will have problems and you will be tempted to drop the Framework you have chosen but don't do it. After you have mastered one framework then you can learn the others.

• CF Wheels
• ColdBox * * * (Nice Documentation)
• FarCry
• Framework/1 * * (simple LIGHT framework)
• FuseBox
• ModelGlue
• Mach-II

Most of these you can add

• ColdSpring
• Reactor
• Transfer

An introduction to ColdFusion frameworks at Adobe.com

Most important is to remember we all have our opinions but there is NO real proof what is best. You can even NOT use a actual framework and just code carefully in MVC.

The stuff you are currently maintaining

I would pick ColdBox, ModelGlue or Framework/1.

ColdBox provides a little Code Generation and Framework/1 is very light so less to learn.

Answer 4

It has to be coldbox really.

It has excellent documentation on the site, and also has a book which has been brilliantly written to cover many aspects about object orientated programming, amongst other topics. Honestly, really impressed by the book, more than I was expecting.

What I like about the framework is that it uses coldfusion code in its handlers, when I picked it up I think the other frameworks where using xml...not sure if this has changed.

The framework is easy to pick up if you are knowledgeable on CFCs, and has several useful features for building sites. PLugins, Debug toolbar, URL rooting for "pretty URLS"..

I cant speak highly enough of the framework..

Theres also a really helpful community here who respond to all my questions really promptly.

Answer 5

Everything is negotiable. Rewriting the CF apps in Rails 3 would be the strongest approach.

Languages and frameworks built on principles - Ruby/Rails 3 (and other Ruby frameworks), Python/Django 1.2 (and other Python frameworks), ASP.NET MVC 2 - are generally speaking the best thing to use.

ColdFusion and ColdFusion frameworks do not compare because ColdFusion as a language and as a library is hacked together at random and the ColdFusion frameworks (ColdBox, FW/1, Model-Glue, CFWheels, Mach II) can only do so much to smooth that over. For example: CF scopes, lack of closures, lack of loadable classes/components (you can instantiate a component, but not load the component as such), awkward arguments handling, mappings, lack of real applications, lack of delegates and closures, and convenient but non-rigorous approaches to most aspects of the language and library. In comparison, the other languages listed offer rigor plus sugar atop the rigor.

Answer 6

You might also like my SOS and COOP frameworks. We are in the process of creating better public docs. It will likely be more like the code you are used to than other options.