ColdFusion Editors
ColdFusion can make creating website applications very easy, but your life will be made so much easier if you pick the right editor for editing your code.
ColdFusion Builder
Adobe ColdFusion Builder is your best bet for a ColdFusion editor. It is made by Adobe - the same company that produces ColdFusion.
ColdFusion Builder provides a number of benefits over other editors including:
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Smart tab assist
- Color coding to make your code easier to read
- Editors for CFML, CFScript, HTML, JavaScript, SQL, and CSS
- Integration with Flash Builder
- Free version of Flash Builder
- And much more
You can download ColdFusion Builder for a 60 day trial. Once the trial expires, you need to purchase a license to continue using all the features. If not, ColdFusion Builder switches to a feature-limited Express Edition.
So, even if you can't afford to pay for the full licence, you can still get a free ColdFusion editor, simply by downloading it. Plus, you will have had a sneak preview into the full-featured version.
You can learn more about Coldfusion Builder from the ColdFusion section of the Adobe website.
Dreamweaver
You can use Adobe Dreamweaver as your ColdFusion editor too. As well as supporting ColdFusion, Dreamweaver supports many other web languages that you may need to code in. Here are some of Dreamweaver's features:
- Shortcuts to commonly tags and functions
- Color coding of HTML, CFML, ASP etc
- Wizards are provided for common tasks
- "Drag and drop" editing
- You can toggle between design view, code view, and split view
- Version control support
- Edit dialog for most HTML and CFML tags
- Pop-up help for all HTML and CFML tags
- Automatic tag completion
- SQL query builder
- Expression builder
Free ColdFusion Editors
Editors such as ColdFusion Builder and Dreamweaver are fine if you're happy to pay money. If you don't want to pay that much for an editor you could try a basic HTML editor. Some HTML editors include ColdFusion support too.
If you don't want to pay for an editor, you could try one of the following:
- ColdFusion Builder Express
- remember, this is a stripped down version of ColdFusion Builder, and it's completely free. To get it for free, simply download it. You will get a 60 day trial of the full-featured version. Once this expires, you will have permanent use of the stripped down version.
- CFEclipse - this is a plugin for the Eclipse platform.
- First Page - HTML editor with ColdFusion support.
- ColdFusionPad - Like a simple text editor, but with menus for ColdFusion tags & functions. Includes code examples.
- You could download HTML Kit (HTML editor), then download and install one of the ColdFusion plugins such as dfCFMX.
If you don't feel like downloading anything, don't despair! You can always use a text editor such as Notepad (for Windows) or SimpleText (Macs).
