CFJS
Server-Side JavaScript implementation and tag.
BlueDragon is working on it:
http://alan.blog-city.com/server_side_javascript_with_cfml.htm
They even have an Alpha available:
http://alan.blog-city.com/cfjs_alpha.htm
For consistency and because it is a great idea that will do great things for CF I think it would be great to port the BD version to Railo. An Application.cfjs file could be defined to remove any need for cfc's and all server-side could be done in JavaScript with a CfJs scope in JavaScript for working with normal CF functions and objects.
Rhino already allows for direct inclusion of Java classes so it is a great start already and Alan has done a great job with the Open BD implementation so far.
Marcel
shared this idea
We’re building a CFML engine, not a server-side JS engine. If you want server-side JS, there are several options but Railo is not going to be one of them.
8 comments
-
FWIW, I think the OpenBD / CFJS extension is interesting much as I think the OpenBD / GAE project is interesting. But they're both taking the project in a direction that I feel is further from core CFML. We've already said publicly we have no intention of competing with OpenBD on the GAE and for anyone interested in that platform I always direct people to OpenBD. If folks ask me about CFJS, I'd direct them to OpenBD as well. There's room for all of us with different feature sets.
p.s. Your original suggestion was for "Server-Side JavaScript implementation and tag" which is where I got SSJS from.
-
I understand your desire to close old suggestions, I just felt that this ticket has gained more votes in recent months after I told people about it. Which says to me that people who hear about are often interested in voting for it. I just don't know many people! :)
While obviously not 300 votes it is still the #9 suggestion and yet many of the ones with less votes remain. After all once the other 8 suggestions are in Railo at some point it would be the #1suggestion!!
Besides, by declining it you remove my chances of seeing it in Railo 7! ;-)
ps. Joking aside I appreciate that you added your last comment as I was stunned to be honest at the suddenness of the decline response when I had asked for your views. Thanks.
-
@Marcel, this item has been up for voting and discussion for six months and until Jamie's comment, no one has added to the discussion. It hasn't gotten that much support in terms of votes (compare with nearly 300 votes for ORM, nearly 250 for full cfscript and over 150 for event gateways). We're clearly not going to implement every suggestion and we're focusing on features with higher votes that represent compatibility with Adobe ColdFusion which is clearly what people want. We've published a roadmap for 3.2 and 4.0 and CFJS is not on that. I'm going thru and cleaning up a number of low interest features so you shouldn't take this so personally.
-
@Sean,
I would equate your response to staff at Microsoft in the 90's who suggested allowing Java syntax being told, no that wont be useful, if you want C# use Java because we are a Visual Basic engine!I was hoping to discuss the merits of CFJS NOT SSJS, if you take a moment and look at what Alan has done it is NOT just plain SSJS. It is fully integrated with the cfml context.
I still want cfml in my views and I feel you have not gotten the point of this suggestion at all in your dismissive response. I was just trying to answer your question of why people would want JavaScript and find it useful which is why I brought up the popularity of SSJS.
But it isn't true that I want simply to use SSJS and I would respectfully request that you un-decline the suggestion and allow its merits to be discussed further?
-
@Sean, the main benefits as I see it are:
1. Adopt the fastest growing language in the world.
2. Increase Railo server reach and demand.
3. Fill what I consider 'holes' in CFScript such as E4X for working with XML more efficiently and allow for increased code re-use.I would love to see Railo and OpenBlueDragon lead the way so Adobe potentially follows, but I certainly think that a very substantial amount of interest for Railo could be generated by such an effort that just, following Adobe, will. I think there is a great opportunity for marketing to a whole new demographic that no one is catering for properly yet.
Interestingly if you search for server-side Javascript there are more servers doing SSJS than any other language, it's huge, many people want it.
The main things missing in many SSJS servers now are:
1. A knowledge of or capacity to expand to an enterprise level of ability.
2. A well organised project which clearly has a long term future.
3. Developed by a respected and trusted team with more experience than most.
4. A reputation that a business would be willing to place their faith in.
5. A well thought out structure like Application.cfc/cfjs which would be much easier to manage than js alone.All things you and Railo have!
Alan Williamson has done some great work, but I was impressed talking to Mark Drew @ CF.Objective(ANZ) and now I like Railo and what you guys are doing and feel it could certainly end up the #1 CFJS/SSJS server.Anyway that's my view, I would like to understand your point of view further though Sean, does anything I have mentioned help you see why it could be useful?
-
@Jamie, the "C4X" idea won't fly. Personally I'm not sure why having server-side JavaScript in addition to cfscript would be useful and, to be honest, if Adobe don't add this, neither will Railo.
-
Jamie Krug
commented
While I do like this idea, I like this other idea even more, and would love to see this ASAP:
http://railo.uservoice.com/forums/21016-general/suggestions/797225-xml-and-cfml-tag-literals-for-cfscript-c4x- -
Already showing great promise in OpenBlueDragon being able to use jQuery:
http://alan.blog-city.com/cfml_and_jquery.htmWould be nice to work with the OBD team to make CFJS consistent for all open CFJS implementations.
