Is ColdFusion a language?
Tags: Coldfusion
Well the answer is what you define as a language and what your definition is when it comes to ColdFusion, and I guarantee that a vast majority will be in the same category as Raymond Camden.
Why did I drop his name in particular?
Easy, he tweeted that after the new Tiobe index that he doesn't program he frameworks. So what did he mean and how does that relate to ColdFusion being a programming language?
First one needs to understand what the Tiobe index is about, it bases its information on what is Turing complete. ColdFusion is as Tiobe says is not Turing Complete, but I program with it!
Technically you do not program with ColdFusion. ColdFusion is suite of things, such as an Application server and other 3rd party products to deliver what it needs. CFML or ColdFusion Markup Language can be considered a language, because that is what you program and not ColdFusion.
You technically use ColdFusion to deliver an Application that you right with CFML.
So technically you can sit back and argue this as much as you like, the same as you could argue that ColdFusion is OOP when it is not.
But at the end of the day could you call ColdFusion a framework?
The answer is yes, it actually is.
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ColdFusion is often used synonymously with CFML so unless can make everyone very careful about the usage of each term, your logic kinda fails. Kinda like convincing people they "right CFML" instead of people writing ColdFusion :-)
# Posted By Mike Henke | 4/7/10 8:29 AM -
At the end of the day, I think you can get anal about stuff or be practical. I know almost no one who says that they code in CFML. They say they code in ColdFusion. TIOBE is an unofficial, not scientific survey. Therefore, to get anal on the definitions seems contradictory, don't you agree?
# Posted By Raymond Camden | 4/7/10 8:30 AM -
So what do you call Model Glue then? A framework atop a framework?
The TIOBE guy is just another CF hater, ignore him as he lacks any and all credibility.# Posted By Rick Mason | 4/7/10 8:34 AM -
meh, and C is the top programming language...
# Posted By zac spitzer | 4/7/10 8:36 AM -
I think everyone needs to look at what ColdFusion actually is, Adobe have clearly stated that ColdFusion is not an OOP language as it is an Application that delivers based on other technolgies to deliver a final product.
I wont go into the debate of OOP again, but ColdFusion writes CFML as does Railor, opendBD and the Smith project. ColdFusion is bindled with a search engine, whether it be Solr or Verity, it uses another framework to deliver reports.
It also uses another language to deliver graphs, and it also uses another framework that is written in another language to deliver Ajax UI components.
As of ColdFusion 9 it now uses another framework to deliver ORM technology.
I could go on and on, but ColdFusion is an Application that uses a suite of other technolgies to deliver an ultimate final product.# Posted By Andrew Scott | 4/7/10 8:51 AM -
Well, we all know Tiobe are wrong, I thought we got over this a couple of years back :P The distinction between ColdFusion and CFML is pretty much irrelevant - what we code in is a programming language, it doesn't matter which word you refer to it by. Of course it's a framework as well, but so is every other language that offers any level of productivity above assembly or machine code.
# Posted By Justin Carter | 4/7/10 9:36 AM
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