TT380 - A bluffer's guide

Step 1: Download the required installation files
Step 2: Prepare system for installation
Step 3: Install ColdFusion MX7 Developer Edition
Step 4: Install and Configure MySQL ODBC data source
Step 5: Test your installation and configuration
Step 6: Congratulations!

STEP 1: OBTAIN THE REQUIRED INSTALL FILES

The ColdFusion Express version 4.0 that is on the Cert in Web Apps Development CD-ROM has caused me numerous nightmares when it came to configuring my MySQL ODBC data source. My answer was to install a copy of the latest release ColdFusion MX 7 Developer Edition. This version is as far as I am currently aware free for development use so there is no time limit on its usage.

Okay let’s get the download! Using you web-browser, enter the following URL:

http://www.macromedia.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=coldfusion

If you are not already registered with Macromedia, you will need to do this and then revisit the above URL. Registration is FREE, simple and rather painless.

When you return to the download page select the option to download ColdFusion MX 7 Developer Edition, which should be at the top of the page, then select the English Windows 275.79 MB option using the select button, then click on download. Save the file a suitable location on your system, so that you can easier retrieve it later.

BE WARNED that this download can take some time depending on you particular internet connection.


STEP 2: PREPARE SYSTEM FOR INSTALLATION

Whilst the installation file is downloading, it’s a good idea to gather the necessary information ready for your installation. Please remember that this installation brief is for use with an OpenSA web-server (Apache), which is distributed on the Cert in Web Apps Development CD-ROM. Note of the following information which is what I personally used for my installation, I also used the default installation for OpenSA, so if you decided to install in any other manner you will need to alter the information below to mirror your own installations:

What is the serial number for ColdFusion MX 7? USE DEVELOPER EDITION

What is the type of installation? SERVER CONFIGURATION

ColdFusion MX 7 installation directory? C:\CFusionMX7

Configure web server or use built-in web server? CONFIGURE

Choose web server to configure? APACHE

Apache configuration directory? C:\OpenSA\Apache\Conf

Apache path to server binary? C:\OpenSA\Apache

ColdFusion MX Administrator password? YOU CHOOSE THIS AND KEEP IT A SECRET

Do you want to enable RDS? NO


STEP 3: INSTALL COLDFUSION MX7 DEVELOPER EDITION

Okay you have the downloaded installation file and the required installation notes. Let’s get on with the main installation then. Ensure that the Apache web server is running you can do this by checking the service via the Windows XP Administrators control panel. Shut down all previous ColdFusion services if you have previously installed them – again this can be performed via the Windows XP Administrators control panel.

Now double click on your downloaded installation file and follow the on screen instructions. Be sure to use the information that we gathered in Step 2, to ensure that the correct information is given to the installation routine.

Hopefully all went well for you and you now have an installed ColdFusion MX 7 server.


STEP 4: INSTALL AND CONFIGURE MYSQL ODBC DATA SOURCE

Using the ColdFusion Administrator which is accessed via your web-browser and is delivered to you via your local web-server we are now going to configure your MySQL data source.

Open your web-browser and enter the following address:

http://localhost/cfide/administrator/index.cfm

Enter the password that you set during the setup routine then click on the login button. You will then be in the ColdFusion Administrator, so now on the left you will see a link to Data & Services, click on this and then click on the Data Source link.

We are now going to add a new data source, so enter the name of the data source, for the purposes of this installation guide enter the following: chelsea then using the selection button below select MySQL (3.x) as the driver. Then click the add button.

The next page is where we are going to configure this new data source. Enter the following information into their respective boxes:

Database contactDB
Server localhost
Username root
Password your MySQL root password

Then click the submit button, if all was ok with the data that you have just entered, the screen will change back to the original Data Source screen, BUT the newly created data source named chelsea will be verified as OK.


STEP 5: TEST YOUR INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

Using your HTML editor or Notepad, enter the following test code and then save then save it as odbctest.cfm


<html>
<head>
<title>ColdFusion ODBC Test</title>
</head>
<body>
<cfquery name="databases" datasource="chelsea" debug="yes">
show databases;
</cfquery>
<cfoutput>
<p>Today is #DateFormat(now())#</p>
</cfoutput>
</body>

Once the above has been created and saved it to your root web directory, open up your web-browser and request the page via you local web-server (setting this up has been discussed and documented in a previous BLOG)

Calling the file is simple – enter the following into your web-browser address bar:

http://localhost/odbctest.cfm

If all is working correctly then the page will display the current date in your browser. Please note that the script only attempts to make a connection to your data source, and that no database data will be displayed. If the current date is not displayed then unfortunately, something is a miss. But if all goes well this will not be the case.


STEP 6: CONGRATULATIONS!

If you managed to get the current date displayed in your web-browser, then it looks like you have successfully installed and configured ColdFusion MX 7 Developer Edition to connect and access your MySQL data source.

WELL DONE!

So what next I hear you say – well the world is your oyster as they say. Now that this has been configured and tested, you can start to develop your own ColdFusion pages.

I hope that this BLOG helps some of you with you local installation of ColdFusion MX 7, if you have any comments feel free to post them.

BTW - this was written from memory so I have my fingers crossed and hope that there are no errors, but I am certain that you will be the first to tell me if there is - any errors will be investigated and subsequent ammendments will be made.

All the best Jayson

# posted by Jayson @ SOHO IT Solution : 2:23 pm