To write and test ColdFusion application pages, all you need is a supported Web server and the ColdFusion Application Server. If you want to try ColdFusion locally, you can run it with Microsoft Personal Web Server on a Win32 machine.
To make it easy for HomeSite users to evaluate ColdFusion, Allaire developed ColdFusion Express, a special version of the server software that runs ColdFusion applications developed in HomeSite. The CF Express setup detects HomeSite 4.0 or higher on your system and configures itself to run with the installed Web server software.
The ColdFusion Express documentation and sample Web site will help you to quickly understand the development process. The Developing Web Applications with ColdFusion Express book guides you through all the basics, including Web server interactions and the Structured Query Language (SQL). You can work with the installed sample database to build data queries or link to your own ODBC database.
The CFML Language Reference for ColdFusion Express presents complete syntax and usage information with sample code.
The CF Express online documentation is automatically installed in the HomeSite Help References.
In addition to the CFML tag set, CF Express supports these features:
For more information, and to download ColdFusion Express, visit the Allaire Web site at http://www.allaire.com. In no time at all, your Web site will be powered by ColdFusion.