Help: Reading *.cfm files

Subject: Reading *.cfm files
From: Snobby
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 05:17 AM

I have problems reading the Mudcat *.cfm files after saving them with my browser Netscape 4.5x. By opening the file Netscape tries to open a lot of secondary files.

Can anybody help?

Thank you in advance, Snobby

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: j0_77
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 05:41 AM

There already was a post on this - simply save as either a

html

or a txt file. Select save as and where it says 'tread,cfm' change that to 'thread.html' or 'thread.txt'.

If you choose to save as TXT then when you reopen them all the links are gone, I prefer to save as HTML since I may sometimes go back on line with that page opened or even click on a link while off line thus starting the DUN driver and logging on.

Hope that helps

:)

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: Snobby
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 07:02 AM

Thank you :) for your kind and quick help. I´ll try as soon as possible! Snobby

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 01:15 PM

j077, what exactly is a *.cfm file? Is there a difference from *.htm files, or are they just different names for the same thing?

Snobby, note that one advantage of saving the file as *.txt is that the file size is MUCH smaller than it would be as an *.htm file.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: j0_77
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 02:21 PM

I used be well informed when working for tech support but alas no longer - sooo all I know about them is they are probably MicroSoft file protocol - since Max's server error messages refer to MT - and I have had a couple. That said if somebody would report the problem to Nestscape they would make a patch, BTW Netscape is "open" code so we could do this ourselves, perhaps Jon Freeman here may ahve some suggestions.

I suspect we would need a compiler since any good editor would be OK - say Vedit :)

You could also try elcting a new 'handler' for the files Windoze File Properties Box. I do not want a headache but you could write a batch file to rename and save these files. I believe I will contact Netscape on this one

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: Max
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 02:44 PM

.cfm files are something called Cold Fusion, an application server made by Allaire Corp. http://www.allaire.com. It's how the mudcat works now. Anything that is a .cfm file (everything on the mudcat) is dynamic and active, which means essentially that its content comes out of a database or from a cookie or some other source. This is handy for a lot of reasons. Its like any programming language really. Its also very much like html but you can do ifs and elses, loops, queries, set variables, just about anything any language can do. For instance, backround colors, banners, anything used throughout the site can be set as a variable. So if I wanted to change the color scheme of the whole site, all I would have to do is change the value of a parameter rather than edit each page (207 on the mudcat). Most content is stored in a database (all of the forum). You can clearly see this by going into any thread (12881 threads as of now) and its always thread.cfm that you are looking at.

We have some long term plans to phase out Cold Fusion and make everything work with Perl, but that could take some serious time. The best thing about Cold Fusion as far as I am concerned is that its the fastest way to code available on the market today (Its Easy). That is, I can take an idea and make it reality faster with Cold Fusion than anything. It also happens to be the only language that I know.

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: j0_77
Date: 06 Oct 99 - 05:49 PM

ooopz Max's I suppose I ought to explain the error messages, a couple of times I could not load MudCat pages and got the error Windows NT Internal Error bla bla bla I do not have NT so it has to be either my local or a remote.

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: Snobby
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 07:19 AM

Thanks for all your help! I understand that I didn´t a silly question.

Till before yesterday I thought I was something like an IT specialist...

I only got the "save file as *.* " and the result was the *.cfm file. Yesterday I tested saving as *.txt and *.html and both worked!

I am happy!

Snobby

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: Max
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 01:46 PM

The NT error would be mine. The major shortfall of NT is its thread limitations. Not threads like in this forum, but threads as in processes. Good computers (like with linux) handle multiple threads very well, NT is famously bad at it. A lot of threads are generated every time the forum is loaded or posted to or searched or whatever, as well as when the digitrad is searched. Just because of what the mudcat is and how it all works, it is demanding because it generates a lot of threads. This coupled with the fact that Cold Fusion and SQL Server leak memory (everything does) sometimes freaks out our server. I just need to reboot some of the services or the whole machine to fix it. Whew, I'm a nerd.

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: paddymac
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 10:55 PM

Max - a nerd? no way! You're a techie whom we all love and need. And, BTW, thanks for enabling this wonderful community od Mudcatters.

Subject: RE: Help: Reading *.cfm files
From: j0_77
Date: 07 Oct 99 - 11:04 PM

Thanx Max :0) You are a wizard as well - now I know why "I" lock up sometimes for no reason at all. Leaky memory - Where are mai glasses gone darn ..... ohhh on my ears hehehehe

I stopped following the techie press just as multithreading came along - so I am at sea on that one.