Adobe ColdFusion (2016 release) is a feature packed version of ColdFusion with benefits ranging from better security, performance, scalability, PDF improvements, language enhancements along with the all new API Manager.
This article serves as a quick introduction to what is new, enhanced and improved in ColdFusion (2016 release).
Product themes of ColdFusion (2016 release)
The entire feature set of ColdFusion (2016 release) can be categorized into three product themes. These themes are also focus areas for ColdFusion (2016 release). In this article, I will explain each theme along with its features. The three product themes of ColdFusion (2016 release) are as follows:
- Embrace Futuristic Technologies
- Deploy enterprise ready applications
- Build applications quickly
NEW in Adobe ColdFusion 2016
1. Security Code Analyzer
Use the new security code analyzer to scan existing application code to automatically detect vulnerabilities and potential security breaches. Identify the exact vulnerable code, type of vulnerability and severity level, and mitigate the vulnerability with the suggestion provided.
2. PDF Sanitization
Eliminate the unintentional release of sensitive hidden information that can be misused. Easily remove items, such as actions, JavaScript, flat form fields, alternate images, embedded page thumbnails, embedded files, document tags and metadata, from your PDF documents.
3. PDF Redaction
Ensure confidentiality of content while sharing or distributing PDF documents. Redact selected portions of visible content, including images, before sharing PDF files. Redacted areas are permanently removed and appear as blanked- or grayed-out in the PDF document.
4. Command-line Interface
Work faster by using CFML for your scripting needs. Execute CFM files via the command line to work with files, databases and email, or invoke web services. Pass named or positional parameters to the CFM files for dynamic customization.
5. Integration of ColdFusion with API Manager
Go live with minimal configuration. Readily import ColdFusion based REST services into the API management gateway by configuring the ColdFusion server within the admin portal of the API manager. Set up API Manager and ColdFusion to share the same JVM for faster access when the load is minimal.
6. API Version and Lifecycle Management
Manage APIs across their lifecycle, from draft to publish to deprecate and retire. Upgrade APIs without worrying about backward compatibility by managing multiple versions using a single platform. Tweak the API settings without affecting the production server by configuring a test server.
7. API Rate Limiting and Throttling
Restrict access to APIs beyond a specified threshold based on the number of requests per unit of time. Select from predefined SLAs or create custom SLA plans. Set soft limits in which access is allowed but the user is notified, and hard limits that deny access to additional requests
8. API Access Control
Secure your APIs by restricting access to authorized applications. Use basic authentication, API keys, OAuth or OAuth with a SAML-based authorization server to ensure that only valid applications are allowed to make an API call.
9. API Developer Portal
Leverage your APIs to the maximum by establishing a secure platform for developer onboarding, engagement and management. Allow developers to explore and try APIs, refer to documentation, view and select usage plans, sign up and track usage using the built-in developer dashboard.
10. SOAP to REST Translation
Leverage existing investments in SOAP services to engage with customers through modern apps. Use the new API Creation wizard to accomplish the long, cumbersome process of translation to REST in minutes. Simply import your SOAP services to create a REST API based on WSDL and do everything necessary to complete the translation without having to write any code.
11. SOAP Gateway
Get all the benefits of REST API management for SOAP APIs as well, including access control, rate limiting and throttling, API monitoring, caching, and version and lifecycle management. Easily configure the SOAP gateway by simply importing the Web Services Definition Language (WSDL) file corresponding to the SOAP service
Enhancements to features in Adobe ColdFusion 2016
1. PDF Digital Signatures and Archival
Make PDF files more secure with electronic signatures. Let your users sign, certify and validate PDF files to establish document authenticity and integrity. Leverage new archiving capabilities, including support for PDF/A-2b, to enable preservation of electronic files as long-term, self-contained documents of record.
2. Security Enhancements
Leverage the new NTLM authentication support on CFSHAREPOINT, CFOBJECT and CFINVOKE to provide authentication, integrity and confidentiality to users. Now easily lockdown ColdFusion Server because the scripts directory has been moved out of the CFIDE directory. Enjoy additional security with web server access to CFIDE now removed by default.
3. CFML Enhancements
Reduce multiple lines of code to just one by using the safe navigation operator to avoid multiple ISDEFINED or NULL checks. Leverage the new data structures to maintain the insertion order, and sort elements within data structures based on a predefined order. Use other language enhancements, such as additional member functions, the passarraybyreference setting and searchImplicitScopes to boost developer productivity and application performance.
Improvements to existing functionalities & Bug fixes
1. PDF Manipulation with Document Description XML (DDX)
Leverage full access to DDX to manipulate PDF documents. Perform advanced tasks, such as adding comments, bookmarks, file attachments, and headers and footers with automatic page numbers. Customize the appearance of your PDF files by setting page margins, size and rotation.
2. HTML to PDF Conversion
Use the powerful conversion engine from Adobe to generate superior quality PDF files from HTML pages. The engine parses the CSS and applies its settings to ensure that the content in the PDF file appears and functions as it does in the web browser, retaining its formatting, layout and hyperlinks.
3. Full CFSCRIPT Support
Work more productively with complete scripting support for CFSCRIPT. Develop applications faster and more easily by accessing every ColdFusion 11 functionality using CFSCRIPT.
4. Microsoft Office File Interoperability
Leverage additional functionalities, such as page break and auto filter, to manage spreadsheets better. Generate PDF files from PowerPoint and Word files. Produce HTML and SWF files from PowerPoint presentations. Take advantage of several performance enhancements to work faster with Microsoft Office 2010 files.
5. Enterprise Infrastructure
Achieve scalability by creating and managing multiple server instances in a clustered or virtualized environment. Easily deploy ColdFusion as an EAR or WAR from within your existing Java EE application servers. Send and receive unlimited emails using the built-in, highly scalable email engine.
Source : https://helpx.adobe.com/pdf/Cf2016-enterprise-datasheet.pdf
Additional Reads:
https://helpx.adobe.com/pdf/Cf2016-enterprise-comparison.pdf
https://helpx.adobe.com/pdf/Cfbuilder2016-datasheet.pdf
http://wwwimages.adobe.com/content/dam/acom/en/products/coldfusion/pdfs/cf2016/CF2016_Performance.pdf
