Code-named Blackstone, Macromedia's 7.0 release of ColdFusion is said to contain a host of new features. Due in early 2005, Macromedia's latest ColdFusion is designed with ease of use in mind for both developers and servers.
One feature that Macromedia hopes will make ColdFusion easier to work with is the use of ColdFusion tags, which are relatively syntax-free, to enable multistep form creation. Users will also be able to use XForms to the same end.
New reporting features are also included to appeal to businesses. ColdFusion 7.0 will come with dynamic report-generation capability and a set of design tools. A document generation tool will use doc tags, wrapped around content, to translate content into a format that is print friendly.
In a move to further appeal to businesses, EAR and WAR deployment options and sourceless deployment will make it easy for ISVs to protect their development investment. ColdFusion will be able to run on multiple J2EE virtual machines using the resources of one machine. Development is currently in its second alpha stage. In early fall, development of a beta stage is scheduled to begin. Organizations currently using Blackstone include, Amkor Technology, InvestEdge, Optimal Payments, and UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television.