In this episode, your hosts Ben Nadel and Ryan Brown are joined by guests Ray Camden and Wade Bachelder to break down their experiences at the recent Adobe ColdFusion 2025 Hackathon. Together, they dive into the projects, challenges, bugs, and lessons learned while exploring new CFML features like CSV handling, charting, and Java integration.

Key Points

• Wade, Ray, and Ben each created unique apps that showcased new CF2025 features like CSV processing, charts, and cfCatch improvements

• Participants found critical bugs in the charting and CSV implementations, sparking valuable discussion

• They explored integration possibilities with Java, BoxLang, and Maven, discussing tradeoffs and developer ergonomics

• The hosts offered thoughtful feedback to Adobe on how to improve future hackathons, including ideas for in-person events and broader outreach

Wade describes his security-focused project that visualized CVEs using ColdFusion's updated charting and CSV features

• He used CVE data to build pie and line charts comparing vulnerabilities across ColdFusion and Adobe

• Found that new charting features were brittle and theming often broke rendering

• Deployed "classic" CFML mixing old tag-based code with modern features

Ray walks through his one-file bug tracker project designed for quick logging without a database

• Wrote bug data to a CSV file for Excel or Jira import

• Used minimal dependencies, all loaded via CDN

• Added simple HTML charts despite his long-standing dislike for CF's client-side tools

Ben explains his Sitter Snacks app, a lighthearted tool for logging snack preferences using CF's CSV features

• Highlighted issues with chart set and general fragility in newly released features

• Also used ColdFusion's new property file support for config handling

• Touched on differences between CF and Lucee, especially around Java integration

The hosts and guests debate how ColdFusion stacks up to other languages for rapid development

• Wade emphasizes CF's productivity for solo projects and fast MVPs

• Ray argues CF's accessibility has competition now from Python and modern JS stacks

• Ben adds that developer ergonomics—like seamless HTML rendering—still set CF apart

• Discussion dives into nuance around familiarity bias vs actual productivity gains

They discuss AI's role (or lack thereof) in their projects and explore future hackathon improvements

• Most participants didn't rely on AI but acknowledged its brainstorming value

• Ben and Wade tested APIs and used AI sparingly for code snippets

• Suggestions included more flexible timelines, better marketing, and possibly in-person events

• The group emphasized the importance of community and showcasing CF's real-world power

• Ray proposed frequent “Friday Challenges” to boost engagement with bite-sized coding tasks

The episode wraps with closing thoughts and advice for Adobe to better reach and engage the next generation of developers

• Wade calls for better social media presence and outreach to younger devs

• Ray underscores the need for clearer timelines and inclusive event formats

• Ben reflects on ColdFusion's enduring strengths and its alignment with his mental models

• The team encourages more devs to join next year and grow the CFML ecosystem together

Ray's Blog: https://www.raymondcamden.com

Wade's Blog: http://wadebach.com

Ben's Blog: https://www.bennadel.com

ColdFusion Hosting: https://www.xbytecloud.com/hosting/coldfusion-cloud-hosting