About event gateways

ColdFusion event gateways are ColdFusion MX elements that let ColdFusion MX react to or generate external events or messages in an asynchronous manner. Event gateways let a ColdFusion application handle information that does not come through an HTTP request. For example, you can use event gateways to handle instant messages, short messages from mobile devices, or messages sent to a TCP/IP port.

The event gateway mechanism has the following major features:

• ColdFusion MX event gateways do not require HTTP requests. ColdFusion developers can write ColdFusion MX gateway applications without using any CFM pages (just CFCs).
• ColdFusion CFCs can use event gateways to listen for and respond directly to external events.
• Event gateways operate asynchronously. A gateway typically gets a message and dispatches it for processing, without requiring or waiting for a response.
• ColdFusion developers can create event gateways to handle any kind of event that a Java application can receive.

ColdFusion MX includes several product-level event gateways, such as a gateway for the XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) instant messaging protocol. Macromedia also provides the source for several example gateways, such as a generalized socket gateway, that you can extend to handle your specific needs. You can also write your own gateways in Java to handle other event or messaging technologies supported by the Java runtime or by third-party providers, such as gateways for additional instant messaging protocols, gateways for specific ERP systems, or other protocols, such as NNTP.

This section describes the following topics:

• Using event gateways
• Event gateway terms and concepts
• How event gateway applications work
• About developing event gateway applications

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