Cf8-cf9 and server upgrade problems

Question

I took over a system developed in coldfusion 8 and sql server
2005 on a windows server 2003. I was new to all of this. I now need to upgrade to cf9 and sqlserver 2005 on a windows server 2008. someone has done the initial install of sql server cf and dreamweaver. I added java. All seems ok except I can't make the datechooser work. I activated the rds in but I still could not get to datechooser.png. I copied the directory from c.... to the same directory as my application and it showed the icon but did not do anything. I think I have 2 problems here
1. how to I correctly map to the default CFIDE path
2. is there something else I need to install to get the datechooser implemyed via cfinput datefield to produce a calender when I click on the icon
Obviously I am a complete novice at this....
Thanks in advance for any assistance

Answer 1

@elizinn, someone may offer a single sentence proposal of how to fix things, but in my experience (helping solve such problems), this could be far more challenging problem to resolve than meets the eye, and all the more so if you're new to all this.
I'll share my observations, for what they're worth. Sorry if ultimately your problem is totally unrelated, but perhaps then it will help someone else reading this later. Also, it's not clear, but I'm assuming that you DID proceed with the CF9 update. Even if you didn't, some of what I offer could still help you, if you can stick with me.
First, you refer to not finding the DateChooser.png. Are you saying that it's somehow appearing as a broken link? Or are you getting a 404?
As a test, it should be found at:
http://[server]/CFIDE/scripts/ajax/resources/cf/images/DateChooser.png
What happens when you do that? That could be useful, diagnostically.
As for the question of mappings, and CF updates, that actually could be a real mess, from my experience, if people aren't careful about what they're doing. Things get all the more complicated when people support multiple web sites and start doing manual configurations. Let me explain.
The problem could have to do with where the first install of CF8 put the CFIDE, and then where the update to CF9 expected to update those files. It wouldn't be hard for someone not understanding things to have told the update to put its files in a different place than the original install, which could cause IIS (and your sites and requests) to be finding the wrong files (even if not a 404, they may not be the updated version for CF9).
At root, the problem is that during the install, one is asked whether they want to have CF use its built-in web server or an external one. If they choose the former, then the CFIDE (and related files) are put it in that web server's webroot (which is \wwwroot). If they choose the latter, then the files are put in a docroot defined for IIS. (Even there, someone may later configure things with the web server configuration tool to support several web sites, each of which could have its own web site. And for that, some will manually setup a an IIS "virtual directory" for the CFIDE, which points to whatever single one they think is the one that should be used.
I appreciate that it may sound confusing. This is one of those things where it may be faster for you to have someone with experience look over your shoulder and help correct things. There are some of us who do that, if you're interested. I list myself and others at cf411.com/#cfassist.
And things can get hairier still when someone then runs the CF update, where it again asks where to put the CFIDE files. They may not pay close attention to all this above (if they even understand it), and they may let the updater put the files in a different location than the IIS sites are currently configured to look at. That could then leave things not working, or not working well.
If you want to try to sort this out yourself, look in IIS, view whatever site you're working with, and look for any reference to a CFIDE directory. If it's not there, that's a problem from the start. You will want to add a virtual directory that points to wherever it really exists (and again, you want to be careful that there may be two different ones, as only will likely have been updated by the installer.)
If it is there, then if it's a "real" directory (within that site's docroot), then again you want to make sure it's the one that was updated in the upgrade to CF9. If not, then you may need to copy whatever files "were" updated into that directory (or delete that directory and create a virtual one to point to the right place).
And if it's there and it's a virtual mapping, again, make sure it's whatever is the latest CFIDE (if you have multiples).
I'll note as well that there is also a mapping in the CF Admin (on the mappings page) for CFIDE, and that's put there by the installer (and is not editable in the interface). That could help clarify where the installer put the latest files.
Hope that's helpful.
/charlie arehart
[email protected]
Providing CF and CFBuilder troubleshooting services
at http://www.carehart.org/consulting