MACROMEDIA COLFUSION MX 7-CFML Service manual

COLDFUSION®MX 7
CFML Reference

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Part Number ZCF70M600
Acknowledgments
Project Management: Randy Nielsen
Writing: Hal Lichtin, Randy Nielsen
Editing: Linda Adler, Noreen Maher
Production Management: Patrice O’Neill,
Media Design and Production: John Francis, Adam Barnett
First Edition: January 2005
Macromedia, Inc.
600 Townsend St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

3
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
CHAPTER 1: Reserved Words and Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Reserved words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scope-specific built-in variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Custom tag variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
ColdFusion tag-specific variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Standard CGI variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
CGI environment variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
CHAPTER 2: ColdFusion Tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Tags by function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tag changes since ColdFusion 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
CHAPTER 3: ColdFusion Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Functions by category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Function changes since ColdFusion 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
CHAPTER 4: ColdFusion MX Flash Form Style Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 933
Styles valid for all controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 934
Styles for cfform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 936
Styles for cfformgroup with horizontal or vertical type atributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 936
Styles for box-style cfformgroup elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 937
Styles for cfformgroup with accordion type attribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938
Styles for cfformgroup with tabnavigator type attribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 939
Styles for cfformitem with hrule or vrule type attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 939
Styles for cfinput with radioButton, checkbox, button, image,
or submit type attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 940
Styles for cftextarea tag and cfinput with text, password,
or hidden type attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
Styles for cfselect with size attribute value of 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
Styles for cfselect with size attribute value greater than 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 942
Styles for cfcalendar tag and cfinput with dateField type attribute . . . . . . . . . . . . 942
Styles for the cfgrid tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943
Styles for the cftree tag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 943

4 Contents
CHAPTER 5: Application.CFC Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945
Application variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945
Method summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 946
CHAPTER 6: ColdFusion MX Event Gateway Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963
Gateway development interfaces and classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963
CFML CFEvent structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004
IM gateway methods and commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004
SMS Gateway CFEvent structure and commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1042
CHAPTER 7: ColdFusion C++ CFX Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1055
C++ class overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1055
Deprecated class methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1056
CCFXException class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1056
CCFXQuery class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1058
CCFXRequest class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1062
CCFXStringSet class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1072
CHAPTER 8: ColdFusion Java CFX Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1075
Class libraries overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1075
Custom tag interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1076
Query interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1077
Request interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1082
Response interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1087
Debugging classes reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1090
CHAPTER 9: WDDX JavaScript Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091
JavaScript object overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1091
WddxSerializer object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1092
WddxRecordset object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1095
CHAPTER 10: ColdFusion ActionScript Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1101

5
INTRODUCTION
CFML Reference is your primary ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML) reference. Use this
manual to learn about CFML tags and functions, ColdFusion expressions, and using JavaScript
objects for WDDX in Macromedia ColdFusion MX 7. It also provides detailed references for Java
and C++ CFX interfaces.
About Macromedia ColdFusion MX documentation
The ColdFusion MX documentation is designed to provide support for the complete spectrum of
participants.
Documentation set
The ColdFusion documentation set includes the following titles:
Manual Description
Installing and Using
ColdFusion MX
Describes system installation and basic configuration for Windows, Solaris,
Linux, and HP-UX.
Configuring and
Administering
ColdFusion MX
Part I describes how to manage the ColdFusion environment, including
connecting to your data sources and configuring security for your
applications. Part II describes Verity search tools and utilities that you can
use for configuring the Verity K2 Server search engine, as well as creating,
managing, and troubleshooting Verity collections.
ColdFusion MX
Developer’s Guide
Describes how to develop your dynamic web applications, including
retrieving and updating your data, and using structures and forms.
Getting Started
Building
ColdFusion MX
Applications
Contains an overview of ColdFusion features and application development
procedures. Includes a tutorial that guides you through the process of
developing an example ColdFusion application.
CFML Reference Provides descriptions, syntax, usage, and code examples for all ColdFusion
tags, functions, and variables.
CFML Quick Reference A brief guide that shows the syntax of ColdFusion tags, functions, and
variables.

6 Introduction:
Viewing online documentation
All ColdFusion MX documentation is available online in HTML and Adobe Acrobat Portable
Document Format (PDF) files. Go to the documentation home page for ColdFusion MX on the
Macromedia website: www.macromedia.com.

7
CHAPTER 1
Reserved Words and Variables
This chapter provides information on Macromedia ColdFusion reserved words, and lists scope
variables.
Contents
Reserved words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scope-specific built-in variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
ColdFusion tag-specific variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
CGI environment variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Reserved words
The following list indicates words you must not use for ColdFusion variables, user-defined
function names, or custom tag names. While some of these words can be used safely in some
situations, you can prevent errors by avoiding them entirely.
•Any name starting with cf. However, when you call a CFML custom tag directly, you prefix the
custom tag page name with cf_.
•Built-in function names, such as Now or Hash
•Scope names, such as Form or Session
•Operators, such as NE or IS
•The names of any built-in data structures, such as Error or File
•The names of any built-in variables, such as RecordCount or CGI variable names
•CFScript language element names such as for, default, or continue
Remember that ColdFusion is not case-sensitive. For example, all of the following are reserved
words: IS, Is, iS, and is.

8 Chapter 1: Reserved Words and Variables
Reserved words in forms
You must also not create form field names ending in any of the following, except to specify a form
field validation rule using a hidden form field name.
•_integer
•_float
•_range
•_date
•_time
•_eurodate
Reserved words in queries
The following table lists SQL keywords that are reserved in ColdFusion queries of queries. This
list includes all reserved words in the SQL standard, and should be avoided in variables used in all
queries. Do not use these keywords as variable names in any queries.
Note: Many database management systems have additional reserved words that you cannot use as
variable names in queries to their databases. For a detailed list, see your DBMS documentation.
ABSOLUTE ACTION ADD ALL ALLOCATE
ALTER AND ANY ARE AS
ASC ASSERTION AT AUTHORIZATION AVG
BEGIN BETWEEN BIT BIT_LENGTH BOTH
BY CASCADE CASCADED CASE CAST
CATALOG CHAR CHARACTER CHARACTER_
LENGTH
CHAR_LENGTH
CHECK CLOSE COALESCE COLLATE COLLATION
COLUMN COMMIT CONNECT CONNECTION CONSTRAINT
CONSTRAINTS CONTINUE CONVERT CORRESPONDING COUNT
CREATE CROSS CURRENT CURRENT_DATE CURRENT_TIME
CURRENT_
TIMESTAMP
CURRENT_
USER
CURSOR DATE DAY
DEALLOCATE DEC DECIMAL DECLARE DEFAULT
DEFERRABLE DEFERRED DELETE DESC DESCRIBE
DESCRIPTOR DIAGNOSTICS DISCONNECT DISTINCT DOMAIN
DOUBLE DROP ELSE END END-EXEC
ESCAPE EXCEPT EXCEPTION EXEC EXECUTE
EXISTS EXTERNAL EXTRACT FALSE FETCH
FIRST FLOAT FOR FOREIGN FOUND

Scope-specific built-in variables 9
Scope-specific built-in variables
ColdFusion returns variables, such as those returned in a cfdirectory or cfftp operation. A
variable is usually referenced by scoping it according to its type: naming it according to the code
context in which it is available; for example, Session.varname, or Application.varname. For more
information on ColdFusion scopes, see Chapter 3, “Using ColdFusion Variables” in ColdFusion
MX Developer’s Guide
FROM FULL GET GLOBAL GO
GOTO GRANT GROUP HAVING HOUR
IDENTITY IMMEDIATE IN INDICATOR INITIALLY
INNER INPUT INSENSITIVE INSERT INT
INTEGER INTERSECT INTERVAL INTO IS
ISOLATION JOIN KEY LANGUAGE LAST
LEADING LEFT LEVEL LIKE LOCAL
LOWER MATCH MAX MIN MINUTE
MODULE MONTH NAMES NATIONAL NATURAL
NCHAR NEXT NO NOT NULL
NULLIF NUMERIC OCTET_LENGTH OF ON
ONLY OPEN OPTION OR ORDER
OUTER OUTPUT OVERLAPS PAD PARTIAL
POSITION PRECISION PREPARE PRESERVE PRIMARY
PRIOR PRIVILEGES PROCEDURE PUBLIC READ
REAL REFERENCES RELATIVE RESTRICT REVOKE
RIGHT ROLLBACK ROWS SCHEMA SCROLL
SECOND SECTION SELECT SESSION SESSION_USER
SET SIZE SMALLINT SOME SPACE
SQL SQLCODE SQLERROR SQLSTATE SUBSTRING
SUM SYSTEM_USER TABLE TEMPORARY THEN
TIME TIMESTAMP TIMEZONE_
HOUR
TIMEZONE_
MINUTE
TO
TRAILING TRANSACTION TRANSLATE TRANSLATION TRIM
TRUE UNION UNIQUE UNKNOWN UPDATE
UPPER USAGE USER USING VALUE
VALUES VARCHAR VARYING VIEW WHEN
WHENEVER WHERE WITH WORK WRITE
YEAR ZONE

10 Chapter 1: Reserved Words and Variables
You use the cflock tag to limit the scope of CFML constructs that modify shared data structures,
files, and CFXs, to ensure that modifications occur sequentially. For more information, see
cflock on page 270, and Chapter 15, “Using Persistent Data and Locking” in ColdFusion MX
Developer’s Guide.
Variable scope
ColdFusion supports the Variables scope. Unscoped variables created with the cfset tag acquire
the Variables scope by default. For example, the variable created by the statement <CFSET
linguist = Chomsky> can be referenced as #Variables.linguist#
Caller scope
History
ColdFusion MX: The Caller scope is accessible as a structure. (In earlier releases, it was not.)
Client variables
The following client variables are reserved:
Client.CFID
Client.CFToken
Client.HitCount
Client.LastVisit
Client.TimeCreated
Client.URLToken
Server variables
Use the Server prefix to reference server variables, as follows:
Server.ColdFusion.ProductName
Server.ColdFusion.ProductVersion
Server.ColdFusion.ProductLevel
Server.ColdFusion.SerialNumber
Server.ColdFusion.SupportedLocales
Server.ColdFusion.AppServer
Server.ColdFusion.Expiration
Server.ColdFusion.RootDir
Server.OS.Name
Server.OS.AdditionalInformation
Server.OS.Version
Server.OS.BuildNumber
Application and session variables
To enable application and session variables, use the cfapplication tag or Application.cfc.
Reference them as follows:
Application.myvariable
Session.myvariable
To ensure that modifications to shared data occur in the intended sequence, use the cflock tag.
For more information, see cflock on page 270.