Everything You Must Know About ColdFusion Variables (Page 1 of 7 )
Understanding ColdFusion variables and logic is vital to being able to program in the language. In this tutorial, Jay's second covering ColdFusion, you will learn about the types of ColdFusion variables and how to use them.
The basis for the functionality and dynamic interaction in ColdFusion is due to the ColdFusion Markup Language tags and functions. However, it is the variables and the logic, combined with flow control that gives the programmability. ColdFusion tags together with the functions account for most of the content generation.
In an earlier tutorial we have seen that HTML and CFML tags can coexist. However, when the page is parsed by the server, what is returned to the user is pure HTML. This is characteristic of not only CFML, but also ASP, PHP, and so on. It was also seen that the CFML tags characteristically start with <CF..> and end with </CF..>. This is the cue to the ColdFusion interpreter that the content needs to be interpreted, and the result given out in HTML. Some of the facts to note, and remember are:
- It is an interpreted language, like JavaScript.
- All ColdFusion files are saved with the extension CFM, even if they contain HTML. Otherwise they will not be properly interpreted.
- ColdFusion elements, called blocks, consist of the markup part and its content.
- ColdFusion comments are not the same as HTML Comments.
- ColdFusion elements are not case sensitive. However, for cross-platform usage, and assuming a possible migration to a non-Microsoft platform at a future date, it is better to be consistent.
- CFML consists of approximately 100 tags.
- CFML tags provide, flow control, conditional processing, charting and graphing services, and a host of others.
Next: Developing ColdFusion Content >>
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