CFML Basics

What is CFML?

CFML (ColdFusion Markup Language) is a Web page markup language that allows a Web site developer to create pages with variable information (text or graphics) that is filled in dynamically in response to variables such as user input. This scripting language for web development runs on the JVM, the .NET framework, and Google App Engine. Along with the usual HTML tags that determine page layout and appearance, the page creator uses CFML tags to bring in content based on the results of a database query or user input. CMFL is a proprietary language developed for use with ColdFusion, a product oruginally from Allaire but now owned by Adobe.  Multiple commercial and open source implementations of CFML engines are available, including Adobe ColdFusion, New Atlanta BlueDragon (who makes both a Java-based and a .NET-based version), Railo, and Open BlueDragon as well as other CFML server engines.

CFML tags perform your server-side tasks (like database queries) by simplifying complex processes, that usually require knowledge of a programming languages like Java, into four basic tags: CFQUERY, which is used to submit a structured query language (SQL) request to the database; CFOUTPUT, which is used to display the result of a query; and CFTABLE or CFCOL, which are used to display a preformatted table containing the results of a set of queries. Files created with CFML are saved as ColdFusion templates and use a ".cfm" extension. Now there are many more than just those four tags. CFML is very robust. We will see many of the other tags as we go through the language.

Topics Covered:

Basic Variables