Programming ColdFusion MX, 2nd Edition

Chapter 6. Complex Datatypes

Besides the simple datatypes covered in Chapter 2, ColdFusion supports several complex datatypes you can use to increase the complexity and functionality of your applications. These datatypes include lists, arrays, structures, query objects, and XML document objects. With the exception of XML document objects (these are covered later in Chapter 23), this chapter discusses each of these complex datatypes and provides numerous examples illustrating how they can further enhance your applications. One tool you may find especially helpful in dealing with complex datatypes is the cfdump tag. cfdump was added in ColdFusion 5.0 and enhanced in ColdFusion MX. The tag allows you to “dump” the contents of virtually any ColdFusion variable or function to the browser in a nicely formatted table. For more information on cfdump, see Appendix A.