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DEVELOPING COLDFUSION 9 APPLICATIONS
The CFML Programming Language
• Processing ColdFusion pages
• Managing the CFML application framework
• Manipulating files and directories
• Using external tools and objects, including Verity collections, COM, Java, and CORBA objects, and executable
programs
• Using protocols, such as mail, http, ftp, and pop
The CFML Reference documents each tag in detail.
Custom tags
ColdFusion lets you create custom tags. You can create two types of custom tags:
• CFML custom tags that are ColdFusion pages
• CFX tags that you write in a programing language such as Java or C++
Custom tags can encapsulate frequently used business logic or display code. These tags enable you to place frequently
used code in one place and call it from many places. Custom tags also let you abstract complex logic into a single,
simple interface. They provide an easy way to distribute your code to others. You can even distribute encrypted
versions of the tags to prevent access to the tag logic.
You can access a variety of free and commercial custom tags on the Adobe ColdFusion Exchange
(www.adobe.com/go/learn_cfu_cfdevcenter_en). They perform tasks ranging from checking if Cookies and JavaScript
are enabled on the client browser to moving items from one list box to another. Many of these tags are free and include
source code.
CFML custom tags
When you write a custom tag in CFML, you can take advantage of all the features of the ColdFusion language,
including all built-in tags and even other custom tags. CFML custom tags can include body sections and end tags.
Because they are written in CFML, you do not need to know a programming language such as Java. CFML custom tags
provide more capabilities than user-defined functions, but are less efficient.
For more information on CFML custom tags, see
information about, and comparisons among, ways to reuse ColdFusion code, including CFML custom tags, user-
defined functions, and CFX tags, see
CFX Tags
CFX tags are ColdFusion custom tags that you write in a programming language such as Java or C++. These tags can take
full advantage of all the tools and resources provided by these languages, including their access to runtime environments.
CFX tags also generally execute faster than CFML custom tags because they are compiled. CFX tags can be cross-
platform, but are often platform-specific, for example if they take advantage of COM objects or the Windows API.
For more information on CFX tags, see
Tags as functions and operators
ColdFusion provides many functions or operator language elements that correspond to CFML tags. Together with the
existing CFScript language, these elements let you define many CFCs and functions entirely in CFScript.
The new functions and operators belong to the following tag categories:
• Tags without bodies, such as cfexit and cfinclude
• Language tags with bodies, such as cflock and cftransaction
"Creating and Using Custom CFML
"Creating ColdFusion
Elements" on page 146.
"Building Custom CFXAPI
Last updated 8/5/2010
Tags" on page 208. For
Tags" on page 224.
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