syntax

## 1. Syntax There are two ways to write CFML code. You can use tag or script syntax. For the examples, please focus on one or the other so this tutorial is not confusing.

CFML includes a set of instructions you use in pages. You will write one or more instructions in a file then run the file through a CFML engine. Three CFML instructions we will use in this tutorial are CFSET, CFOUTPUT, and CFDUMP. CFSET is used to create a variable and assign it a value. Also CFSET is used to call methods. CFOUTPUT displays a variable's value. CFDUMP is used to display the contents of simple and complex variables, objects, components, user-defined functions, and other elements.

We might have a file named myprogram.cfm and Sample.cfc like this:

Tag Syntax

myprogram.cfm

<cfset s = New Sample() />
<cfoutput>#s.hello()#</cfoutput>

Sample.cfc

<cfcomponent>
 <cffunction name = "hello">
  <cfreturn "Hello, World!" />
 </cffunction>
</cfcomponent>

Script Syntax

myprogram.cfm

<cfscript>
s = New Sample();
writeOutput(s.hello());
</cfscript>

Sample.cfc

component {
 public string function hello(){
  return( "Hello, World!" );
 }
}

For the script example, myprogram.cfm would have beginning/closing <cfscript> tags around the instructions, however, the script-based Sample.cfc does not require <cfscript> tags around the instructions.

PHP Syntax

myprogram.php

<?php
 require("Sample.php");
 $s = new Sample();
 echo $s->hello();
?>

Sample.php

<?php
 class Sample
 {
  public function hello() {
  return "Hello, World!";
  }
 }
?>

Ruby Syntax

myprogram.rb

class Sample
 def hello
 "Hello, World!"
end

s = Sample.new
puts s.hello