CFARGUMENT  
Description
Creates a parameter definition within a component definition. Defines a function argument. Used within a cffunction tag.
 
Category
Extensibility tags
 
Syntax
<cfargument
   name="string"
   type="data type"
   required="Yes or No"
   default="default value"
   displayname="descriptive name"
   hint="extended description"
   >
 
See also
cfcomponent, cffunction, cfinvoke, cfinvokeargument, cfobject, cfproperty, cfreturn
 
Usage
This tag must be in a cffunction tag, before any other tags in the cffunction tag body.
Arguments that are passed when a method is invoked can be accessed from the method body in the following ways:
  • With shorthand syntax: #myargument#(This example accesses the argument myargument.)
  • Using the arguments scope as an array: #arguments[1]#(This example accesses the first defined argument in the cffunction)
  • Using the arguments scope as a struct: #arguments.myargument#(This example accesses the argument myargument in the array)
 
Example
<!--- This example defines a function that takes a course number parameter
and returns the course description. --->
<cffunction name="getDescript">
   <!--- Identify argument --->
   <cfargument name="Course_Number" type="numeric" required="true">
   <!--- Use the argument to get a course description from the database --->
   <cfquery name="Description" datasource="cfsnippets">
      SELECT Descript
      FROM Courses
      WHERE Number = '#Course_Number#'
   </cfquery>
   <!--- Specify the variable that the function returns --->
   <cfreturn Description.Descript>
</cffunction>
NAME  
  Required
 

String; an argument name.

TYPE  
  Optional
 
Default value: "any"

String; a type name; data type of the argument.

  • any
  • array
  • binary
  • boolean
  • date
  • guid - The argument must be a UUID or GUID of the form xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx where each x is a character representing a hexadecimal number (0-9A-F).
  • numeric
  • query
  • string
  • struct
  • uuid - The argument must be a ColdFusion UUID of the form xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx where each x is a character representing a hexadecimal number (0-9A-F).
  • variableName: a string formatted according to ColdFusion variable naming conventions.
  • a component name - If the type attribute value is not one of the preceding items, ColdFusion treats it as the name of a ColdFusion component. When The function executes, it generates an error if the argument that is passed in is not a CFC with the specified name.
REQUIRED  
  Optional
 
Default value: "no"

Whether the parameter is required to execute the component method.

  • yes (the parameter is not required if you specify a default attribute.)
  • no
DEFAULT  
  Optional
 

If no argument is passed, specifies a default argument value.

DISPLAYNAME  
  Optional
 
Default value: "name attribute value"

Meaningful only for CFC method parameters. A value to be displayed when using introspection to show information about the CFC.

HINT  
  Optional
 

Meaningful only for CFC method parameters. Text to be displayed when using introspection to show information about the CFC. The hint attribute value follows the displayname attribute value in the parameter description line. This attribute can be useful for describing the purpose of the parameter.