Building ColdFusion Extensions in CFML  
 
 

ColdFusion custom tags built in CFML, a technology introduced in ColdFusion 3.0, are an essential part of the ColdFusion support for rapid application development and code re-use. Custom tags are now a valued resource for the ColdFusion developer community and demonstrate the rich variety of solutions -- utilitarian, sophisticated, and even whimsical -- that can be built in ColdFusion.

Custom tags extend the ColdFusion development model of encapsulating complexity by enabling you to wrap functionality in a page that can be called from a ColdFusion application page.

 
 
  Allaire Tag Gallery  
 
 

The success of CFML custom tags is best seen by a visit to the Tag Gallery at http://www.allaire.com/taggallery. Tags are grouped in several broad categories and are downloadable as freeware, shareware, or commercial software. You can quickly view each tag's syntax and usage information.

The Gallery contains a wealth of background information on custom tags and an online discussion forum for tag topics.

Tag names with the CF_ preface are CFML custom tags, those with the CFX_ preface are ColdFusion Extensions written in C++. For more information about the CFX API, see Chapter 12, The ColdFusion Extension API.

 
 
  Allaire Alive  
 
 

An online RealVideo title called "Using Custom Tags" is available at the Allaire alive section of our Web site. It presents an overview of custom tags as a component architecture for the emerging Web platform and outlines the creation and use of CFML custom tags.

The video is part of Allaire Alive, an educational service that offers Web videos on topics specific to ColdFusion development and application deployment as well as broader industry issues. The titles are available free for online viewing or download.

 
 
  Custom Tag Editors  
 
 

As you scroll through the Gallery listings, you will notice a number of the tags are marked with <VTM> after the tag name. These tags include a special file written in Allaire's Visual Tool Markup Language. Click on the <VTM> link to read about how VTML is used to create custom interfaces in ColdFusion Studio.

When you download and unzip a custom tag that includes a vtm file, copy that file to the /Templates/TagEditors folder under your Studio root directory. When you insert the custom tag into a page, a tag editor (Ctrl + F4) is available for the selected tag. Many of these editors contain embedded help for their syntax and usage.

See Customizing the Development Environment for more information.



 
 
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