The SQL wildcard characters are invaluable in performing flexible text searches - they allow for the creation of powerful applications that might otherwise be impossible to write. But that power comes with a hefty price tag - wildcard searches tend to be among the slowest SQL operations (because...
ColdFusion Studio features an extensive selection of integrated help documents which can be browsed or searched as needed. You can also bookmark specific help pages for rapid access to them when needed. To bookmark a help page simple right click on the page (in the Help tree) and click Add...
Client-side JavaScript is used to implement programmatic control of everything in a browser right within the browser itself. JavaScript code is usually invoked in response to something happening (a page is loaded, a screen element is clicked, the mouse moves over an image, a select list changes,...
Savvy CF Studio users know that the right mouse button is one of their best friends. This is particularly true within the editor window itself, and especially of the often unnoticed "Selection" menu that is displayed. Using the options under this menu you can quickly convert text to lists and...
To display dates, times, numbers, and currencies in local formats use the ColdFusion LS functions (yep, they each start with LS). Using these functions you can write code that renders localized output dynamically. And to simplify localized data collection, there are even LS versions of the decision...
Some text should never be transmitted or saved in readable form (or "in the clear"). To safely pass strings in hidden form fields, URL parameters, and cookies, use the CFML Encrypt() and Decrypt() functions. Each of these takes a string to be encrypted or decrypted, and another string that is used...
If you ever need to generate guaranteed unique ID's, unique even across multiple servers, look no further than CFML's own CreateUUID() function. This function returns a string representation of a 128 byte integer that is guaranteed to be unique. You can use this string anywhere that a unique ID is...
If you've ever needed to create strings containing quotes, double quotes, line feeds, less than, greater than, or other special characters, you've probably found it to be a less than enjoyable experience. Non-printable characters, characters that have special meanings, or characters that appear to...
Need to get rid of unwanted characters from within a string? Try the ReplaceList() function. This function lets you specify a list of characters to be removed from a string, and a list of characters to replace them with. All you need to is provide a list of empty strings for the second list to...
Date comparisons can be tricky, especially if you try to use simple statements testing for LESS THAN and GREATER THEN. The safe (and correct) way to compare dates is to use the DateCompare() function which lets you specify two dates as well as an optional comparison decision level. The latter lets...