Does ColdFusion have a short syntax for creating a struct?

Question

Is there any "short" syntax for creating a struct in ColdFusion? I'd like to replace this verbose code:

<cfscript>
  ref = StructNew();
  ref.Template = "Label";
  ref.Language = "en";
  stcML = GetPrompts(ref);
</cfscript>

with something more like a JavaScript object:

<cfscript>
  stcML = GetPrompts({ Template: "Label", Language: "en" });
</cfscript>

Is there anything like this?

Solution 1

Coldfusion 8 (and up) has a struct literal notation:

<cfset objData = {
  Key1 = "Value1",
  Key2 = "Value2"
}>

However, there are a few strings attached:

• bennadel.com: "Learning ColdFusion 8: Implicit Struct And Array Creation"
• barneyb.com: "ColdFusion Struct Literals Fail Again"
• barneyb.com: "CF8 Structure Literal Gotcha"

Note: ColdFusion 9 fixed the errors outlined above, so with any CF version available nowadays you will be fine. I'm still leaving in the links for reference.

Starting with CF10, you can also use the syntax that's familiar from JavaScript:

<cfset objData = {
  Key1: "Value1",
  Key2: "Value2"
}>

Solution 2

If your attempts to simplify struct syntax in CF8 run into nesting and/or inline deficiencies you can use this deceptively simple function:

<cfscript>
    function nStruct(){
        return arguments;
    }
</cfscript>

You can then use this syntax:

<cfdump var="#nStruct(
    a=1,
    b=nStruct(
        c=2,d=3
    )
)#" />

Solution 3

In ColdFusion 8 and above you can create a structure like this:

ref={template="label", language="en"}

Solution 4

You could use cfjson. Add the component to a scope you're using (e.g. the request scope):

<cfobject name="request.json" component="cfc.json">

and call it like:

<cfset aStructure = request.json.decode('{ Template: "Label", Language: "en" }')>

View more solutions

Comments

[marc esher]

Kip, in CF8 you can use this syntax, as Sam says, but you can't use it in arguments to functions. In CF9, you can use the struct shorthand notation in arguments to functions; thus, your example above would work (with = instead of : though)

[Kip]

so basically you can only use that short syntax for creating a 1-dimensional struct that is assigned to a variable. but you can't create one to pass to a function on the fly like i wanted. I guess that's more like a few chains attached...

[Kip]

sounds like this will be fixed in CF9 though!

[Tomalak]

Yeah, "chains" may be more accurate. I'd file CF8 struct literals under "one day late and one dollar short". Not sure why they rolled that out - in it's current form, it does not make much sense.

[Adam Tuttle]

In ColdFusion 9, implicit structure and array notation is fixed. Nesting works, and you can create them "on the fly" as function or tag arguments: doFoo({foo="bar"}) or <cffile attributeCollection="#{action='read', ...}#"/>

[Doug Cassidy]

I named mine 'array()' cuz that's how it works in php ;)

[jinglesthula]

It should also be noted that by now (CF 10 maybe?) they've added support for the more obvious : so you don't have to use the assignment operator (=). So yes, you may now (both in CFML and cfscript) use exactly what you were hoping for.