User Guide

Chapter 12: Using the Application Framework 187
Behavior with CFINCLUDE
Only one Application.cfm file is ever processed for each ColdFusion application
page. The presence of an
Application.cfm file is an implicit CFINCLUDE. If it is
present in the directory tree, there is no way not to include it. For this reason, it is the
ideal location to set application-level variables.
When the requested application page has a CFINCLUDE tag pointing to an additional
application page, ColdFusion does not initiate another search up the directory tree
based on the included application page. This is an important behavior to understand.
Upon opening a requested application page, ColdFusion searches for the
Application.cfm file only once.
Creating the Application.cfm File
The special application-wide page called Application.cfm defines application-level
settings and functions such as:
• The application name
• Client state management options
• Application and session variables
Products
Application.cfm
Orders
Support
Services
Application.cfm
Application.cfm
Application.cfm
Application.cfm
Web Wonders, Inc.
Bandwidth Associates
Products
Consulting
Marketing
Sales