User Guide

Creating the Application.cfm File 219

Creating the Application.cfm File

The special application-wide page called Application.cfm defines application-level

settings and functions such as:

• Application name

• Client state management options

• Application and Session variable management options

• Default variables

• Application-specific custom error pages

• Data sources

• Default style settings

• Exclusive locks

• Other application-level constants

Naming the application

In ColdFusion, you define an application by giving it a name using the

cfapplication tag. By using the same application name in a cfapplication tag, you

define a set of pages as part of the same logical application.

Note

The value you set for the name attribute in cfapplication is limited to 64 characters.

To name the application:

1 Open ColdFusion Studio and create a new file.

2 Modify the file so that it appears as follows:

3 Save the file as Application.cfm in the root directory of your application

framework.

Setting application default variables and constants

It is often useful to set default variables and application-level constants in the

Application.cfm file. For example, you can designate:

• A data source that you are using

• A domain name

• Style settings such as fonts or colors

• Other important application-level variables