User Guide

20 Chapter 1: Reserved Words and Variables
Reserved words
The following list indicates words you must not use for ColdFusion variables, user-defined
function names, or custom tag names. While some of these words can be used safely in some
situations, you can prevent errors by avoiding them entirely.
• Any name starting with cf. However, when you call a CFML custom tag directly, you prefix the
custom tag page name with cf_.
• Built-in function names, such as Now or Hash
• Scope names, such as Form or Session
• Operators, such as NE or IS
• The names of any built-in data structures, such as Error or File
• The names of any built-in variables, such as RecordCount or CGI variable names
• CFScript language element names such as for, default, or continue
Remember that ColdFusion is not case-sensitive. For example, all of the following are reserved
words: IS, Is, iS, and is.
Reserved words in forms
You must also not create form field names ending in any of the following, except to specify a form
field validation rule using a hidden form field name.
• _integer
• _float
• _range
• _date
• _time
• _eurodate
Reserved words in queries
The following table lists SQL keywords that are reserved in ColdFusion queries of queries. This
list includes all reserved words in the SQL standard, and should be avoided in variables used in all
queries. Do not use these keywords as variable names in any queries.
Note: Many database management systems have additional reserved words that you cannot use as
variable names in queries to their databases. See your DBMS documentation for detailed list.
ABSOLUTE ACTION ADD ALL ALLOCATE
ALTER AND ANY ARE AS
ASC ASSERTION AT AUTHORIZATION AVG
BEGIN BETWEEN BIT BIT_LENGTH BOTH
BY CASCADE CASCADED CASE CAST
CATALOG CHAR CHARACTER CHARACTER_
LENGTH
CHAR_LENGTH
CHECK CLOSE COALESCE COLLATE COLLATION