User Guide

20 Chapter 2: CFML Basics

The DollarFormat function returns a value as a string and formats that value with two decimal

places, thousand separator, and dollar sign. The pounds signs (#) around the function instruct

ColdFusion to evaluate the content between the pound signs and display the value.

Functions and parentheses

All functions have parentheses, regardless of whether the function acts on data. Consider the

following function:

#Now()#

If you put anything inside the parentheses of the Now() function, an error would occur. The

Now() function returns an unformatted date and time. However, you can format the results of

this function with other functions, such as the

DateFormat() or TimeFormat() functions.

Nesting functions

Functions can generate data as well as act on data. Consider the following example:

#DateFormat(Now(), "mm/dd/yyyy")#

In this example, the Now() function generates the date, and then the DateFormat function

formats the date.

Functions and pound signs

You use pound signs (#) with functions to display the results of a function on the page. Pound

signs tell the ColdFusion server to evaluate the content between the pound signs and display the

value, for example:

Hello world, <br>

Today’s date is #DateFormat(Now(), "mm/dd/yyyy")#

</cfoutput>

The following figure shows the output of this example: