User Guide

Table Of Contents
282 Chapter 13: Designing and Optimizing a ColdFusion Application
In the example on the right, Bandwidth Associates uses the settings in individual
Application.cfc files to create individual ColdFusion applications at the departmental level.
Only the Products application pages are processed using the settings in the root Application.cfc
file. The Consulting, Marketing, and Sales directories each have their own Application.cfc file.
Defining the application and its event handlers in Application.cfc
The Application.cfc file defines application-wide settings and variables, and application event
handlers:
Application-wide settings and variables include page processing settings, default variables, data
sources, style settings, and other application-level constants.
Application event handlers are CFC methods that ColdFusion MX automatically executes
when specific events occur during the lifetime of an application: application start and end,
session start and end, request start, execution, and end, and exceptions.
Defining application-level settings and variables
When you create an application, you can set a number of application-wide properties and
characteristics, including the following items:
Application name
Application properties, including Client-, Application-, and Session-variable
management options
Page processing options
Default variables, data sources, style settings, and other application-level constants
Web Wonder, Inc.
Application.cfc
Products
Orders
Support
Services
Bandwith Associates
Application.cfc
Consulting
Marketing
Sales
Application.cfc
Products
Application.cfc
Application.cfc