Webmaster Forum / ColdFusion / Advanced Techniques / November 2006

<cfinput name="product[idx].product_nm"

You can't do this.  Ultimately a <cfinput tag is going to create an HTML
<input...> and the name of that input tag must follow the HTML
specifications.  These specifications do not allow for any kind of
complex variable type notation.

Depending on what you are trying to do, there are some conventional work
arounds.

Thanks for the info. Knowing what WON?T work is helpful!

Here?s what I?m trying to do. I?m rewriting one of my apps, switching out
conventional HTML form controls for <cfform> controls in Flash format. Many of
the existing forms in my app are for updating data contained in a central
database. When such a form is rendered to the screen, each form control is
pre-populated with existing data. All form controls are named dynamically based
upon the unique ID of the record being updated. Here?s a streamlined but
typical example:

<!--- User selected projects 14, 15, 16, and 17 for update. Get existing
project data. --->
<cfquery name="get_project_detail" datasource="#application.DataSource#">
SELECT project_oid_nbr, project_nm
FROM project_table
WHERE project_oid_nbr IN (14,15,16,17)
ORDER BY project_oid_nbr
</cfquery>

<!--- Initialize the project_nm form control. Form names are dynamic, based
upon get_project_detail.project_oid_nbr. --->
<cfloop query="get_project_detail">
<cfparam name="form.project_nm_#project_oid_nbr#"
default="#get_project_detail.project_nm#">
</cfloop>

<!--- Create HTML form control. --->
<table>
<cfloop query="get_project_detail">
<tr>
<td>
<cfoutput>
Project #project_oid_nbr#:
<input type="text" name="project_nm_#project_oid_nbr#"
value="#Evaluate("form.project_nm_#project_oid_nbr#")#">
                </cfoutput>
</td>
</tr>
</cfloop>
</table>

This has been working just fine. However, I?m wondering if using the
Evaluate() function is the most efficient way to go. Therefore I wanted to use
structure notation to avoid the Evaluate() function, but as mentioned in my
original post, this naming convention won?t work with <cfform> tags.

Any suggestions as to the most efficient way to get the same result while
still using <cfform> tags?  Thanks so much!

Wow, thanks!  That worked beautifully.  One last question:  In the following
code I get an error on the IsDefined() statement.  The error reads: "Parameter
1 of function IsDefined, which is now "form['work_type_oid_nbr_'&idP]", must be
a syntactically valid variable name."

Could you please tell me the correct syntax?

<cfif IsDefined("form['work_type_oid_nbr_'&idP]")>
    <cfselect name="work_type_oid_nbr_#idP#"
label="Work Type"
query="qMenuWorkType"
value="work_type_oid_nbr"
display="work_type_desc"
selected="#form['work_type_oid_nbr_'&idP]#">
</cfselect>
</cfif>

Ian:  Sorry it's taken me so long to thank you for that last reply.  Just know that your answer sent me off to a couple of very long (but productive) weeks of coding!