CFLib.org – Common Function Library Project

Description:
Function that determines which scope an unscoped variable refers to. Only checks those scopes through which ColdFusion searches. Does not check named scopes (i.e., query names, etc.).

Return Values:
Returns a string.

Example:

<CFSET foo = "bar">
<CFSET URL.foo = "bar">
<CFSET COOKIE.foo = "bar">
<CFSET FORM.foo = "bar">

<CFOUTPUT>
#getVariableScope("foo")#
</CFOUTPUT>

Parameters:

Full UDF Source:

/**
 * Function that determines which scope an unscoped variable refers to.
 * 
 * @param localVar      Variable name to check. (Required)
 * @return Returns a string. 
 * @author Mosh Teitelbaum (mosh.teitelbaum@evoch.com) 
 * @version 1, August 6, 2004 
 */
function getVariableScope(locVar) {
    var scopeList = "VARIABLES,CGI,FILE,URL,FORM,COOKIE,CLIENT,APPLICATION,SESSION,SERVER,REQUEST,CFHTTP,CALLER,ATTRIBUTES,ERROR,CFCATCH,CFFTP";
    var listEle = "";
    var cnt = 1;

    while (cnt LTE ListLen(scopeList)) {
        // Get current list element
        listEle = ListGetAt(scopeList, cnt);

        // Check for existence within current scope.  CGI is a special case
        if (listEle is "CGI" AND structKeyExists(cgi, locVar)) {
                return listEle;
        } else if (not listEle is "CGI" AND IsDefined("#listEle#.#locVar#")) {
                return listEle;
        }

        // Increment counter
        cnt = cnt + 1;
    }

}