Introduction
In this tutorial, we will explore how to use the <cflayout> and <cflayoutarea> tags in ColdFusion to create a dynamic, tab-based layout for organizing content on a webpage. ColdFusion provides a straightforward way to structure and display content using these built-in UI tags, which help in creating clean and responsive user interfaces without needing extensive JavaScript. In this example, we will focus on creating a tabbed layout where the tabs are positioned at the bottom of the layout, showcasing images inside each tab.
The layout type we are using is "tab," and this feature allows developers to split content into multiple sections, which users can access by clicking on the respective tabs. This is especially useful for web applications that need to display a lot of information in an organized and easily navigable format.
Using CFLAYOUT and CFLAYOUTAREA
The <cflayout> tag in ColdFusion is designed to organize content into different sections, depending on the layout type specified. In this example, the layout type is set to "tab," meaning the content will be displayed within clickable tabs, allowing users to switch between sections seamlessly. This kind of layout is commonly used when you want to present several pieces of related content without overwhelming the user with too much information at once.
In addition to defining the layout type, we have specified the tabposition attribute as "bottom." This attribute controls where the tab navigation will appear in relation to the content. By setting it to "bottom," we ensure that the navigation tabs are displayed beneath the content, providing a less common but still intuitive navigation style for users.
Structuring the Content with CFLAYOUTAREA
The actual content within each tab is enclosed inside <cflayoutarea> tags. Each <cflayoutarea> tag represents one tab and can hold any type of content, from text and images to more complex HTML elements. In this example, each tab contains an image, and the title of each tab is specified using the title attribute. The titles are set as "Doll," "Doll1," and "Doll2," and correspond to different images displayed in each tab.
This structure makes it easy to manage multiple content sections in a single layout. Each area or tab can contain unique content while maintaining the same overall layout, making it ideal for use cases like product galleries, image sliders, or even multi-step forms.
Handling Images in the Layout
The content of each tab in this example is an image, displayed using a simple <img> tag. The images are pulled from the "Images" folder in the local directory, which is a common way to structure web assets. This approach can be easily extended to include more complex content such as videos, dynamic data from a database, or interactive widgets.
By embedding the images inside the <cflayoutarea>, we maintain a clean and organized code structure while making it easy for the end-user to navigate through the content by switching between the tabs.
Conclusion
Using ColdFusion’s <cflayout> and <cflayoutarea> tags simplifies the process of creating interactive, tabbed layouts. The ability to position tabs at the bottom of the layout adds a unique design element, while the flexibility to include various types of content within each tab makes it a powerful tool for building user-friendly web interfaces.
This approach not only reduces the amount of JavaScript required but also leverages ColdFusion’s server-side capabilities to dynamically generate and serve content. Whether you are building a product showcase, a dashboard, or a content-heavy webpage, the <cflayout> feature is a useful option to consider for organizing your content in a structured and visually appealing way.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>How to use cflayout with cflayoutarea, type tab and tab position bottom</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2 style="color:DodgerBlue">ColdFusion cflayout example: With cflayoutarea</h2>
<cflayout type="tab" tabposition="bottom">
<cflayoutarea title="Doll">
<img src="./Images/Doll.jpg"/>
</cflayoutarea>
<cflayoutarea title="Doll1">
<img src="./Images/Doll1.jpg"/>
</cflayoutarea>
<cflayoutarea title="Doll2">
<img src="./Images/Doll2.jpg"/>
</cflayoutarea>
</cflayout>
</body>
</html>