Introduction
ColdFusion offers a variety of built-in tags that make web development easier by allowing developers to build dynamic features with minimal code. One such tag is <cfcalendar>, which provides a simple way to display a calendar control on a web page. This tutorial will guide you through how to customize the names of the days in a ColdFusion calendar using the daynames attribute. This example demonstrates how to change the default day names in the calendar control, allowing for greater flexibility and customization in your web applications.
Overview of the Code Structure
The example code presents a basic HTML structure combined with ColdFusion components to create an interactive calendar form. It allows users to select an arrival date and displays the selected date back to the user after submission. The main focus of this tutorial is the customization of the day names within the calendar, a feature that enhances user experience by allowing developers to modify the way weekdays are displayed.
Using the <cfcalendar> Tag
At the heart of this example is the <cfcalendar> tag, which is used to create the calendar control. The calendar allows users to choose a specific date, which can be submitted through a form. What makes this example unique is the use of the daynames attribute, which is used to customize the way days of the week are displayed within the calendar. Instead of the default full weekday names (Sunday, Monday, etc.), this attribute shortens them to a customized format: "Su", "M", "T", "W", "Th", "F", and "Sa."
This feature is particularly useful when space is limited, or when you want to present a more compact version of the day names for aesthetic reasons. Additionally, the required="yes" attribute ensures that the user must select a date before submitting the form.
Form Handling with <cfform> and <cfinput>
The form itself is created using ColdFusion's <cfform> tag, which allows for seamless interaction with ColdFusion components and includes the use of custom form elements like <cfcalendar>. The form's method is set to post, ensuring that when the user submits the form, the selected date is passed to the server for processing.
Inside the form, there is a submit button created using the <cfinput> tag. This button submits the form and the selected date for further processing. The button is styled using inline CSS, with notable features like its large size, bold text, and orange-red color to make it visually appealing.
Conditional Display of Submitted Date
Once the form is submitted, ColdFusion checks if the form's SubmitArrivalDate field is defined using an <cfif> statement. If the form has been submitted, ColdFusion extracts the selected date from the Form.ArrivalDate and displays it back to the user. The selected date is formatted using the DateFormat() function, which ensures that the date is presented in a user-friendly format. This output is enclosed in an <h3> tag, styled to highlight the user's input in orange-red text.
Styling the Form
The code also contains several inline CSS styles to improve the visual presentation of the form. For instance, the heading is styled with a sea-green color and italicized font, while the table headers and the submit button are given distinct colors like deep pink and orange-red, making the form elements stand out. This use of color and styling creates a visually appealing user interface that enhances the overall user experience.
Conclusion
This ColdFusion tutorial demonstrates how to effectively customize the day names in a calendar control using the daynames attribute within the <cfcalendar> tag. By modifying the display of day names, developers can create more user-friendly interfaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The example also highlights ColdFusion’s ability to handle form submissions and dynamically display user input in a clean and organized manner.
The flexibility of ColdFusion’s form handling and calendar controls allows developers to build robust, interactive web applications with minimal code, making ColdFusion an excellent choice for rapid web development.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>cfcalendar tag: how to set change day names of calendar control in coldfusion</title>
</head>
<body>
<h2 style="color:SeaGreen; font-style:italic">cfcalendar tag example: how to use daynames attribute</h2>
<hr width="575" align="left" color="OrangeRed" />
<br />
<cfif IsDefined("Form.SubmitArrivalDate")>
<cfoutput>
<h3 style="color:OrangeRed;">
Your arrival date is: #DateFormat(Form.ArrivalDate)#
</h3>
</cfoutput>
</cfif>
<cfform name="CalendarDayNamesTest" method="post" format="html">
<table border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="Orange">
<tr>
<td colspan="2" bgcolor="DeepPink" style="color:Snow; font-size:large" align="center">
Arrival Date Submit Form
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="color:RosyBrown; font-weight:bold">
Arrival Date
</td>
<td>
<cfcalendar
name="ArrivalDate"
required="yes"
daynames="Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa"
/>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="right">
<cfinput
name="SubmitArrivalDate"
type="submit"
value="Submit Date"
style="height:45px; width:150px; font-size:large; font-style:italic; font-weight:bold; color:OrangeRed;"
>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</cfform>
</body>
</html>
