Evaluate embedded CF variables inside a CF variable

[Tami_KB]

I have a variable I would like to display both the contents of AND evaluate the 'value' of the variables inside and am having issues w/ CF8 evaluating both....

<cfset foo = 'This is a test of the #ppl.getemail()# email account. The password is #ppl.getpassword()#'>

where ppl.getemail() is 'Jane@foo.com' and ppl.getpassword() is '123abc'

I would like to cfoutput foo and have the results evaluated as ' This is a test of Jane@foo.com email account. The password is 123abc'
(where the actual value of ppl.getemail() and ppl.getpassword() are evaluated as 'foo'is evaluated)

I have tried cfoutput, cfcontent, evaluate and de, but all print w/o evaluating the the cfc calls. I get literally the variable names in the output instead of their values.

Any suggestions?

[Dan_Bracuk]

That's very odd.  What happens when you run this code?

<cffunction name="abc"  returntype="string" access="private">
<cfreturn "abc">
</cffunction>
<cfset x = "abc is #abc()#">
<cfoutput>#x#</cfoutput>

[Tami_KB]

Nope, this didn't work. I need the variable to be evaluated and the variables inside evaluated on the fly (as in a loop).

Dan, the issue may stem from the fact the the embedded variables are set when the user types them into a text string. The user wants to have an editable email message that still allows them to embed CF variables inside the email.

so your code works; until I put it into the editor and then evaluate x... then #x# cfoutputs to "abc is #abc()#"

BKBK, I would love to do it this way, but since this is a user 'editable' email, the entire string gets evaulated, and I get the & signs printed out as well.

Ian, Great idea too... I tried it. But, since the text may contain html (<p>), CF thinks the "<" is a misplaced less than sign and errors "Did you mean LT or LTE?"....

[Adam Cameron.]

Nope, this didn't work. I need the variable to be evaluated and the variables inside evaluated on the fly (as in a loop).

In this case I'd not use a variable, I'd just have place-holder text which I replace-out with the user-entered value @ runtime:

This is a test of the {email} email account. The password is {pwd}

Use replaceList() to replace the placeholders with the actual values.

--

Adam

[Tami_KB]

Thanks Adam, that is exactly what I did, (but I was looking for an elegant CF method <wink>).

Tami

[Adam Cameron. · Accepted solution]

There is nothing elegant about all this evaluate() & DE() stuff that people try to use.  Doing it the replaceList() way is much clearer.

--

Adam

[Tami_KB]

I agree, and I award you w/ my "corrected answer", besides those didn't work in this case....

Have agood one.

Tami

[Adam Cameron.]

Cheers!

🙂

--

Adam

[ilssac]

That takes the combonation of evaluate and de() [delay evaluate].

<cfset aString="Here is a string with a ##variable##">

<cfset variable="Something changed">

<cfoutput>#evaluate(de(aString))#</cfoutput>

But once you learn this, I'll be you will quickly see that it is not as usefull as you thought it would be.

[BKBK]

Much simpler:

<cfset foo = "This is a test of the " & ppl.getemail() & " email account. The password is " & ppl.getpassword()>

<cfoutput>#foo#</cfoutput>