isValid("string" vs <cfparam type="string"

[itisdesign]

Just a quick note regarding a difference between isValid and <cfparam, to hopefully help others down the line...
(pay attention to line 5 - it is the difference between the two)

Example #1:

<cfset foo.test = "" />
<cfset bar = queryNew("test") />
<cfset queryAddRow(bar, 1) />
<cfset querySetCell(bar, "test", "bla") />
<cfset foo.test = bar['test'] />
<cfoutput>#isValid("string", foo.test)#</cfoutput>
<cfparam name="foo.test" type="string" />

In example #1, the isValid("string", ...) function does not throw an error, but the <cfparam type="string"... does.

Example #2:

<cfset foo.test = "" />
<cfset bar = queryNew("test") />
<cfset queryAddRow(bar, 1) />
<cfset querySetCell(bar, "test", "bla") />
<cfset foo.test = bar['test'][1] />
<cfoutput>#isValid("string", foo.test)#</cfoutput>
<cfparam name="foo.test" type="string" />

In example #2, no error is thrown.

As I mentioned, the difference is...
Line #5 in 1st example: <cfset foo.test = bar['test'] />
Line #5 in 2nd example: <cfset foo.test = bar['test'][1] />

If you do not specify the query row number, when accessing a query variable using array notation, isValid() may not throw an error, however <cfparam> might throw an error.

Just an interesting observation.

-Aaron Neff

[itisdesign]

To clarify... If the query row is omitted from the indexed/array notation, then isValid() and <cfparam /> produce different results.

In the attached code example below, the query row was omitted intentionally to illustrate.

Two possible solutions are:

1) Make isValid() throw an error (so that they both throw an error)
2) Make <cfparam /> not throw an error (so that they both do not throw an error)

I feel the behavior should be consistent. Does anyone feel otherwise? If the behavior should be consistent, then which solution, or other solution, is preferred?

Let's discuss!

Thanks,
-Aaron
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