
Contents > CFML Reference > ColdFusion Functions > GetMetaData

GetMetaData

Gets metadata (the methods, properties, and parameters of a component) associated with an object that is deployed on the ColdFusion server. This functionality, called introspection, lets applications dynamically determine how to use a component.

Key-value pairs, as a component descriptor data structure or as structured XML

System functions

GetMetaData(object)

or, if used within a ColdFusion component:

GetMetaData(this)

ColdFusion MX: Added this function.

Parameter	Description
object	Reference to an object; use this attribute to call a function from a CFML page
this	Reference to an object; use this attribute to call a function from a component.

The this scope is available at runtime to the component body and to the invoked method's function body. It is used to read and write variables that are present during the life of the component.

Component metadata contains at least the following keys:

name: the component name
path: an absolute path to the component
extends: ancestor component metadata
functions: an array of metadata for each component function

Other component attributes are returned as additional keys.

Function metadata contains at least the following keys:

name: the function name
parameters: an array of argument metadata

Other function attributes are returned as additional keys.

Argument metadata contains at least the following key:

name: the argument name

Other argument attributes are returned as additional keys.

Property metadata contains at least the following key:

name: the property name

Other property attributes are returned as additional keys.


Contents > CFML Reference > ColdFusion Functions > GetMetaData

Version 6.1

Comments are no longer accepted for ColdFusion MX 6.1. ColdFusion 8 is the current version.

Comments

Robin Hilliard said on Mar 16, 2004 at 5:13 AM :

Warning - getMetaData() does not return an ordinary struct. You
can't duplicate() the result, and if you try assigning the result to a
variable it doesn't seem to stick beyond the scope of the function in
which you performed the assignment (this was very strange).

Interestingly you can write into the structure returned by
getMetaData(), and it turns out to be a static (i.e. class level) scope.
This can be handy, for instance you can add structures that index
function and property definitions by name to save iterating through
the usual functions and properties arrays.

See also:
http://www.camdenfamily.com/morpheus/blog/index.cfm?
mode=entry&entry=884A55B6-DE45-A014-C1AB17377EC2A269

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