CFScript

CFScript is a scripting language that was introduced with ColdFusion 10 as an alternative to the tag‑based ColdFusion Markup Language (CFML). It is essentially JavaScript‑like syntax that runs on the same CFEngine.Platform and is compiled to the same bytecode executable as traditional CFML tags, providing full compatibility with existing ColdFusion applications.

The language supports variables, conditionals, loops, functions, scopes, and objects, and it can call Java classes directly. Its syntax is object‑oriented, resembling JavaScript, which makes it familiar to developers from both front‑end and back‑end backgrounds. CFScript code can be embedded inline in tags or stored in separate .cfc files, and can even be called from remote services. The engine handles scope resolution automatically, with explicit scope qualifiers such as local, this, and application available. CFScript features can be enhanced with custom libraries such as the RequestScope, EnvironmentScope, or EventHandlerScope to simplify complex workflows.

Practically, CFScript is useful for developers who prefer a concise syntax or want to integrate with modern JavaScript libraries, and it allows for greater reuse of logic across applications. While it is fully interoperable with tag‑based CFML, many teams adopt CFScript for new projects or incremental migration to leverage its clearer syntax and improved readability.