Ask Ben: Using ColdFusion Components As Return Types, Argument Types, And Property Types

<cfcomponent
	output="false"
	hint="I provide application settings and event handlers.">

	<!--- Define the application. --->
	<cfset this.name = hash( getCurrentTemplatePath() ) />
	<cfset this.applicationTimeout = createTimeSpan( 0, 0, 0, 20 ) />

	<!---
		Get the root directory of the application. This will
		be needed to define the subsequent app-specific mappings.
	--->
	<cfset this.rootDirectory = getDirectoryFromPath(
		getCurrentTemplatePath()
		) />

	<!--- Define application-specific mappings. --->
	<cfset this.mappings[ "/com" ] = (this.rootDirectory & "model/" ) />
	<cfset this.mappings[ "/vo" ] = (this.rootDirectory & "vo/" ) />


	<!--- Define page request settings. --->
	<cfsetting
		showdebugoutput="false"
		/>

</cfcomponent>

// Import the "vo" name space.
// NOTE: The name space that we are importing is an application-
// specific mapping and that this name-space is used to define the
// return type of one of the functions below.

import "/vo.*";


// Define the component.

component
	output="false"
	accessors="true"
	hint="I am a contact entity."
	{

	// Define properties.

	property
		name="name"
		type="string"
		default=""
		validate="string"
		validateParams="{ minLength = 1, maxLength = 30 }"
		hint="I am the full name."
	;

	property
		name="lastValueObject"
		type="vo.ValueObject"
		hint="I am the last requested value object."
	;


	/**
	* Define constructor. Notice that the return type of the
	* ColdFusion component uses BOTH the app-specific mapping
	* to "com" as well as the multi-part, dot-delimitted path
	* to THIS component.
	*
	* @access public
	* @output false
	* @hint I return an initialized component.
	**/

	com.Contact function init(
		string name = ""
		){

		// Store default properties.
		this.setName( arguments.name );

		// Return this object reference. Remember, when used in
		// conjunction with the NEW keyword, you must explicitly
		// return the object reference.
		return( this );
	}


	/**
	* Notice that in this method, we are defining a local path
	* to the component (no app-specific mappings) and that the
	* returnType attribute is being defined in the comments.
	*
	* @access public
	* @returnType Contact
	* @output false
	* @hint I return the current contact.
	**/

	function getContact(){
		return( this );
	}


	/**
	* Notice that in this method, the return type "ValueObject"
	* is only valid becuase our IMPORT command above imported
	* the app-specific mappings / namespace, "/vo". Notice also
	* that the default argument value does NOT use the imported
	* namespace, but rather, refers back to the multi-part,
	* dot-delimtted mapping path.
	*
	* @access public
	* @returnType ValueObject
	* @output false
	* @hint I return a value-object representation of this entity. If you want to, you can pass-in an existing valueObject instance.
	*/

	function getValueObject(
		valueObject valueObject = new vo.ValueObject()
		){

		// Store local properties into the given value object.
		arguments.valueObject.set( "name", this.getName() );

		// Store the value object as a property.
		this.setLastValueObject( arguments.valueObject );

		// Return populated value object.
		return( arguments.valueObject );
	}

}

<!---
	Import the COM name space (NOTE: This actually maps to the
	"model" directory thanks to our appliation-specific mappings).
--->
<cfimport path="com.*" />


<!--- Create a new Contact instance. --->
<cfset tricia = new Contact( "Tricia Smith" ) />

<!--- Rename contact (only to test accessors). --->
<cfset tricia.setName( "Tricia 'the hottie' Smith" ) />

<!---
	Get the contact object (to test the return type is enforced
	as a Contact instance).
--->
<cfset contact = tricia.getContact() />

<!---
	Get the value object (to test that mapped-return type
	based on the IMPORT command used inside the CFC).
--->
<cfset valueObject = contact.getValueObject() />


<cfoutput>

	<!--- Output name contained within value object. --->
	Name: #valueObject.get( "name" )#<br />

	<!--- Output name contained within LAST value object. --->
	Name: #tricia.getLastValueObject().get( "name" )#

</cfoutput>

<cfcomponent
	output="false"
	hint="I am a very simple, light-weight value object for any component - I store properties in an expandable map.">


	<cffunction
		name="init"
		access="public"
		returntype="any"
		output="false"
		hint="I return an initialized value object.">

		<!--- Set up default properties. --->
		<cfset variables.propertyMap = {} />

		<!--- Return this object reference. --->
		<cfreturn this />
	</cffunction>


	<cffunction
		name="get"
		access="public"
		returntype="any"
		output="false"
		hint="I return the given property, or property set.">

		<!--- Define arguments. --->
		<cfargument
			name="name"
			type="string"
			required="false"
			hint="I am the name of the property beging gotten (if omitted, fulle property set is returned)."
			/>

		<!--- Check to see if property name was included. --->
		<cfif isNull( arguments.name )>

			<!---
				No property was requested; return entire
				property map.
			--->
			<cfreturn variables.propertyMap />

		<cfelse>

			<!--- Return selected property. --->
			<cfreturn variables.propertyMap[ arguments.name ] />

		</cfif>
	</cffunction>


	<cffunction
		name="set"
		access="public"
		returntype="any"
		output="false"
		hint="I set the given property.">

		<!--- Define arguments. --->
		<cfargument
			name="name"
			type="string"
			required="true"
			hint="I am the name of the property."
			/>

		<cfargument
			name="value"
			type="any"
			required="true"
			hint="I am the property value."
			/>

		<!--- Set the given property. --->
		<cfset variables.propertyMap[ arguments.name ] = arguments.value />

		<!--- Return this object reference for method chaining. --->
		<cfreturn this />
	</cffunction>

</cfcomponent>