I am writing an application where the user will be given an empty database to begin with. The application will require a connection to the database, which will be named however the users wishes.

I have created a form, which when submitted will write a plain text file with one single word and no formatting. That one single word will be used as the datasource name.

So these are the files I have.

<!---datasource.txt--->

FreshDb

<!---read_settings.cfm--->

    <!----Get the full path to the file datasource.txt--->

    <cfparam name="isname" default="datasource.txt">
    <cfset thisPath = ExpandPath("*.*")>
    <cfset thisDirectory = GetDirectoryFromPath(thisPath)>
    <cfparam name="islocation" default="#thisDirectory##isname#">
    <cfset isettingsfile = islocation>

  <!----Does the file datasource.txt exist?--->

    <cfif FileExists(isettingsfile)>
 

  <!---The file datasource.txt has been found, read it and place the contents into a variable called dsn--->

     <cffile action="read" file="#isettingsfile#" variable="dsn">

  <!---Set a variable called datasource and fill it with the contents of datasource.text--->

          <cfparam name="datasource" default="#dsn#">

<!---Application.cfm--->

  <!---Call the file read_settings.cfm---->

  <cfinclude template="includes/read_settings.cfm">

<!---DNS_Test.cfm--->

   <!---Query a table with one record to see if the connection is established--->

    <cfquery name="qry_DSNTest" datasource="#dsn#">
       SELECT *
       FROM tbl_Admin
    </cfquery>
  

  <!---Has the query returned any results? If yes, set the variable connection to connected, otherwise, set it to not_connected--->

     <cfif qry_DSNTest.RecordCount>
     <cfset tconnection="Connnected">
     <cfelse>
     <cfset tconnection="Not_connnected">

Now, when I attempt to run a simple test this is the error message I receive:

If I remove the cfinclude template line in my Application.cfm file and replace it with

<cfparam name="datasource" default="FreshDb">

Then I can perform the query without any problem.

If I leave the cfinclude template in place, but do not attempt to perform a query using the datasource, I can do a variable dump and see these results:

So it appears to me, that my files are being found, the contents are being read, and the variables are beiong populated. So I cant figure out why I cant call the files using cfinclude template. and have the variables available.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I am going into my second full day trying to figure out what I am doing wrong.

P.S. What I am trying to acheive with this code is a method to allow the user to define a custom datasource name. This should be done without ever connecting to the database, as there will be no connection to the database until the datasource name is defined somewhere. Also I do not want the user to have to manually edit any files. The goal is to submit a form with the datasource name and then test the connection. If there is an easier way to go about this, than the way I am trying, please offer your suggestions.