<cfloop>
<cfset queryValue = possibleEmptyString >
<cfset queryName = QueryNew()> <!--- this ensures
that queryName is always defined, and is always a query --->
<cfif Len(queryValue)>
<cfquery name="queryName" dbtype="query">
select * from something
</cfquery>
</cfif>
<cfif queryName.RecordCount>
error="some error message"
</cfif>
</cfloop>