I wish I understood Arrays

[jkgiven]

I need to get my output into an array - but I don't understand how.
I have the following code:

<cfset currently = #DateFormat(createDate(year(now()),month(now()),day(now())),'yyyy-mm-dd')#>

<cfloop index="loopCount" from="1" to="6">
<cfset lastMonthYearX=#DateFormat(dateAdd('m',-#loopCount#,currently),'yyyy-mm-dd')#>
<cfset lastYearX=datePart('yyyy',lastMonthYearX)>
<cfset lastMonthX=NumberFormat(datePart('m',lastMonthYearX),09)>
<cfset daysX=daysInmonth(lastMonthYearX)>

<!--- COLLECT DATA AND SUMS FROM DATABASE BASED ON PASSED DATE --->
<cfquery name="Query3" datasource="erpdb01">
SELECT sum(t_delall) delT, sum(t_invall) invT, sum(t_bookall) bookT
FROM dbo.tbrsar310110
WHERE t_year='#lastYearX#' AND t_month='#lastMonthX#' AND t_day <= '#daysX#'
</cfquery>

<!--- GET MONTHLY GOAL AMOUNTS --->
<cfquery name="Query4" datasource="brayapps">
SELECT *
FROM goalGraph
WHERE t_year='#lastYearX#' AND t_month='#lastMonthX#'
</cfquery>

<!--- SET VALUES FOR EACH OF THE FOUR GRAPH COLUMNS --->
<cfset del=#round((query3.delT/query4.delgoal)*100)#>
<cfset inv=#round((query3.invT/query4.invgoal)*100)#>
<cfset book=#round((query3.bookT/query4.bookgoal)*100)#>
</cfloop>

I need to get an amount for del, inv, book in each of the last 6 months - BUT HOW?

I'm guessing this would be best as a 2D array?

Any help is appreciated
A link to a GOOD tutorial is also appreciated - I've read the documentation and looked at some simple tutorials but none seem really all that clear to me.

[Newsgroup_User]

Well, to use an array, you need to initialise it:

<cfset a = arrayNew(1)>

It's only one dimensional because the second "dimension" will be a struct
(see below)

Stick that line above your loop. Give the array a better name.

Then you have to POPULATE the array. This is an easy modification of your
existing code to set the individual variables:

<cfset a[loopCount] = structNew()> <!--- each element is a struct --->

<cfset a[loopCount].del=round((query3.delT/query4.delgoal)*100)>
<cfset a[loopCount].inv=round((query3.invT/query4.invgoal)*100)>
<cfset a[loopCount].book=round((query3.bookT/query4.bookgoal)*100)>

The reason why the second "dimension" is a struct rather than an array is
that arrays are intrinsically "ordered", and there ought to be some sense
of a numeric relationship between the elements. This is not the case here.


As for reading... I'm not sure what to suggest if the docs don't help you:
http://livedocs.adobe.com/coldfusion/7/htmldocs/00000951.htm (there are
several sequential pages).

There's this:
http://coldfusion.sys-con.com/read/279900.htm

which I found on Google my searching for "cfmx array tutorial".

--
Adam

[jkgiven]

That gets me the results I want - now I just have to figure out how it works.
Thanks for your time, help and suggestions.

[Newsgroup_User]

P.S.

Nothing to do with your array issue, I think Adam covered that fairly well.

But this line is a bit overly complex:
<cfset currently =
#DateFormat(createDate(year(now()),month(now()),day(now())),'yyyy-mm-dd')#>

I would write that as:
<cfset currently = dateFormat(now(),'yyyy-mm-dd')>

I don't see a need to process the dateTime object now() into pieces to
then process the pieces back into a dateTime object.

[jkgiven]

Ian - You're probably right, I'll look into this shortly - thanks for the time and input.

[jkgiven]

using a cfdump, I see all the data, but now how do I use it?
lets say I wanted to output the value for the third del - is that: #a3.del#
it tells me Element DEL is undefined in TRENDS1.
(I named my array and struct "trends)
my code now is:

<cfset currently = #DateFormat(createDate(year(now()),month(now()),day(now())),'yyyy-mm-dd')#>
<cfset trends = arrayNew(1)>

<cfloop index="loopCount" from="1" to="6">
<cfset lastMonthYearX=#DateFormat(dateAdd('m',-#loopCount#,currently),'yyyy-mm-dd')#>
<cfset lastYearX=datePart('yyyy',lastMonthYearX)>
<cfset lastMonthX=NumberFormat(datePart('m',lastMonthYearX),09)>
<cfset daysX=daysInmonth(lastMonthYearX)>

<!--- COLLECT DATA AND SUMS FROM DATABASE BASED ON PASSED DATE --->
<cfquery name="Query3" datasource="erpdb01">
SELECT sum(t_delall) delT, sum(t_invall) invT, sum(t_bookall) bookT
FROM dbo.tbrsar310110
WHERE t_year='#lastYearX#' AND t_month='#lastMonthX#' AND t_day <= '#daysX#'
</cfquery>

<!--- GET MONTHLY GOAL AMOUNTS --->
<cfquery name="Query4" datasource="brayapps">
SELECT *
FROM goalGraph
WHERE t_year='#lastYearX#' AND t_month='#lastMonthX#'
</cfquery>

<!--- SET VALUES FOR EACH OF THE THREE GRAPH COLUMNS --->
<cfset trends[loopCount]=structNew()> <!--- EACH ELEMENT IS A STRUCTURE --->
<cfset trends[loopCount].del=round((query3.delT/query4.delgoal)*100)>
<cfset trends[loopCount].inv=round((query3.invT/query4.invgoal)*100)>
<cfset trends[loopCount].book=round((query3.bookT/query4.bookgoal)*100)>
</cfloop>
<tr>
<td class="trendgraph" colspan="2">
<cfdump var="#trends#">
#trends1.del#


I will eventually be outputting each amount to a graph, so I need to be able to call on each one individually.

Thanks

[Newsgroup_User]

You uses brackets to define elements for arrays, you can also do this
for structures, but most people use dot notation for simple structure keys.

<cfoutput>
#trends[1].del#
OR
#trends[1]["del"]#
OR with a variable <cfset myKey = "del">
#trends[1][myKey]#
<cfoutput>

[jkgiven]

Well of course your right!

Everything is working great now - thanks everybody!

[Dan_Bracuk]

I suggest going back to square 1. The fact that you have queries inside a loop is a bad sign. At best, it's inefficient.

Without using the word array, what is the task at hand? In other words, when somebody runs this particular page, what should they see?