cfselect not showing cfc bound data

[Hedge]

I have a CFC that works fine. I can access it directly and get data etc. I even have it working find on another server with the same datasource. I am binding the cfc to a cfselect like so.

<cfform>

<cfselect name="category" bind="cfc:cfc.GetCategory.getCategory()" bindonload="true"></cfselect>

</cfform>

My cfc is located in a directory name cfc. The name is GetCategory.cfc and the method is getCategory. I an access it fine by goign to the URL as so.

http://siteurl/cfc/GetCategory.cfc?method=getCategory

It displays the data fine.

However when I try to look at the page the cfselect is on it shows me an empty drop down box with no selections. I can see using the cfdebug in the url that the cfc is being executed properly and returning data. It is just not showing up in the drop down. I have been banging my head against this one for a few days now so any outside eyes would be helpful. Anybody else run into this issue where the cfc works fine but does not appear to be binding to the cfselect for whatever reason? Keep in mind this code is working fine on another CF9 machine with a very similar setup.

[BKBK]

Add the value and display attributes to the cfselect tag. Here is an example to illustrate. It uses the datasource cfdocexamples which ships with Coldfusion, so you don't need to configure anything.

Employee.cfc

<cfcomponent output="false">
<cffunction name="getEmployee" access="remote" output="false" returntype="query">
<cfset var getAllEmployees = queryNew("","")>
<cfquery name = "getAllEmployees" dataSource = "cfdocexamples">
    SELECT Emp_ID,  FirstName || ' ' || LastName as EmployeeName
    FROM Employees
</cfquery>
<cfreturn getAllEmployees>
</cffunction>
</cfcomponent>

(within the same directory)

selectEmployee.cfm

<cfform>

<cfselect value="emp_id" display="EmployeeName" name="employee" bind="cfc:Employee.getEmployee()" bindonload="true"></cfselect>

</cfform>

[Hedge]

I tried adding that but it didn't make any difference. Still no data in the drop down menus.

[BKBK]

What type of data is does getCategory() return?

added edit: Make sure getCategory() returns a query.

Message was edited by: BKBK

[Hedge]

returnType="array"

This code works on another 9.0 server. Weird.

[Dan_Bracuk]

BKBK gave you a good suggestion about returning a query from that cfc.  Here are some other things to consider.

First, if the query in your getcategory function does not get used anywhere else except this page, it's a bad idea to have a cfc at all.  Your page will run faster if you simply put the query in your .cfm template.

Next, if the function is being used elsewhere, and you need an array to be returned, forget the bind syntax.  Simply call the function and loop through the array to populate your select.

[Hedge]

Problem is it is more than just the one drop down. I have a Category a Subcategory and a Subcategory2. I am using this code so when they choose a category it auto populates the subcategory field with only choises for that category and then it does the same for the subcategory2 from the subcategory selection. So I am using a CFC and binding the results from the previous drop down to it. I just don't understand why it is not actually putting the data intot he dropdowns like it should. Like I say code works fine on another site

[meensi]

Hi,

I hope this query is returning values and its not displaying in your drop downs.

We had the same problem in our jquery, the query is returning values, but its not showing up in the UI.

Then we found that, there were some extra spaces before, and after that the result was shown.(because we had used lots of css styles).

we just trim() function and it worked fine.

Use Firebug in Mozilla firefox for the debugging, its very useful.

[meensi]

so, your CFC is in another directory??

I remember somebody told me that in the virtual directories this CFC wont work; but still I m not sure.

Please check it or some other members can clarify this one.

[Dan_Bracuk]

Related selects were around long before the concept of binding form controls to cfcs.  Unless you are dealing with large amounts of data, it's probably more efficient to get all the data from the database once, and use javascript to control your selects.

[BKBK]

Hedge, an array wont work. Bind the cfselect to a query not to an array. Go back and modify the function to return a query instead.

[Hedge]

Here is a screenshot of it working (returning array).

Now here is a screen shot of the exact same code on a different server not working.

the only difference between the two is the top one is using a cf mapping in the CF administrator for the cfc directory and the bottom one is not.

Iv'e tried the JavaScript path I have tried several other alternatives but this is reusuable code for a shopping cart for our sites so I want to use what is already working on the other site. All I did was copy and paste the code and not use a CF mapping. You can see though from the AJAX debugger that both sites are calling the CFC's so I wouldn't think the mapping would matter. The only problem I have is on the bottom one it is not putting the data fromt he CFC into the cfselect. I'm baffled. Same code

[BKBK]

the only difference between the two is the top one is using a cf mapping in the CF administrator for the cfc directory and the bottom one is not.

Put the cfm page containing the cfform in the directory named cfc. Then change the bind attribute to bind="cfc:GetCategory.getCategory()".

Alternatively, suppose the path of GetCategory.cfc from the web root is /dir1/dir2/cfc/GetCategory.cfc. Then use the bind attribute bind="cfc:dir1.dir2.cfc.GetCategory.getCategory()".

[Hedge]

Tried that. No luck

[Hedge]

Ok for giggles I put a copy of the cfc on the other server (the one where the code was working) and I ran it just to see what would happen. It worked fine. So is there perhaps a setting someplace in CF administrator I am missing that should be checked that isn't or something? Makes no sense that it works on one server and not the other.

[meensi]

Ok for giggles I put a copy of the cfc on the other server (the one  where the code was working) and I ran it just to see what would happen.  It worked fine. So is there perhaps a setting someplace in CF  administrator I am missing that should be checked that isn't or  something? Makes no sense that it works on one server and not the other.

We also had the problem, our CFC does not work on the different server.

we came to know that, CFC has some problem when we work in Virtual directories.

[Hedge]

Ok I found something else interesting. I don't know what it means but maybe somebody here does. Here is a screenshot from both sites.

The one that is NOT working.

And from the one that is working.

I noticed on the one that is working there is an additional checkbox at the bottom of the debugger screen for bind (I circled it in red) and on the site where the controls do not appear to be binding there is no such checkbox. I would think this leads weight to my idea that for whatever reason on the top screenshot the data is not being binded to the cfselect controls for some reason. The code is exactly the same. The databases are exactly the same. The only difference here is servers. Does this give any ideas?

[ilssac]

I glanced, but did not read thoroughly the thread to this point.

But have you confrimed that all necessary ColdFusion scripts are available to the User Client?

I.E. Does this, or something similar work and fetch a javascript file?  http://your.site.ext/CFIDE/scripts/wddx.js

I would wonder why you are getting some cfc functionality without access to these files, but I am no export on these features.

[Hedge]

Yep it pulls the JavaScript up fine. I have cfide set as a virtual directory so that shouldn't be an issue.

[ilssac]

You have a weird one here.

Can you use something like wireshark to see the exact data that is passing between the servers, not just what the browser is doing with them when it receives it.

Also, any chance of an extra Application.cfm|cfc hanging around monkeying with the JSON data (onRequestEnd.cfm may also play a role in this) by adding extra white space to the response.  I usually hear this as out and out breaking the JSON, but sugestions are getting scarce.

[Adam Cameron.]

The code is exactly the same. The databases are exactly the same. The only difference here is servers. Does this give any ideas?

Can you pls go into CFAdmin on each server and report back the exact CF version, as well as the patch level on both.

--

Adam

[BKBK]

Hedge-nfylYo wrote:

Ok I found something else interesting. I don't know what it means but maybe somebody here does. Here is a screenshot from both sites.

The one that is NOT working.

I noticed on the one that is working there is an additional checkbox at the bottom of the debugger screen for bind (I circled it in red) and on the site where the controls do not appear to be binding there is no such checkbox. I would think this leads weight to my idea that for whatever reason on the top screenshot the data is not being binded to the cfselect controls for some reason. The code is exactly the same. The databases are exactly the same. The only difference here is servers. Does this give any ideas?

The data appears to be coming in, so this should work. Furthermore, I see that the data represents an array of dimension [2], which is equivalent to a two-column result set, hence equivalent to a query. That's yet another reason why it should work.

Take a look at the following modified version of the example I gave earlier. It might contain themes relevant to your case.

Employee.cfc

<cfcomponent output="false">
<cffunction name="getEmployee" access="remote" output="false" returntype="array">
<cfset var getAllEmployees = queryNew("","")>
<cfset var arr = arrayNew(2)>

<cfquery name = "getAllEmployees" dataSource = "cfdocexamples">
    SELECT Emp_ID,  FirstName || ' ' || LastName as Name
    FROM Employees
</cfquery>

<cfloop query="GetAllEmployees">
<cfset arr[currentrow][1]=emp_id>
<cfset arr[currentrow][2]=name>
</cfloop>

<cfreturn arr>

</cffunction>
</cfcomponent>

selectEmployee.cfm

<cfform>

<cfselect value="emp_id" display="name" name="employee" bind="cfc:Employee.getEmployee()" bindonload="true"></cfselect>

</cfform>

[Hedge]

Ok I simplified it as much as I could. I made this the cfc

<cfcomponent output="false">
<cffunction name="getEmployee" access="remote" output="false" returntype="array">

<cfset var arr = arrayNew(2)>

<cfset arr[1][1] = 0>
<cfset arr[1][2] = '*SELECT ONE*'>
<cfset arr[2][1] = 1>
<cfset arr[2][2] = 'More Data'>

<cfreturn arr>

</cffunction>
</cfcomponent>

This worked and bound data to the cfselect.

So is it possible the data being returned is the problem? I don't see how it could be the problem in all 9 drop downs I am using it in though

[ilssac]

Hedge wrote:

So is it possible the data being returned is the problem? I don't see how it could be the problem in all 9 drop downs I am using it in though

It could be a problem.  What is the data.

A quick example that occurs to me that would probably cause problems somewhere.

<cfset arr[1][1] = 0>
<cfset arr[1][2] = '*SELECT ONE*'>
<cfset arr[2][1] = 1>
<cfset arr[2][2] = '10 O'Clock'>

[Hedge]

Let's take the first drop down which is for just category for example. If I do a straight call to the cfc and method via URL like so.

http://mysite/admin/GetCategory.cfc?method=getCategory&category=9

I get the following reply. I broke them out to each line for readablility.

9.0Charts/Leaflets/Books

0*SELECT ONE*

3.0Accessories

9.0Charts/Leaflets/Books

19.0Clubs & Other Stitcher Specials

18.0Custom Mats

6.0Embellishments

4.0Fabric

12.0Fibers & Floss

14.0Frames

5.0Kits

17.0Learn How To...

10.0Limited Edition/Quantities

16.0Magazines/Publications

26.0Miniatures, Wool Applique, Embroidery & Other Techniques

15.0Miscellaneous

7.0Prefinished

23.0RETIRED MODEL Sale

22.0Rouge Chapeau Stitchers

21.0Russian Punch Needle

25.0Stitch For A Cause

24.0Stitches N Things Exclusive