Migration - Upgrades

How to Handle Deprecated Tags During ColdFusion Upgrade

by Aaron Longnion
10 min read
Contents show

Why this upgrade matters

Deprecated tags accumulate Technical debt, hide Security gaps, and slow delivery. When you upgrade Adobe ColdFusion (for example, from 9/10/11/2016 to 2018/2021/2023), those legacy tags can break builds or degrade Performance. Proactively replacing them reduces risk, improves maintainability, and moves your codebase toward Modern CFML and cfscript patterns that play better with today’s tooling, CI/CD, and observability platforms.

Prerequisites / Before You Start

  • Backups and snapshots

  • Identify source and target versions

    • Note your current Adobe ColdFusion version and update level
    • Choose a target engine (Adobe ColdFusion 2018, 2021, or 2023) and its latest update
    • If considering Lucee, treat it as a separate Migration path with its own Compatibility matrix

  • Environment parity

    • Set up a separate staging environment mirroring production (OS, JDK, web server, connectors, memory)
    • Pin the same JDK version you plan to run in production

  • Dependencies and tools

    • CommandBox for local CF engines: box install CommandBox
    • Testing and analysis: TestBox, CFLint, Fixinator, cfformat, Code Analyzer (ColdFusion Administrator), FusionReactor or Glowroot
    • Front-end libraries to replace UI tags: Bootstrap, DataTables, Chart.js/Apache ECharts, Fetch/axios

  • Access and credentials

    • Admin access to CF Administrator on all environments
    • Access to log aggregation and APM
    • Feature flags or toggles to safely enable/disable migrated Features

  • Success criteria and roll-back plan

    • Define acceptance criteria, SLAs, and Performance targets
    • Prepare a rollback Playbook, including config and DB rollback steps

Step-by-Step Migration guide

1) Confirm the scope and versions

  • Create a matrix of what Features you use and where Deprecated tags might appear.
  • List the gaps between your current CFML and the target engine.
  • Typical clusters of deprecated functionality:
    • Legacy UI/AJAX tags (cfdiv, cflayout, cfpod, cfmenu, cftooltip, cfwindow)
    • Flash-related or applet-based features
    • Form helpers (cfform/cfinput/cfselect/cfgrid) that assumed old client behaviors
    • Deprecated attributes and behaviors of tags (cfchart engines, cfquery attribute changes)
See also  How to Ensure SEO Continuity After Migration

Tip: Adobe’s release notes and the “Code Compatibility” report help distinguish removed vs. deprecated vs. behavior-changed items.

2) Stand up a parallel environment

  • Use CommandBox to spin up the target engine alongside your existing environment:

    • box server start cfengine=adobe@2023

  • Create a box.json to lock versions:

    {
    “name”: “cf-upgrade-sandbox”,
    “app”:{
    “cfengine”:”adobe@2023″
    },
    “web”:{
    “http”:{
    “port”:8500
    }
    }
    }

  • Configure web server connectors (IIS/Apache/httpd) to route a staging hostname to your new instance.

3) Run automated compatibility analysis

  • Use the built-in Code Analyzer (CF Administrator > Code Analyzer) targeting your chosen version.
  • Augment with:
    • CFLint for static code analysis
    • Fixinator for security checks and Modernization hints
    • Grep/Ripgrep/PowerShell to find/tag-search across the repo:
      • ripgrep example: rg -n “<cf(div|layout|pod|menu|window|tooltip|grid|spry)” ./src
  • Export findings into a spreadsheet and categorize by:
    • Deprecated/removed tags
    • Deprecated attributes/behaviors
    • Security-impacting changes
    • Performance-impacting changes

4) Prioritize deprecated tags

Tackle high-impact areas first:

  • Anything that 404s or throws at startup on the target engine
  • Core user journeys (login, checkout, dashboards)
  • Deprecated UI that blocks rendering
  • Tags tied to old client runtimes (Flash, Java applets)

Use a “strangler fig” approach: carve out and replace clusters of functionality incrementally rather than a big bang.

5) Replace tags category by category

Deprecated AJAX/UI tags

Adobe deprecated the legacy AJAX UI tags years ago and removed many in later releases. Common examples:

  • cfdiv, cflayout, cfpod, cfmenu, cftooltip, cfwindow, cftree
  • Some Spry or YUI-based tags

Replacement strategy:

  • Use semantic HTML and CSS frameworks (Bootstrap/Tailwind)
  • Replace “auto-AJAX” with fetch/axios calls to CFCs or REST endpoints
  • Use modal widgets from your JS framework instead of cfwindow

Example: replacing cfdiv async content

  • Before:

  • After (HTML + JS):

Forms: cfform, cfinput, cfselect, cfgrid

  • Many cfform and related tags created tight coupling between server and client.
  • Prefer Standards-based HTML5 inputs and validation with unobtrusive JS.
  • For data grids, use DataTables or your framework’s grid component.

Example: replacing cfgrid

  • Before:

  • After:

  • Server side (CFC returning JSON):

    component accessors=true {

    remote struct function listUsers(numeric start=0, numeric length=10) returnFormat=”json” {
    var q = queryExecute(
    “SELECT id, name, email FROM users ORDER BY id OFFSET :start ROWS FETCH NEXT :len ROWS ONLY”,
    { start:{value:arguments.start, cfsqltype:”cf_sql_integer”}
    , len:{value:arguments.length, cfsqltype:”cf_sql_integer”} }
    );
    return { data = q };
    }

    }

cfajaxproxy and remote calls

  • cfajaxproxy auto-generated JS proxies to call remote CFC functions. Replace with:
    • Direct fetch/axios calling REST-mapped CFCs or cfm endpoints returning JSON
    • Hardened with tokens/CSRF headers and Authentication

Example: REST-mapped CFC

component rest=”true” restpath=”users” {

remote any function get(required numeric id) httpmethod=”GET” restpath=”{id}” produces=”application/json” {
var q = queryExecute(“SELECT id,name,email FROM users WHERE id=:id”, { id:{value:arguments.id, cfsqltype:”cf_sql_integer”} });
if (q.recordCount == 0) return { “error”:”not found” };
return q[1];
}

}

JS client:

fetch(‘/rest/users/42’, { headers:{ ‘Accept’:’application/json’ } })
.then(r=>r.json())
.then(console.log);

Charts: cfchart and Flash

  • Flash-based charting is gone; server-side cfchart can remain but mind engine/attribute changes and server load.
  • Prefer client-side charting for interactivity and offloading CPU.

Example: Chart.js



Search (Verity-era tags)

  • Old Verity is long gone. If you still have cfcollection/cfindex/cfsearch code, confirm it targets Solr (bundled) or migrate to a dedicated search like Elasticsearch.
  • For Solr on modern CF, ensure Solr service is running and reindex collections. Consider moving to external search for Scalability.

6) Convert tag code to cfscript where it pays off

Not every tag must be scriptified, but consolidating Business logic and Data access in cfscript simplifies testing and modern tooling.

  • cfquery to queryExecute():

    • Before:


      SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE id=

    • After:

      qUser = queryExecute(
      “SELECT id, name FROM users WHERE id = :id”,
      { id: { value: url.id, cfsqltype: “cf_sql_integer” } },
      { datasource: “appDSN” }
      );

  • cfsavecontent to savecontent:

    savecontent variable=”emailBody” {
    writeOutput(renderView(“emails/welcome”, { user: user }));
    }

  • Encourage strongly typed parameters in CFCs and use return types for clarity and tooling.

See also  How to Migrate ColdFusion API Endpoints to New URLs

7) Review and modernize Application.cfc

  • Security:
    • this.scriptProtect = “all” or use a WAF and robust validation
    • Implement secure cookies: this.sessionCookie.httponly = true; this.sessionCookie.secure = true;
    • Consider enabling SameSite where applicable
  • Encoding and serialization:
    • this.charset = “UTF-8”;
    • this.serialization.preserveCaseForStructKey = true;
  • REST and CFC mappings:
    • this.restsettings = { … }; this.mappings[“/models”] = expandPath(“/models”);
  • Datasources:
    • this.datasources = { appDSN = { class: “…”, connectionString: “…”, username: “…”, password: “…” } };

Example snippet:

component {
this.name = “MyApp2023”;
this.applicationTimeout = createTimespan(1,0,0,0);
this.sessionManagement = true;
this.sessionTimeout = createTimespan(0,2,0,0);
this.charset = “UTF-8”;
this.scriptProtect = “all”;
this.sessionCookie={ httpOnly:true, secure:true, sameSite:”Lax” };
}

8) Build automated tests as migration safety nets

Sample TestBox spec:

component extends=”testbox.system.BaseSpec” {

function run(){
describe(“User Service”, function(){
it(“loads a user”, function(){
var result = userService.get(1);
expect(result).toHaveKey(“name”);
});
});
}

}

9) Profile performance and memory

  • Drop UI tags often reduces server CPU. Validate with APM and load testing.
  • Add cfqueryparam everywhere to stabilize query plans.
  • Check JVM settings (Xms/Xmx, GC) and data source timeouts.
  • Replace synchronous PDF/chart generation in web requests with async jobs if heavy.

10) Plan the cutover and rollback

  • Feature flag the new paths
  • Blue/green or canary release with gradual traffic shifting
  • Real-time log monitoring with alerts on error spikes
  • Keep rollback scripts ready: previous WAR/ear, CFAdmin export, DB snapshot, search indexes

Risks, Common Issues, and How to Avoid Them

  • Breaking UI due to removed tags
    • Mitigation: Inventory and replace UI tags first; prototype replacements in isolation
  • Security regressions
    • Mitigation: Enforce cfqueryparam, validate input, set secure cookies, CSRF tokens for POST, review CORS
  • Serialization differences
    • Mitigation: Test JSON/XML outputs; set this.serialization options; confirm date and null handling
  • Character encoding issues
    • Mitigation: Standardize on UTF-8; verify DB connection encodings; set pageEncoding and meta tags
  • REST/CFC routing changes
    • Mitigation: Explicit rest-mappings; update rewrite rules; add 301s for old URLs
  • Dependency mismatches
  • Hidden reliance on global variables
    • Mitigation: Refactor to dependency injection (ColdBox/WireBox or DI/1); reduce reliance on application-wide scope for testability
  • PDF/chart engine differences
    • Mitigation: Compare outputs; configure fonts and locales; offload heavy rendering

Post-Migration Checklist

  • Application.cfc settings verified in staging and production
  • All deprecated tags removed or replaced; no analyzer findings blocking release
  • Core flows tested (auth, payments, file uploads, reporting)
  • Data sources, mail, caches, Solr/Elasticsearch verified
  • REST endpoints documented and responsive with proper HTTP status codes
  • Client-side assets minified and cache-busted
  • Access logs, error logs, CF logs clean under load
  • APM dashboards and alerts configured
  • Backup and rollback artifacts validated
  • Team documentation updated (runbooks, Onboarding, Coding Standards)

Common Tag Replacement Guide

Tag or Pattern | Status | Replacement/Strategy | Notes

  • cfdiv, cflayout, cfpod, cfmenu, cfwindow, cftooltip, cftree | Deprecated/Removed | HTML + JS frameworks (Bootstrap, native modals), fetch/axios to CFC/REST | Removes server-side coupling to UI
  • cfform, cfinput, cfselect, cfgrid | Largely deprecated for modern apps | HTML5 forms, client-side validation, DataTables/JS grid | Improves accessibility and control
  • cfajaxproxy | Deprecated approach | REST-mapped CFCs + fetch/axios | Add auth and CSRF protections
  • Flash-based charting | Removed | Chart.js/ECharts or server-side cfchart (modern engine) | Prefer client-side for interactivity
  • Verity-era search | Legacy | Solr (bundled) or Elasticsearch | Reindex and validate analyzers
  • Tag-based cfquery only | Not deprecated but modernize | queryExecute() in cfscript | Enables cleaner services and testing
See also  How to Move ColdFusion Apps to a New Domain or Host

Practical Examples

Finding deprecated UI tags with ripgrep

rg -n “<cf(div|layout|pod|menu|window|tooltip|grid)\b” ./app

Converting cfoutput constructs to cfscript

  • Before:

    #ucase(user.name)#

  • After:

    writeOutput( ucase(user.name) );

Or rely on view templates with minimal logic and use helpers.

Securing queries

  • Use cfqueryparam or named parameters everywhere:

    queryExecute(
    “UPDATE users SET email=:email WHERE id=:id”,
    { email:{value:form.email, cfsqltype:”cf_sql_varchar”}, id:{value:form.id, cfsqltype:”cf_sql_integer”} }
    );

Deployment and Configuration Tips

  • CF Administrator
    • Disable RDS in production
    • Lock down Administrator with IP restrictions or container-only access
    • Enable robust logging and request throttling if needed
  • JVM
    • Match JDK to Adobe’s supported matrix for your CF version
    • Tune GC; consider G1GC with appropriate heap sizing
  • Web server connectors
    • Regenerate connectors after upgrading CF
    • Confirm HTTP/2 and TLS configuration at the web server
  • Containers
    • If containerizing: pin a cfimage, use health checks, mount only necessary volumes, manage secrets via env vars or vaults

Validation Steps

  • Functional
    • Navigate all critical pages; verify no UI tag errors remain
    • Test forms, uploads, downloads, and Authentication flows
  • API/Integration
    • Exercise all REST endpoints; validate JSON schemas
    • Confirm third-party integrations (payments, email, storage)
  • Performance
    • Run load tests comparing baseline and upgraded performance
    • Verify GC pauses and response times under load
  • Security
    • Rerun Fixinator and dependency scans
    • Pen test key endpoints; verify headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options)
  • Observability
    • Ensure error rates, latencies, and throughput are visible in APM
    • Set alerts for Slow queries and high error codes
  • Data and content
    • Rebuild search indexes as needed
    • Verify generated PDFs/charts for fidelity
  • Operations
    • Test scheduled tasks
    • Check logs rotation and retention
    • Validate backup procedures

FAQ

What are the most commonly deprecated ColdFusion tags I should look for first?

Start with the legacy UI/AJAX tags: cfdiv, cflayout, cfpod, cfmenu, cfwindow, cftooltip, cftree, and some spry-related tags. Many were deprecated in CF2016 and removed by CF2018+. Also review cfform/cfinput/cfselect/cfgrid usage and any Flash-related charting.

Do I have to convert all tags to cfscript to upgrade successfully?

No. Converting to cfscript is a Modernization strategy, not a hard requirement. Focus primarily on tags that are deprecated/removed or risky. That said, migrating business logic to cfscript often simplifies testing and Maintenance.

Can I keep using cfchart?

Yes, but validate engine and attribute changes in your target version, and consider client-side charting for Scalability and interactivity. If you keep cfchart, pre-generate heavy reports or move rendering off the main request thread.

How do I replace cfajaxproxy without breaking my app?

Expose remote CFC methods via REST or direct CFC endpoints returning JSON, then call them with fetch or axios from the browser. Add authentication, CSRF protection, and proper CORS headers if needed.

What’s the safest way to roll out the changes?

Use a parallel environment, run automated tests, enable feature flags, and prefer blue/green or canary releases. Monitor with APM and logs; keep a tested rollback plan including configuration and database snapshots.

About the author

Aaron Longnion

Aaron Longnion

Hey there! I'm Aaron Longnion — an Internet technologist, web software engineer, and ColdFusion expert with more than 24 years of experience. Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with some of the most exciting and fast-growing companies out there, including lynda.com, HomeAway, landsofamerica.com (CoStar Group), and Adobe.com.

I'm a full-stack developer at heart, but what really drives me is designing and building internet architectures that are highly scalable, cost-effective, and fault-tolerant — solutions built to handle rapid growth and stay ahead of the curve.

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