Evaluates a passed expression and passes control to the cfcase tag that matches the expression result. You can, optionally, code a cfdefaultcase tag, which receives control if there is no matching cfcase tag value.

Flow-control tags

cfcase, cfdefaultcase, cfabort, cfloop, cfbreak, cfexecute, cfexit, cfif, cflocation, cfrethrow, cfthrow, cftry; "cfswitch, cfcase, and cfdefaultcase" in Chapter 2, "Elements of CFML," in ColdFusion MX Developer's Guide

ColdFusion MX: Changed cfdefaultcase tag placement requirements: you can put the cfdefaultcase tag at any position within a cfswitch statement; it is not required to be the last item.

This tag requires an end tag. All code within this tag must be within a cfcase or cfdefaultcase tag. Otherwise, ColdFusion throws an error.

Use this tag followed by one or more cfcase tags. Optionally, include a cfdefaultcase tag. This tag selects the matching alternative from the cfcase and cfdefaultcase tags, jumps to the matching tag, and executes the code between the cfcase start and end tags.

The cfswitch tag provides better performance than a series of cfif/cfelseif tags, and the code is easier to read.

<!--- This example shows the use of cfswitch and cfcase to 
exercise a case statement in CFML. --->
<cfquery name = "GetEmployees" dataSource = "cfdocexamples">
   SELECT Emp_ID, FirstName, LastName, EMail, Phone, Department
   FROM   Employees
</cfquery>

<h3>cfswitch Example</h3>
<!--- By outputting the query and using cfswitch, we classify the 
output without using a cfloop construct. --->
<p>Each time the case is fulfilled, the specific information is printed; 
if the case is not fulfilled, the default case is output </p> 
<cfoutput query="GetEmployees"> 
<cfswitch expression="#Trim(Department)#"> 
   <cfcase value="Sales"> 
      #FirstName# #LastName# is in <b>sales</b><br><br> 
   </cfcase> 
   <cfcase value="Accounting"> 
      #FirstName# #LastName# is in <b>accounting</b><br><br> 
   </cfcase> <cfcase value="Administration"> 
      #FirstName# #LastName# is in <b>administration</b><br><br> 
   </cfcase> 
   <cfdefaultcase> 
      #FirstName# #LastName# is not in Sales, Accounting, or
         Administration.<br><br>
   </cfdefaultcase> 
</cfswitch> 
</cfoutput>