You can create structures by assigning a variable name to the structure with the StructNew function as follows:

<cfset structName = StructNew()>

For example, to create a structure named departments, use the following syntax:

<cfset departments = StructNew()>

This statement creates an empty structure to which you can add data.

You can create an empty structure implicitly, as in the following example:

<cfset myStruct = {}>

You can also create a structure by assigning data to a variable. For example, each of the following lines creates a structure named myStruct with one element, name, that has the value Adobe Systems Incorporated.

<cfset coInfo.name = "Adobe Systems Incorporated"> 
<cfset coInfo["name"] = "Adobe Systems Incorporated"> 
<cfset coInfo = {name = "Adobe Systems Incorporated"}>

When you use structure notation to create a structure, as shown in the third example, you can populate multiple structure fields. The following example shows this use:

<cfset coInfo={name="Adobe Systems Incorporated", industry="software"}

ColdFusion does not allow nested implicit creation of structures, arrays, or structures and arrays. The following line, for example, generates an error:

<cfset myStruct = {structKey1 = {innerStructKey1 = "innerStructValue1"}}>

Similarly, you cannot use object.property notation on the left side of assignments inside structure notation. The following statement, for example, causes an error:

<cfset myStruct={structKey1.innerStructKey1 = "innerStructValue1"}>

Instead of using these formats, use multiple statements, such as the following:

<cfset innerStruct1 = {innerStructKey1 = "innerStructValue1"} 
<cfset myStruct1={structKey1 = innerStruct1}>

You cannot use a dynamic variable when you create a structure implicitly. For example, the following expression generates an error:

<cfset i="coInfo"> 
<cfset "#i#"={name = ""Adobe Systems Incorporated"}>