ColdFusion 11: preserveCaseForStructKey

G'day:
There's a new feature in ColdFusion 11:

Case preservation of struct keys

Currently, the cases for struct keys are not preserved in ColdFusion. The struct keys get converted to upper case automatically.

[...]

To enable case preservation of struct keys at the application level, modify the application.cfc file by setting:

this.serialization.preservecaseforstructkey = true

On a whim, I decided to check how well this had been implemented...

The first problem with this is the setting name: this.serialization.preservecaseforstructkey. This is not to do with serialisation... it's simply to do with preserving key case in structs. That the chief use of this is going to be when an object is serialised is neither really here nor there. So it needs a new name. I suggest just ditching the reference to serialisation. Or stick it in a substruct called "codeSettings" or something.

Additionally, I can't help but think this should be the default behaviour, and if - for some weirdo reason - one wanted it off, then one should use the config setting to do so. In the normal course of events, why would one simply not just want to preserve variable name case?

Secondly... wouldn't this be more a compiler setting than an application setting?

Thirdly... does it work? Here's some code that tests some options:

server.lowercase = true;
server.UPPERCASE = true;
server.mixedCase = true;
json = serializeJson(server);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=server},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="server scope");
writeOutput("<hr>");

application.lowercase = true;
application.UPPERCASE = true;
application.mixedCase = true;
json = serializeJson(application);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=application},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="application scope");
writeOutput("<hr>");

session.lowercase = true;
session.UPPERCASE = true;
session.mixedCase = true;
json = serializeJson(session);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=session},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="session scope");
writeOutput("<hr>");

request.lowercase = true;
request.UPPERCASE = true;
request.mixedCase = true;
json = serializeJson(request);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=request},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="request scope");
writeOutput("<hr>");

structClear(variables);
variables.lowercase = true;
variables.UPPERCASE = true;
variables.mixedCase = true;
json = serializeJson(variables);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=variables},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="variables scope");
writeOutput("<hr>");

dotNotation = {};
dotNotation.lowercase = true;
dotNotation.UPPERCASE = true;
dotNotation.mixedCase = true;
json = serializeJson(dotNotation);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=dotNotation},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="struct with dot notation");
writeOutput("<hr>");

literalNotation = {
    lowercase = true,
    UPPERCASE = true,
    mixedCase = true
};
json = serializeJson(literalNotation);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=literalNotation},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="struct with literal notation");
writeOutput("<hr>");

viaStructInsert = structNew();
structInsert(viaStructInsert, "lowercase", true);
structInsert(viaStructInsert, "UPPERCASE", true);
structInsert(viaStructInsert, "mixedCase", true);
json = serializeJson(viaStructInsert);
cf = deserializeJson(json);
writeDump(var=[{original=viaStructInsert},{json=json},{deserialiised=cf}], label="struct via structInsert()");
writeOutput("<hr>");

Here I put some case-significant keys into various scopes: server, application, session, request, variables; as well as into structs using various syntax options: dot notation, struct-literal notation, and using structInsert().

And the results:

server scope - array
1	server scope - struct original server scope - struct UPPERCASE true coldfusion server scope - struct InstallKit Native Windows appserver Tomcat expiration {ts '2014-05-15 09:40:59'} productlevel Evaluation productname ColdFusion Server productversion 11,0,0,288464 rootdir C:\apps\adobe\ColdFusion\11beta\gettingstarted\cfusion supportedlocales lowercase true mixedCase true os server scope - struct additionalinformation [empty string] arch amd64 buildnumber [empty string] name Windows 8 version 6.2
2	server scope - struct json { "mixedCase":true, "lowercase":true, "UPPERCASE":true }
3	server scope - struct deserialiised server scope - struct UPPERCASE YES coldfusion server scope - struct InstallKit Native Windows appserver Tomcat expiration May, 15 2014 09:40:59 productlevel Evaluation productname ColdFusion Server productversion 11,0,0,288464 rootdir C:\apps\adobe\ColdFusion\11beta\gettingstarted\cfusion supportedlocales lowercase YES mixedCase YES os server scope - struct additionalinformation [empty string] arch amd64 buildnumber [empty string] name Windows 8 version 6.2

---

application scope - array
1	application scope - struct original application scope - struct applicationname testKeyCase01 lowercase true mixedcase true uppercase true
2	application scope - struct json {"mixedcase":true,"uppercase":true,"lowercase":true,"applicationname":"testKeyCase01"}
3	application scope - struct deserialiised application scope - struct applicationname testKeyCase01 lowercase YES mixedcase YES uppercase YES

---

session scope - array
1	session scope - struct original session scope - struct cfid 118 cftoken d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428 lowercase true mixedcase true sessionid TESTKEYCASE01_118_d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428 uppercase true urltoken CFID=118&CFTOKEN=d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428
2	session scope - struct json {"mixedcase":true,"uppercase":true,"urltoken":"CFID=118&CFTOKEN=d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428","cftoken":"d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428","lowercase":true,"cfid":118,"sessionid":"TESTKEYCASE01_118_d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428"}
3	session scope - struct deserialiised session scope - struct cfid 118 cftoken d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428 lowercase YES mixedcase YES sessionid TESTKEYCASE01_118_d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428 uppercase YES urltoken CFID=118&CFTOKEN=d6d97e96918f566f-9A809602-EB3B-ADF4-7353897DF8912428

---

request scope - array
1	request scope - struct original request scope - struct lowercase true mixedcase true uppercase true
2	request scope - struct json {"uppercase":true,"lowercase":true,"mixedcase":true}
3	request scope - struct deserialiised request scope - struct lowercase YES mixedcase YES uppercase YES

---

variables scope - array
1	variables scope - struct original variables scope - struct CF variables scope - struct UPPERCASE YES lowercase YES mixedCase YES JSON {"lowercase":true,"UPPERCASE":true,"mixedCase":true} UPPERCASE true lowercase true mixedCase true
2	variables scope - struct json {"lowercase":true,"UPPERCASE":true,"mixedCase":true}
3	variables scope - struct deserialiised variables scope - struct UPPERCASE YES lowercase YES mixedCase YES

---

struct with dot notation - array
1	struct with dot notation - struct original struct with dot notation - struct UPPERCASE true lowercase true mixedCase true
2	struct with dot notation - struct json {"mixedCase":true,"UPPERCASE":true,"lowercase":true}
3	struct with dot notation - struct deserialiised struct with dot notation - struct UPPERCASE YES lowercase YES mixedCase YES

---

struct with literal notation - array
1	struct with literal notation - struct original struct with literal notation - struct UPPERCASE true lowercase true mixedCase true
2	struct with literal notation - struct json {"mixedCase":true,"UPPERCASE":true,"lowercase":true}
3	struct with literal notation - struct deserialiised struct with literal notation - struct UPPERCASE YES lowercase YES mixedCase YES

---

struct via structInsert() - array
1	struct via structInsert() - struct original struct via structInsert() - struct UPPERCASE true lowercase true mixedCase true
2	struct via structInsert() - struct json {"mixedCase":true,"UPPERCASE":true,"lowercase":true}
3	struct via structInsert() - struct deserialiised struct via structInsert() - struct UPPERCASE YES lowercase YES mixedCase YES

---

The results aren't bad, but aren't perfect either. With basic structs, everything works OK. However with some of the scopes, it's not working properly: the application, session and request scopes do not preserve key case still.

To be honest, this is a slightly contrived test, but Adobe should just do the job properly and thoroughly.

Incidentally: Railo already has this functionality, and it works for everything except the request scope:

---

request scope

Array 1 Struct original request lowercase boolean true mixedcase boolean true uppercase boolean true 2 Struct json string {"uppercase":true,"lowercase":true,"mixedcase":true} 3 Struct deserialised Struct lowercase boolean true mixedcase boolean true uppercase boolean true

---

So... it's good that they've decided to do this - and about time! - but there's still a bit of work to do.

Here's an issue though. What Adobe is trying to deal with here is that in other systems, object names can be case-sensitive. Most significantly, JavaScript is. I think Adobe have dealt with half the issue here, but have not dealt with the whole issue. Consider this code:

// inbound.cfm
json = '{"a":"a","A":"A"}';
cfml = deserializeJSON(json);
writeDump([{json=json},{cfml=cfml}]);

Here the key names are case-sensitive... and... other than case, the key names are the same. CFML still does not deal with this:

array
1	struct json {"a":"a","A":"A"}
2	struct cfml struct a A

This is predictable, and is different from "case preservation". But isn't this still part of what Adobe are trying to deal with here?

Also, there is data loss there: part of the inbound data simply vanishes without any notification from ColdFusion. I think this is probably not a good thing.

That said, it's also an edge-case, so I'm gonna file that one under "food for thought", not "it's an issue".

I can't help but think though that if Adobe are gong down this route of changing CF to pay attention to casing issues... maybe it should do a complete job of it? Obviously as a toggle-able setting though.

Oh... and for the sake of completeness I tested with WDDX as well, and it worked fine.

Bottom line:

• rename the config setting (3712134);
• fix the application, session and request scopes to do the job properly (3712135).

--
Adam