About ColdFusion Data Sources

Before a database can be used with a ColdFusion application, it must be configured as a ColdFusion data source. You do this using the ColdFusion Administrator Data Sources page. The specific databases you can configure for ColdFusion depend on the platform on which ColdFusion Server is installed and on whether you're running ColdFusion Express, Professional, or Enterprise editions.

Databases supported by ColdFusion

ColdFusion Express uses ODBC to interact with data sources. The Databases supported by ColdFusion Express are:

Microsoft Access
Microsoft Excel
Borland dBase
Text files
Microsoft FoxPro
Lotus Approach

Where to go from here

To use a data source in your ColdFusion applications, you need to register or create the data source using the ColdFusion Administrator.

Refer to the following sections for details about configuring ColdFusion for your database:

Configuring ODBC Data Sources for ColdFusion -- Explains the basics of creating an ODBC data source using the ColdFusion Administrator.
Configuring ODBC Data Sources for Windows -- Describes ODBC options for specific databases running on Windows.
Verifying ColdFusion Data Sources -- Explains how to verify the connection to your database.
Using ColdFusion to Create a Data Source -- Explains how you can use ColdFusion code to generate database tables dynamically.