You might have already noticed that even database servers like Microsoft's SQL Server 2000 have no method of hiding even password fields from prying eyes. Instead passwords are stored as plain text. Not good. Even Microsoft Access provides a way to mask fileds you would prefer not to be easily read. Not so SQL Server - and probably quite a few other database servers suffer the same issue. This is easily rectified however using two handy functions built-in to ColdFusion, from at at least version 5.0 and above (I think they were in 4.x also). I've developed the following code using CFMX updated 3.

As of writing this there are four flavours of CFMX, for Windows at least, floating about. You may know what version YOU are running but what about your hosting provider? Run the code below to find out.

If you are using the CFFORM tag in a shared hosting environment, and why wouldn't you as CF form elements can be very useful, you may now be receiving obscure JavaScript errors when your form loads. Never fear, the solution is a simple fix to an annoying problem

The often forgotten function GetMetricData() function returns the same info as the cfstat utility.

CFML's function GetTimeZoneInfo will give you timezone offsets, and day light savings time information, but if you want the name of the timezone your ColdFusion server is in you can use java's TimeZone class.