Component properties don't exist anymore.

Question

I have an component called: Event.cfc
Long story short, I init() it by issuing a command like:
<cfset eventObject = new 'com.Event'() />
This component has 2 properties: data (a structure) and name (a string).
The init() method calls a private method:
<cfset VARIABLES.setName( VARIABLES.getAttribute( 'event' ) ) />
The setName() method is implicit, ColdFusion builds it based on the name attribute.  I manually created the getAttribute() method which works with the data property.  In the getAttribute() method, I have a command that reads:
<cfset LOCAL.retVar = VARIABLES.data[ ARGUMENTS.attributeName ] />
Well, CF keeps saying that 'data' does not exist in VARIABLES.  But I thought that properties that were defined in a component were put into the VARIABLES scope.  So how can this variable NOT exist when I have it defined at the top of the Event.cfc component as a <cfproperty>?

Answer 1

<!---
          <!--- ***************************************************************************************** ************************** --->
          <!--- ***************************************************************************************** ************************** --->
          Name:                     Event object component.
          File:                              Event.cfc
          Desc:                              Handles View-initiated Event objects.
          Version:          1.0.0 (2013-10-10T12:00:00-0500)
          Todo:                              [none]
          <!--- ***************************************************************************************** ************************** --->
          <!--- ***************************************************************************************** ************************** --->
--->
<cfcomponent
          output                     = "false"
          accessors          = "true">
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- Component methods (explicit):
                                        Component methods (implicit):
                                        Component properties:
                                        Private variables:
                                        Public variables:
                                        --->
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- Component properties: --->
          <cfproperty
                    required          = "true"
                    type                              = "struct"
                    name                              = "data"
                    getter                    = "false"
                    setter                    = "false" />
          <cfproperty
                    required          = "true"
                    type                              = "string"
                    name                              = "name" />
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!---          Method: init(). --->
          <cffunction
                    access                              = "public"
                    returntype          = "Event"
                    name                                        = "init"
                    output                              = "false">
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Arguments. --->
                    <cfargument
                              required          = "true"
                              type                              = "struct"
                              name                              = "constructorData"
                              default                    = "#{ 'event' = '' }#" />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Set LOCAL variables: --->
                    <cfset LOCAL.attributeName = '' />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Set instance variables: --->
                    <cfset VARIABLES.setName( VARIABLES.getAttribute( 'event' ) ) />
                    <cfif structCount( ARGUMENTS.constructorData )>
                              <cfloop collection="#ARGUMENTS.constructorData#" item="LOCAL.attributeName">
                                        <cfset VARIABLES.setAttribute( LOCAL.attributeName, ARGUMENTS.constructorData[ LOCAL.attributeName ] ) />
                              </cfloop>
                    </cfif>
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!---          Return.          --->
                    <cfreturn THIS />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
          </cffunction>
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!---          Method: getAttribute(). --->
          <cffunction
                    access                              = "private"
                    returntype          = "any"
                    name                                        = "getAttribute"
                    output                              = "false">
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Arguments. --->
                    <cfargument
                              required          = "true"
                              type                              = "string"
                              name                              = "attributeName" />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Set LOCAL variables: --->
                    <cfset LOCAL.retVar = '' />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Capture the attribute value: --->
                    <cfset LOCAL.retVar = VARIABLES.data[ ARGUMENTS.attributeName ] />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!---          Return.          --->
                    <cfreturn LOCAL.retVar />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
          </cffunction>
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!---          Method: setAttribute(). --->
          <cffunction
                    access                              = "private"
                    returntype          = "void"
                    name                                        = "setAttribute"
                    output                              = "false">
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Arguments. --->
                    <cfargument
                              required          = "true"
                              type                              = "string"
                              name                              = "attributeName" />
                    <cfargument
                              required          = "true"
                              type                              = "any"
                              name                              = "attributeValue" />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- Store the attribute value: --->
                    <cfset structInsert( VARIABLES.data, ARGUMENTS.attributeName, ARGUMENTS.attributeValue, true ) />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!---          Return.          --->
                    <cfreturn />
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
                    <!--- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::: --->
          </cffunction>
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
          <!--- ========================================================================================= ========================== --->
</cfcomponent>