Help! How to do a 'Save to Print' option

Question

Okay, so I admit I know just enough ColdFusion to be
dangerous but not efficient.
I am developing an Obituary database for a client including
Last Name, First Name, Date of Death, Source, Source Date, etc.
Each record has a unique ID as primary key.
The end user can search for records that meet various search
criteria. The client would like the end user to be able to save
various records to a "print record" that would store them until
they are ready to print all the records. (Client is a library so
they want to save printing paper).
I've tried to tackle this problem in multiple ways but
without much success. I think I may be limited by my knowledge of
client and session variables and/or structs and arrays.
Because of my lack of knowledge of structs and arrays, I set
up a table in my database called print list and simply stored the
ID of the record when the end user added it to the print list. The
problem, however, is that if mutiple users are using the database
at one time, the print list will not be exclusive to that
particular user.
I need to know the most efficient way to allow the end user
to add to and delete from a list of print records and of course
eventually print the record and empty the list, but do so in a way
that multiple users on separate workstations could potentially do
so simulaneously without interfere with each other.
Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

This is exactly why session variables were invented...for
this kind of situation, and thus, you should scrap the table in
your database and use session variables. e.g:
Try this code out in a test page and it should give you some
idea how to accomplish this:
<cflock scope="session" type="exclusive" timeout="30">
<cfset session.printList = arrayNew(1) />
</cflock>
<cfset arrayAppend(session.printList, "someID") />
<cfset arrayAppend(session.printList, "someOtherID") />
<cfset arrayAppend(session.printList, "yetAnotherID")
/>
<cfset arrayAppend(session.printList,
"thisCouldBeAnotherID") />
<cfdump var="#session.printList#" />
<cflock scope="session" type="readonly" timeout="30">
<cfoutput>
<ul>
<cfloop index="i" from="1"
to="#arrayLen(session.printList)#">
<li>This is array Item
<strong>#i#</strong> and its value is
<strong>#session.printList
#</strong></li>
</cfloop>
</ul>
</cfoutput>
</cflock>
It basically create a variable in the session scope which is
unique to the user and then in this variable we create an array. A
simple array is NOT complicated, don't be worried about this. All
an array is, is literally a list. We make lists all the time in
daily life and this is the programming equivelant. It gives us an
ordered way to store and play with items.
The example shows you the creation of the session variable
with the array...I also show populating the array using
arrayAppend...try adding some of your own and refreshing the page.
You'll then see in the CFDUMP what this variable holds.
Finally, I play with the array with a simple CFLOOP...just
loop out the list to the screen.
Good luck,
Mikey.