cfdump alternative to pass output as a string

Question

I'd like to store the output of the cfdump as a string temporarily. I know there's a way to store it in a file, but is there a way that I can get the equivalent of cfdump format='text'?

Answer 1

Would using cfsavecontent work for you?

<cfsavecontent variable="theDump">
    <cfdump var="#cgi#" expand="yes" format="text">
</cfsavecontent>

<cfoutput>
    #theDump#
</cfoutput>

Answer 2

shaunw has the right idea. For bonus modularity, roll that into your own custom tag or component function so you can reuse it throughout your applications