# Chapter 4
Retrieving and Formatting the Data You Want

This chapter explains how to select the data to display in a dynamic Web page. It also describes how to populate an HTML table with query results and how to use ColdFusion functions to format and manipulate data.

### Contents

- Using Forms to Specify the Data to Retrieve
- Processing Form Variables on Action Pages
- Dynamically Generating SQL Statements
- Creating Action Pages
- Using HTML Tables to Layout Query Results
- Formatting Individual Data Items
- Performing Pattern Matching
- Filtering Data Based on Multiple Conditions
- Creating Table Joins
- Building Flexible Search Interfaces
- Returning Query Results to the User