MySQL vs PostgreSQL vs Oracle With ColdFusion 2025: JDBC Driver Setup and Gotchas

ColdFusion 2025 connects to all three databases the same fundamental way - it runs on the JVM and talks to databases through JDBC drivers (.jar files) exposed as named datasources - but each has its own driver class, connection-string format, and a set of CF-specific gotchas that trip people up. MySQL uses driver class com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver with a URL like jdbc:mysql://host:3306/db - and the biggest gotcha is that the standalone MySQL JDBC driver is no longer shipped with ColdFusion, so you must download MySQL Connector/J yourself, drop it in cf_root/lib, and restart; MySQL 8 also throws a serverTimezone error until you set it in the connection string. PostgreSQL uses org.postgresql.Driver with jdbc:postgresql://host:5432/db - straightforward, but you must match the driver version to your PostgreSQL server version, and it exposes advanced types (JSON, arrays) that need handling. Oracle uses oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver with a thin-driver URL like jdbc:oracle:thin:@host:1521:SID - and after upgrading, the old Adobe/Macromedia Oracle driver is restricted, so you configure the Oracle thin driver via the "Other" driver option, minding the SID-vs-service-name distinction. This guide walks each database's driver class, URL, setup steps, and the specific gotchas - with the ColdFusion 2025 details that matter.
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