12 Days of BoxLang – Day 1 🎄
ColdBox + BoxLang: The Future of Modern MVC on the JVM Welcome to Day 1 of the 12 Days of BoxLang
To kick off the series, we’re starting with one of the most powerful combinations in the Ortus ecosystem: ColdBox + BoxLang.
ColdBox has been the standard for modern CFML MVC development for over a decade. BoxLang is the next-generation dynamic language built for JVM and beyond. Together, they reshape how developers build web apps, APIs, microservices, CLIs, and soon desktop applications.
Let’s dive into why ColdBox 8 + BoxLang PRIME is a major milestone for the future of modern application development.
ColdBox 8.0.0: A New Era for MVC
ColdBox 8 isn’t just an update it’s a re-architecture that embraces modern JVM standards, AI-assisted development, native BoxLang compilation, and faster, more secure application design.
A few standout advancements:
- Native BoxLang Support through the new
bx-coldboxmodule - Virtual Thread Executors for high-performance async workloads
- AI-powered developer tooling
- Modernized templates and CLI
- Foundation for desktop apps built on ColdBox
ColdBox is now fully aligned with the future of the language.
BoxLang Native Support (bx-coldbox)
For the first time ever, ColdBox runs natively inside the BoxLang engine.
This is made possible by the pre-compiled bx-coldbox module, which integrates directly at the runtime level.
What this unlocks ⚡
- Faster Startup Times thanks to native BoxLang bytecode
- Improved Security with precompiled modules
- Better Performance optimized for the BoxLang VM
- Engine-level Installation that serves all your BoxLang apps
Install it instantly:
box install bx-coldbox
# or
install-bx-module bx-coldbox
This is the fastest, cleanest, most future-proof way to run ColdBox applications.
Introducing BoxLang PRIME
BoxLang PRIME is the next evolution of runtime compatibility allowing ColdBox to run without the CFML compatibility layer.
This means:
- Native BoxLang execution
- Smaller, lighter apps
- Faster cold starts
- Cleaner, modern syntax
- A runtime built for today’s JVM features
With PRIME + ColdBox 8, you get a full-stack modern environment that feels fresh, fast, and designed for long-term growth.
This is how new BoxLang apps should be built.
New Possibilities: Desktop ColdBox Apps 💻
One of the most exciting things coming soon:
ColdBox apps running as cross-platform desktop applications via BoxLang Desktop.
Yes—real desktop apps, powered by:
- Web technologies
- The ColdBox framework
- The BoxLang runtime
- True cross-platform distribution (Windows, macOS, Linux)
This opens the door to use ColdBox in places it has never been before.
Stay tuned—this is a game-changer.
A Modern, Rebuilt ColdBox CLI
ColdBox 8 ships with a completely rebuilt CLI designed for productivity and modern tooling.
You now get:
- Migration generators
- Docker-native support
- Vite-powered frontend workflows
- API testing tools
- AI-assisted scaffolding
- Improved app initialization and configuration
install coldbox-cli
coldbox create app MyBoxLangApp
The CLI now reflects the modern standards expected from a full-stack JVM framework.
Modern Application Templates
ColdBox 8 introduces two new, fully redesigned templates:
1. BoxLang Template (Native) 🚀
Perfect for:
- Greenfield apps
- Microservices
- Lightweight APIs
- BoxLang-first projects
Includes:
- Native BoxLang build system
- Secure non-root Docker setup
- Vite support
- TestBox integration
- Maven support
2. Modern Template (Enterprise)
Perfect for:
- High-compliance environments
- Enterprise applications
- AI-first configuration
- Architectural standardization
Includes:
- Multi-stage Docker
- Structured logging + monitoring
- Migrations
- Modular structure
- GitHub Actions CI/CD
Both templates reflect real-world needs, not theory.
AI-Enhanced Development
ColdBox 8 integrates AI into the development workflow in practical, meaningful ways:
- MCP server integration (Copilot, Claude, etc.)
- Smart documentation lookup
- Intelligent handler/component generation
- AI-assisted debugging via the new Whoops experience
The goal: reduce boilerplate, simplify learning, and speed up problem solving.
High-Performance Async with Virtual Threads
Powered by Java’s Project Loom, ColdBox now supports virtual thread executors.
Benefits include:
- Massive concurrency without thread pool complexity
- Better throughput for APIs and microservices
- Built-in monitoring
- Simple async execution patterns
ColdBox is now aligned with the modern JVM performance landscape.
Why Use BoxLang + ColdBox Together?
Because together they provide:
- A clean, powerful MVC architecture
- Native BoxLang performance and syntax
- A modern runtime backed by the JVM
- First-class tooling for APIs, web apps, microservices, and desktop
- AI-assisted workflows for faster development
- Future-proof design with BoxLang PRIME
- A community and ecosystem built for the next decade
ColdBox brings structure.
BoxLang brings power, speed, and modern language design.
Together, they’re the strongest path forward for JVM-based dynamic applications.
Get Started Today
# Install ColdBox 8
box install coldbox
# Install the CLI
box install coldbox-cli
# Create a BoxLang-native ColdBox app
coldbox create app MyBoxLangApp
# Add native ColdBox edition
box install bx-coldbox
Resources
- ColdBox Docs: https://coldbox.ortusbooks.com
- BoxLang Docs: https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com
- Ortus Community Slack
- GitHub Repositories
- Training: https://ortussolutions.com/training
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