The most powerful, modern, and feature-rich release of ColdBox ever is now available!
After months of development and years of experimentation with new architectures, we're thrilled to announce ColdBox 8.0.0 - a release that fundamentally transforms how you build CFML applications. Whether you're creating REST APIs, full-stack web applications, microservices, or even desktop applications, ColdBox 8 brings groundbreaking capabilities that will supercharge your development workflow.
You can view the full what's new here: https://coldbox.ortusbooks.com/readme/release-history/whats-new-with-8.0.0
🚀 Why ColdBox 8.0.0 Changes Everything
This isn't just an incremental update. ColdBox 8.0.0 represents a paradigm shift in JVM MVC development with:
- 🔥 Native BoxLang Support - First-class BoxLang integration with native compilation
- ⚡ Virtual Thread Executors - Modern async programming for high-performance apps
- 🤖 AI-Powered Development - Enhanced error handling, documentation access, and code generation
- 🎨 Modern Architecture - Production-ready templates with security-first design
- 🖥️ Desktop Applications - Build cross-platform desktop apps with ColdBox (coming soon!)
Let's dive into what makes this release special.
🔥 BoxLang Native: Introducing BX-ColdBox
For the first time ever, ColdBox is available as a native BoxLang module with bx-coldbox. This pre-compiled version installs directly into the BoxLang engine rather than your application directory, providing:
- ⚡ Blazing Fast Startup - Native compilation eliminates runtime overhead
- 🔒 Enhanced Security - Pre-compiled bytecode reduces attack surface
- 📦 Engine-Level Installation - One installation serves all your BoxLang apps
- 🚀 Better Performance - Optimized specifically for the BoxLang runtime
# Install via CommandBox
box install bx-coldbox
# Or use BoxLang Module Installer
install-bx-module bx-coldbox
❤️🔥 Welcome to BoxLang PRIME
BoxLang PRIME marks the evolution of the entire ColdBox platform. Build and run ColdBox applications natively in BoxLang without the CFML Compatibility Module. The complete stack - CacheBox, LogBox, and WireBox - now features full native BoxLang integration.
What you get with BoxLang PRIME:
- 🔥 Faster application startups across the board
- ⚡ Native BoxLang compilation for optimal performance
- 🧠 Lighter, more efficient applications
- 🎯 Future-ready architecture built for modern JVM development
Combined with bx-coldbox, BoxLang PRIME is the ultimate way to build modern, high-performance CFML applications.
🖥️ Desktop Applications Are Coming
Here's where things get really exciting. Soon you'll be able to run your ColdBox applications as fully functional desktop applications with BoxLang Desktop.
Imagine building cross-platform desktop experiences using the same ColdBox framework and productivity you already love:
- 🖥️ One language, any platform
- 🌍 True cross-platform deployment
- ⚡ Full ColdBox feature set in desktop environments
- 🎨 Native UI integration with web technologies
With bx-coldbox and BoxLang PRIME support, desktop ColdBox applications are becoming reality. Stay tuned for this game-changing capability.
🛠️ ColdBox CLI: Completely Revamped
The ColdBox CLI has been rebuilt from the ground up to support modern development workflows:
install coldbox-cli
coldbox --help
New capabilities include:
- 🆕 Migration Creation - Generate database migrations effortlessly
- 🐳 Docker Support - Streamlined containerization for your apps
- ⚡ Vite Integration - Modern frontend tooling with hot-reload
- 🧪 API Testing Tools - Built-in testing capabilities
- 🤖 AI Integration - Leverage AI for smarter code generation
- 📋 Enhanced Scaffolding - Quick setup with advanced options
The CLI now configures applications with Docker, Vite, Maven, and more - right out of the box.
🥊 New Application Templates
After two years of experimentation and real-world testing, our new application templates are production ready. These layouts embrace modern development practices, non-root security architectures, and of course, BoxLang.
🔥 BoxLang Template - Pure BoxLang Power
The first native BoxLang ColdBox template designed for modern JVM applications:
coldbox create app MyBoxLangApp
What you get:
- 🚀 Native BoxLang compilation with
Build.bx - 🎯 Zero-config Docker support with optimized containers
- ⚡ Vite integration for modern frontend development
- 🧪 Built-in TestBox testing suite with CI/CD workflows
- 🤖 AI-first development with VSCode integration
- 📦 Maven support for Java dependencies
- 🛡️ Security-by-design with non-root architecture
- 🎨 REST-ready with OpenAPI documentation
Perfect for: Greenfield projects, microservices, desktop apps, and teams embracing modern JVM development.
🎨 Modern Template - Enterprise-Grade Architecture
Built for teams demanding enterprise-level structure:
coldbox create app MyEnterpriseApp skeleton=modern
What you get:
- 🏗️ Non-root security architecture
- 🐳 Complete Docker ecosystem with multi-stage builds
- 🔄 Database migration support with CF Migrations
- 📊 Comprehensive monitoring and structured logging
- 🧩 Modular design with clear separation of concerns
- 🛠️ Enterprise tooling pre-configured (CF Config, formatting, linting)
- 🚀 CI/CD ready with GitHub Actions
- 📱 Frontend flexibility for traditional or modern JS frameworks
Perfect for: Enterprise applications, legacy modernization, strict security compliance requirements.
🤖 AI-First Development
Every aspect of ColdBox 8 embraces AI-assisted development:
- 📚 MCP Server Integration - Connect Claude, GitHub Copilot, and other AI tools directly to ColdBox documentation
- 🔍 Semantic Documentation Search - Find answers without leaving your IDE
- 💡 Intelligent Code Generation - AI-powered event handlers and components
- 🎯 Context-Aware Assistance - Get relevant suggestions based on your code
Connect to our MCP servers:
- ColdBox:
https://coldbox.ortusbooks.com/~gitbook/mcp - CacheBox:
https://cachebox.ortusbooks.com/~gitbook/mcp - LogBox:
https://logbox.ortusbooks.com/~gitbook/mcp - WireBox:
https://wirebox.ortusbooks.com/~gitbook/mcp
All modules and ColdBox core now include copilot instructions to enhance your AI development experience.
🚨 AI-Powered Whoops! Error Experience
Debugging just got a major upgrade. The completely revamped Whoops experience now includes:
- 🤖 AI-Generated Fix Suggestions - Get intelligent recommendations for resolving errors
- 📚 Contextual Documentation Links - Jump directly to relevant docs
- 🎨 Enhanced Stack Traces - Better visualization of error flows
- 💡 Smart Error Diagnosis - Understand not just what failed, but why
When errors happen, you'll get actionable intelligence to fix them faster than ever.
⚡ Virtual Thread Executors
ColdBox 8.0.0 brings modern asynchronous programming with Virtual Thread Executors. Build high-performance, non-blocking applications that scale effortlessly:
- 🎯 Native Virtual Thread Support - Leverage Java's Project Loom
- 📊 Enhanced Monitoring - Built-in stats for issue detection
- 🔧 Public Executor API - Build custom executors without registration
- ⚡ Improved Performance - Better resource utilization and throughput
Perfect for building reactive, high-concurrency applications.
🚀 Get Started Today
Ready to experience the future of CFML development?
# Install ColdBox 8
box install coldbox
# Install the enhanced CLI
box install coldbox-cli
# Create a new BoxLang application
coldbox create app MyApp
# Create a modern CFML application
coldbox create app MyApp skeleton=modern --cfml
# Install native BoxLang edition
box install bx-coldbox
📚 Resources
- Documentation: https://coldbox.ortusbooks.com
- GitHub: https://github.com/ColdBox/coldbox-platform
- Release Notes: View Complete Changelog
- Community: Join us on the Ortus Community Slack
- Training: Visit https://www.ortussolutions.com/training
🎊 What's Next?
This is just the beginning. We're working on:
- BoxLang Desktop Applications - Full desktop app suppor
- Enhanced Module Ecosystem - BoxLang PRIME compatibility across all modules
- Deploy Command - One-command deployment to Ortus servers
- More AI Integration - Deeper AI-assisted development features
💙 Thank You
A massive thank you to our community, contributors, and sponsors who made this release possible. ColdBox 8.0.0 represents countless hours of development, testing, and innovation.
We're excited to see what you build with ColdBox 8!
Ready to upgrade? Check out our migration guide and join the conversation in our community.
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