Ortus Solutions, the company behind BoxLang and the ColdBox ecosystem, today announced the release of BoxLang 1.8.0, a major milestone that redefines how developers build and deploy applications on the JVM. This latest version introduces a revolutionary modular compiler architecture, an ultra-slim runtime, a fully modernized fluent HTTP client, comprehensive SOAP/WSDL integration, and more than 100 production-grade bug fixes.
Designed for today’s highly distributed, cloud-native, and security-sensitive environments, BoxLang 1.8.0 delivers breakthrough innovations in performance, security, compliance, and developer productivity.
A New Era of Compilation: Modular Architecture & Ultra-Slim Runtime
Revolutionary Modular Compiler Architecture
With BoxLang 1.8.0, the compiler is now a modular, pluggable component. Developers can choose, replace, or build compilers tailored to performance, security, or specialized use cases.
Ultra-Slim 7MB Runtime
Through removal of JavaParser dependencies and deep optimization, the BoxLang runtime has been reduced to just 7MB—a 22% reduction—resulting in:
- Faster container build times
- Lower memory footprint
- Improved startup performance
- Reduced attack surface
Two Runtime Flavors for Modern DevSecOps
1. boxlang – Full Development Runtime
Includes both the NoOp and ASM compilers for dynamic development, hot-reloading, and pre-compiled execution.
2. boxlang-noop – Secure Production Runtime
Executes only pre-compiled code, eliminating dynamic runtime compilation entirely—ideal for PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, and government environments.
# Development
java -jar boxlang-1.8.0.jar app.bx
# High-security production
java -jar boxlang-noop-1.8.0.jar app.bx
IBoxpiler: The Future of JVM Language Extensibility
BoxLang now exposes a public compiler interface:
public interface IBoxpiler {
byte[] compile(SourceCode source);
String getName();
String getVersion();
}
This enables creation of:
- Security-focused compilers
- Domain-optimized compilers
- Embedded/IoT compilers
- Experimental compilers targeting JavaScript, WASM, or native code
BoxLang becomes one of the few JVM languages with a fully pluggable compiler architecture.
A Fully Modern HTTP Client for the JVM Era
BoxLang 1.8.0 introduces a ground-up rewrite of the HTTP system, including a powerful fluent API:
result = http("https://api.example.com/users")
.post()
.header("Content-Type", "application/json")
.body({ name: "John Doe" })
.send();
Key Features
- Fluent, chainable API
- HTTP/2 support
- Streaming with chunk callbacks
- Server-Sent Events (SSE)
- Persistent connection pooling
- Async execution with futures
- Client certificate authentication
- Response transformers for inline JSON/XML handling
The companion bx:http tag has been completely modernized to match the fluent API while maintaining full CFML compatibility.
Comprehensive SOAP/WSDL Support
For enterprises relying on legacy or regulated systems, BoxLang now includes robust SOAP integration:
ws = soap("https://example.com/service.wsdl");
result = ws.getUserInfo(userID: 123);
Features include:
- Automatic WSDL parsing
- SOAP 1.1 and 1.2
- Document/Literal Wrapped support
- Fluent or
invoke()-based invocation - Automatic type mapping
Enterprise Lifecycle Enhancements
Context Shutdown Listeners
Developers can now register graceful shutdown hooks for cleaning up resources such as DB connections, caches, or logs.
Enhanced Reflection
Metadata now exposes a simpleName field for easier introspection and debugging.
MiniServer JSON Configuration
The lightweight BoxLang MiniServer now supports full JSON configuration with environment variable and CLI override hierarchy.
100+ Production-Critical Fixes
BoxLang 1.8.0 includes over 100 fixes in areas including:
- Date/time parsing and locale handling
- Query operations and JDBC integrations
- HTTP processing and header normalization
- Numeric and list operations
- XML processing, async operations, and threading
- Java interop improvements
- Extensive CFML compatibility refinements
These fixes come directly from real-world production usage at organizations running BoxLang at scale.
New Premium Modules for BoxLang+ Subscribers
Ortus Solutions also released several new enterprise-grade modules:
- bx-redis – Distributed caching & pub/sub
- bx-csv – High-performance CSV processing
- bx-couchbase – Distributed caching & AI memory integration
- bx-ldap – Enterprise directory services
- bx-spreadsheet – Excel manipulation
- bx-pdf – PDF document generation
- bx-rss – RSS/Atom feed processing
Coming soon: bx-mongodb, bx-elasticsearch
Backward Compatible & Ready for Upgrade
BoxLang 1.8.0 introduces no breaking changes. Existing applications update seamlessly.
# Update with CommandBox
box install boxlang@1.8.0
Quotes from the BoxLang Team
“BoxLang 1.8.0 is the most ambitious release we’ve delivered since launching the language. The modular compiler architecture opens the door for unprecedented innovation on the JVM.”
— Luis Majano, Creator of BoxLang & CEO, Ortus Solutions“With our new HTTP client, SOAP integration, and over 100 stability fixes, BoxLang is now one of the most modern and capable dynamic languages available for the JVM.”
— The BoxLang Engineering Team
About BoxLang
BoxLang is a modern, dynamic multi-runtime language built on the JVM. Designed for high productivity and enterprise performance, BoxLang powers web applications, serverless workloads, CLI tools, containerized services, and desktop applications—all with a fluent, approachable syntax.
BoxLang is available under Apache 2.0 as well as commercial BoxLang+ and BoxLang++ tiers for enterprise support and advanced features.
Learn more: https://boxlang.io
About Ortus Solutions
Ortus Solutions is a leader in open-source JVM technologies and the creator of ColdBox, CommandBox, ContentBox, and the BoxLang language. With a global developer community and a commitment to professional open-source, Ortus Solutions provides tooling, consulting, training, and enterprise support for organizations building next-generation JVM applications.
Website: https://www.ortussolutions.com
Press & Media Contact
Ortus Solutions, Corp
Email: info@ortussolutions.com
Web: https://www.ortussolutions.com/contact
