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BoxLang, a compiled programming language, operates in a unique way. It doesn’t run directly on your processor but is instead processed by a middleman known as the Java Virtual Machine. This processing occurs in the form of Java Bytecode, a low-level representation of your BoxLang code. This approach, coupled with BoxLang's dynamic nature, frees you from the typed restrictions of compile-time languages like Java, offering a more flexible programming experience.
This means you have greater flexibility as the engine infers your types. It allows you to do runtime manipulations like method injections, removals, metadata programming, etc., that a typical typed language would not allow. It also allows us to escape the dreaded compile, build, deploy cycle since the BoxLang scripts will be evaluated, compiled, and executed all at runtime. This means no more re-deploying or annoying restarts, saving you valuable time and effort.
BoxLang compiles to Java Byte code using two provided algorithms.
Please note that the production algorithm is still being developed. It is scheduled to be online by stable release.
BoxLang is a dynamic language that allows you to do just-in-time compilation, so you don't have to compile, build, and deploy.
BoxLang will convert your code into byte code and feed it into the Virtual Machine (VM) to execute it. This approach benefits you by allowing you to write BoxLang code once and, typically, execute it on many different operating systems and hardware platforms. Then, you can use our multi-runtime approach and deploy to multiple runtimes.
This is a durable way to write BoxLang code because you save your instructions into a file. That file can then be backed up, transferred, added to source control, etc.
We might create a file named hello.bxs like this:
Then we could run the program like this boxlang hello.bxs and get the following result:
BoxLang ships with a memory REPL (Read Eval Print Loop) interface that you can use to test out the language. Just run the boxlang binary, and you are ready to roll:
Keep reading our guides as you learn more about BoxLang.
BoxLang is 100% interoperable with Java since it runs on the JVM. It allows you to use all third-party Java libraries, import classes, extend, implement scripting, and much more.
BoxLang is a certified that can be used by any JVM language via the Scripting API.
BoxLang has been designed to run in many using our multi-runtime approach. You can run BoxLang in any OS, web server, servlet container, docker engine, AWS Lambda, and more coming soon.
BoxLang is a dynamic JSR-223 language that runs on the JVM
