Why BoxLang Could Redefine JVM Development: Insights from Its CEO

Dynamic JVM languages, especially CFML, have long been stagnant, but the emergence of BoxLang signals a major shift, according to an interview with Ortus Solutions CEO Luis Majano.

SD Times: The software industry has been waiting for a modern JVM language—why now, and why you?

Majano says developers have grown complacent, and BoxLang is a new, modern, modular JVM language designed to give developers powerful tools to create the future, not just observe it.

Ortus has built open‑source libraries and frameworks for over 18 years, primarily for the ColdFusion/CFML ecosystem, supporting thousands of customers—including government agencies, large enterprises, and universities—and managing the most widely used MVC, DI, AOP, testing, BDD, messaging, async, REPL, package manager, Docker containers, and more.

To continue innovating, they needed a modern dynamic language that could evolve independently of the CFML ecosystem, leading to the creation of BoxLang.

SD Times: BoxLang promises scalability, deep Java integration, customer‑focused support, and fair pricing. What gives you such confidence?

BoxLang is built on a solid modular foundation, leveraging JVM InvokeDynamic and modern JDK constructs, delivering fast performance, predictable behavior, excellent adaptability, and a tiny core under 6 MB with strict dependency management.

Having built frameworks for 18 years, the team is prepared to deliver enterprise‑grade architecture and design.

They emphasize world‑class support through a long‑standing professional community, transparent pricing, a free open‑source edition, and two subscription models: BoxLang+ and BoxLang++.

SD Times: You describe BoxLang as for “rebels” who want the best now—what exactly is it?

BoxLang is a modern, dynamic, highly modular language that runs on various runtimes—from native OS binaries to web servers and cloud lambdas—thanks to its multi‑runtime architecture. It blends the best aspects of Java, Groovy, Clojure, Python, and Ruby, offering a fluid, expressive syntax that simplifies development.

SD Times: Can you elaborate on BoxLang’s modularity?

The language’s core is customizable and flexible. Modules let developers extend core functionality, add new built‑in functions, modify existing classes, and create custom features. BoxLang is the first language centered on an event‑driven architecture, allowing listeners to react to numerous language events for deep meta‑programming.

SD Times: What makes BoxLang revolutionary?

Beyond being a language, BoxLang is a movement empowering developers tired of restrictions imposed by large tech companies. It aims to give developers control over their tools, fostering creativity and innovation without external funding motives.

SD Times: From a technical standpoint, what are BoxLang’s key differentiators?

BoxLang offers concise, readable syntax that boosts developer productivity. Its event‑driven core enables meta‑programming and language extensions. It includes a built‑in enterprise cache engine (BxCache) that supports multiple object stores, monitoring, events, and extensible providers. The language also provides a human‑friendly task scheduler and cron‑style job definitions.

SD Times: Can you give concrete examples of how developers use modules?

Developers can create modules that interact with Elastic Search, integrate Sentry for error logging via object‑creation events, or connect to Spring for dependency injection, among other possibilities.

SD Times: How should newcomers get started with BoxLang?

BoxLang offers a comprehensive ecosystem, including a Visual Studio Code extension with syntax highlighting, debugging, and code insights. Subscribers to BoxLang+ gain access to advanced debugging tools and a language converter.

SD Times: How does BoxLang ensure stability and future growth?

Although young, BoxLang builds on over 18 years of software development experience in CFML/ColdFusion/Java. The open‑source nature encourages community participation, and the existing mature ecosystem of projects, modules, and extensions provides a solid foundation for long‑term sustainability.