Follow

Getting Started

Install BoxLang Express, write a minimal server, and run it.

Prerequisites

You need the BoxLang CLI itself installed (e.g. via bvm, the BoxLang version manager).

Installing BoxLang Express

box install boxlang-express or install-bx-module boxlang-express

Your first server

Once the module resolves, boxExpress() and its companion middleware BIFs (boxExpressJSON(), boxExpressStatic(), etc.) are available globally — no import needed. Save this as app.bxs:

bxsapp = boxExpress()

app.get( "/", ( req, res ) => {
    res.send( "Hello World" )
} )

app.listen( 3000, ( port ) => {
    println( "listening on #port#" )
} )

Running the server

Run it directly with the CLI:

bashboxlang app.bxs

By default app.listen() blocks the calling thread — it keeps the process alive for you, the same role Node's event loop plays for an Express app, since BoxLang's CLI runtime has no equivalent of its own. Stop it with Ctrl-C; see Health Checks & Graceful Shutdown for exactly what happens on shutdown.

Need a config file (datasources, module settings, etc.)? See Configuration — the CLI doesn't pick one up automatically, so there's a flag for it.

Dev-mode auto-reload

Add one line to restart the process automatically whenever a watched .bx/.bxs file changes (.bxm views don't need this — they're re-read from disk on every request already):

bxsapp.set( "reloadOnChange", true )

Full mechanics are covered in Auto-Restart.

Where to go next

The rest of these docs follow the module's own reference, one page per feature:

Configuration →