Frequently asked questions

Yes, BoxLang is free open source software under the Apache 2.0 license. We encourage and support community contributions.

BoxLang is a professional open-source product. Different types of support channels depend on your level of support when you purchase a + subscription.

BoxLang supports a dual parser and compiler that can execute ColdFusion/CFML code natively (maybe more languages later). This means that you can run all your ColdFusion applications within BoxLang natively. We also provide tooling to automatically transpile your ColdFusion code to BoxLang as well.

There are cases where specific Adobe or Lucee functionality might not exist in BoxLang. However, BoxLang is built modularly and these missing features can be created and supported via our BoxLang+ subscriptions.

• BoxLang is an open-source programming language licensed under the Apache 2.0 license, which means it is free for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
• BoxLang+ is our commercial version which offers support and enterprise features. Our licensing model is based on being fair and following the golden rule: Do to others as you want them to do to you.

  Every BoxLang+ subscription covers a single production server on a physical or virtual machine or cloud lambdas. Every development usage is included for FREE. Every non-production instance is included at 50% of the regular price. You can have as many instances of the language running on each machine. If you are using lambdas, we just require 1 license, and you can run as many lambdas as you want.

Every subscription is used to maintain and further extend the language. Your support matters to this project.

FREEDOM TO SCALE!

BoxLang is an open source platform that allows you to deploy an unlimited number of containers for free.

If you need support for your container deployments, you can use BoxLang+. It is licensed on a per-orchestrator-node basis, regardless of the orchestrator you use. You only need to license the nodes, no matter whether you want to deploy 1000000 containers on three or ten nodes. You have the freedom to decide how many containers you want to deploy on each orchestrator node.

Development nodes are always free, while non-production nodes are available at 50% of the regular price.

BoxLang supports 100% Java interop and natively executes Java code in the BoxLang runtime. You can also add ANY Java library to its established class paths, and those libraries will be available at runtime for you ( https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/getting-started/configuration ).

Coding in BoxLang is fluent and less verbose than Java, apart from all the dynamic and functional aspects you will have available at your disposal. Please check out our quick style guide to see the differences between Java and BoxLang: https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/getting-started/overview/syntax-style-guide .

There are many ways to support BoxLang. You can assist us in the following ways:

• Star our project in Github: https://github.com/ortus-boxlang/boxlang and follow our org

• Send us pull requests for fixes or updates

• Help us make sure our docs are typo-free and have all the needed information: https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/

• Become a Patreon and support us financially: https://www.patreon.com/ortussolutions

• Purchase a Premium Subscription: https://boxlang.io/plans

While the Community Edition of BoxLang benefits from the same security practices as the paid subscriptions, there are key distinctions in terms of support and prioritization:

• Security Notifications: Paid subscribers receive immediate notifications of any security vulnerabilities through dedicated support channels (email, Slack, etc.). Community users may not receive these notifications as promptly.
• Priority/Security Patches: Paid subscribers have priority access to critical patches for bugs, security vulnerabilities, and new features. This means they are more likely to receive these updates sooner than Community users.

No, all BoxLang users, including those on the Community Edition, benefit from the same security practices and regular updates. However, paid subscribers enjoy the added advantage of priority support and faster access to critical patches, ensuring their applications remain secure and up-to-date.

The timeframe for receiving security patches for community users can vary depending on the severity of the vulnerability and the availability of development resources. While we strive to address critical issues promptly, it's important to note that community users may experience some delays compared to paid subscribers.

In addition to priority support and security patches, paid subscriptions offer several other benefits, such as:

• Dedicated support channels: Direct access to the BoxLang support team for personalized assistance and troubleshooting.
• Customizable features: The ability to request specific features or customizations tailored to your needs.
• Priority feature development: Your feature requests will be prioritized for development, ensuring that your specific requirements are addressed.