Web application framework
ColdBox is a free, open-source, conventions-based, modular web application framework intended for building enterprise applications with ColdFusion (CFML) using a Hierarchical MVC approach.
It is a set of tools and methodologies that can allow a developer to build their web applications in a modern and secure way. It also provides them with a scaffold on which to base their applications. As a result, they don’t have to reinvent the wheel on most concerns they have to consider when building web applications. The framework gives developers the proper tooling to do their job quickly, securely, modularly, and flexibly.
The source code of ColdBox and its companion libraries are hosted on GitHub and licensed under the terms of the Apache License v2.
History
ColdBox was developed and created by Luis F. Majano in 2006, and it has become the most widely used and maintained MVC framework. Given its speed and scalability, ColdBox evolved into a performant and simple framework that empowered developers. It became a professional open source project in 2008 when professional services were offered by the parent company Ortus Solutions, Corp. Later, in 2011, the Hierarchical Model View Controller was set as its core foundation design pattern. In the last few years, it introduced tight integration to Java's CompletableFuture API to support Futures and Promises and asynchronous/parallel programming. The latest release is version 6.8.1 (August 11, 2022).
ColdBox Universe
The ColdBox Platform comprises several internal standalone libraries that can be used with any CFML Framework or none at all. Its library includes:
- LogBox - Logging Library
- WireBox - Dependency Injection and AOP library
- CacheBox - Caching Engine and Aggregator
- TestBox - Testing framework for ColdFusion
Installation
Getting started is easy with ColdBox, WireBox, CacheBox, or LogBox in any ColdFusion (CFML) application since just CommandBox, the CLI, and the package manager should be leveraged. These commands run from the CommandBox interactive shell.
Controllers
ColdBox is a conventions-based framework programmed in CFML, differing from other CFML MVC frameworks that use XML declarative logic for their controllers.
Below is an example of a controller:
component{
// Use Dependency injection for hibernate-based virtual services
property name="userService" inject="entityservice:User";
/**
* Return immediate HTML
*/
function sayHello(event){
return "hello";
}
/**
* Return immediate JSON from an ORM object's memento
*/
function sayHello(event){
return userService.get( rc.id ).getMemento();
}
/**
* Return content in multiple formats
*/
function list(event){
prc.data = userService.list();
// render out all users in json format
event.renderData( data=prc.data, formats="json,xml,pdf,html" );
}
}
URL mappings
ColdBox supports URL mappings and routing in Rails style but is adapted for ColdFusion. It also supports the creation of RESTful routing:
// Resources
resource( "photos" );
// Nested Resources
resources(
resource = "agents",
pattern = "/sites/:id/agents"
);
// Redirects
route( "/oldRoute" )
.toRedirect( "/main/redirectTest" );
// Direct Routing
route( "/render/:format" ).to( "actionRendering.index" );
// With Regex
route( "post/:postID-regex:([a-zA-Z]+?)/:userID-alpha/regex:(xml|json)" )
.to( "ehGeneral.dumpRC" );
// subdomain routing
route( "/" )
.withDomain( ":username.forgebox.dev" )
.to( "subdomain.show" );
// Responses + Conditions
route( "/ff" )
.withCondition( function(){
return ( findnocase( "Firefox", cgi.HTTP_USER_AGENT ) ? true : false );
} )
.toResponse( "Hello FireFox" );
route( "/luis/:lname" )
.toResponse( "<h1>Hi Luis {lname}, how are {you}</h1>", 200, "What up dude!" );
// Inline Closure Responses
route( "/luis2/:lname" )
.toResponse( function( event, rc, prc ){
return "<h1>Hello from closure land: #arguments.rc.lname#</h1>";
} );
// Views No Events
route( "contactus" )
.as( "contactUs")
.toView( "simpleView" );
// Named routes
route( pattern="/routeRunner/:id/:name", name="routeRunner" )
.to( "main.returnTest" );
// Grouped Routing
group( { pattern="/runAWNsync", handler="utilities.AWNsync" }, function( options ){
route( '/:user_id' )
.withAction( { get = "runAWNsync", options = "returnOptions" } )
.end();
} );
// RESTFul Actions
route( "/health_check" )
.withAction( { get = "runCheck", options = "returnOptions" } )
.to( "utilities.HealthCheck" );
RESTful URLs
ColdBox allows for the easy creation of RESTful URLs via URL mappings and extension detection. Natively ColdBox can detect any extension when supplied to a URI resource:
http://api.coldbox.org/rest/user/luis.json
http://api.coldbox.org/rest/user/luis.xml
http://api.coldbox.org/rest/user/luis.pdf
http://api.coldbox.org/rest/user/luis.yml
It allows for detecting such extensions, security around them, and the ability to customize them.
Ajax support
ColdBox supports all JavaScript frameworks that provide Ajax capabilities. It also offers an auto-marshaling function for natively rendering objects to the following formats: XML, WDDX, JSON, JSONP, TEXT, PDF, and CUSTOM.
SOAP-Adobe Flex/Air support
ColdBox supports creating, monitoring, and developing SOAP web services and Flex/Air remote components. It allows for having one development paradigm for multiple GUI interfaces.
