2025-01-28 Weekly News — Episode 227

Watch the video version on YouTube at https://youtube.com/live/H8Ht5xYgUFA?feature=share
 
Hosts: 

Big Thanks to our Sponsor - Ortus Solutions

The makers of ColdBox, CommandBox, ForgeBox, TestBox and all your favorite box-es out there including BoxLang.
A few ways to say thanks back to Ortus Solutions:

Patreon Support (resplendent)
We have 62 patreons:
https://www.patreon.com/ortussolutions.


News and Announcements

Beware that ColdFusion 2021 end-of-life (and end of updates) is coming Nov 2025, and your options
Are you still running ColdFusion 2021? While it's still supported/updated by Adobe, did you know that its end-of-life is coming just several months from now, Nov 10, 2025? That's the date when "core" support for that release ends--meaning no more updates from Adobe after that, not even security fixes.
What about more recent releases, if you may wonder? CF 2023 (the current latest release) will get updates into 2028 (5 years after it was release). And there's the coming CF 2025 release, currently in pre-release (as I have recently blogged about), which is of course a great sign for the continued vitality of CF.

But this looming deadline for CF2021 is a reminder that as the years roll on, we not only get new versions but we must say good-bye to old ones.

Wondering what you can do? or when CF2023 or CF2025 support will end also? And what's the difference between "core" support and the available "extended" support which Adobe sells? (The extended support plan does NOT provide updates beyond this coming November.) For more on these, including official Adobe documentation that discusses such things, as well as my thoughts on migration, costs, various options to consider, and more, do read on.
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/9/coldfusion2021_end_of_life_nov_2025
 
Java updates of Jan 21, 2025 for 8, 11, 17, 21, and 23: thoughts and resources
It's that time again: there are new JVM updates released today (Jan 21, 2025) for the current long-term support (LTS) releases of Oracle Java, 8, 11, 17, and 21, as well as the new short-term release 23. (The previous short-term release, Java 22, is no longer updated.)
TLDR: The new updates are 1.8.0_441 (aka 8u441), 11.0.26, 17.0.14, 21.0.6, and 23.0.2, respectively. Crazy that there are now 5 current Java releases, I realize. More below, including more on each of them including what changed as well as bug fixes and the security fixes each version contains (including their CVE scores regarding urgency of concerns), which are offered in Oracle resources I list below.

Oracle calls these updates "critical patch updates" (yep, "CPU"), but they are in fact scheduled quarterly updates, so that the "critical" aspect of this nomenclature may sometimes be a bit overstated. As is generally the case with these Java updates, most of them have the same changes and fixes across the four JVM versions, though not always.

For some folks, that's all they need to hear. For others, read on.

Whether this is your first time updating Java or your fiftieth, there are some things that you may or may not know.
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/21/java_updates_jan_2025

Into the Box Round 1 of Sessions and Workshops are now out!
Our first round of sessions and workshops for Into the Box 2025 is here! Get ready to dive into a world of modern web development with hands-on workshops and engaging sessions led by Ortus Solutions and Community CFML and BoxLang experts. Visit intothebox.org to explore what’s in store—this is just the beginning, with much more content coming soon!
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/into-the-box-round-1-of-sessions-and-workshops

Last chance to save 25% off CF2023, for those on CF2018 and earlier
Here's great news for those still running CF2018 or earlier, who may have been holding off upgrading to CF2023 (because you would have to pay full price for it). It's news I first shared back in July, and the deal has been extended one last time, thus this post.
TLDR; Now through Feb 28, 2025 those running CF9, 10, 11, 2016 or 2018 can upgrade to CF2023 for 25% off its full price. (Those running CF2021 can already/always could upgrade at 50% off the full price.)

This is a deal offered only by Intergral, makers of FusionReactor, who are also resellers of CF. Adobe doesn't even offer this deal themselves. For more, see their blog post at https://fusion-reactor.com/blog/news/save-25-on-adobe-cf2023-upgrades/.

Act now, it could save you hundreds or even thousands of $$s on a single license!
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/17/last_chance_for_cf_upgrade_discount_from_cf2018_or_earlier


New Releases and Updates

TestBox v6.1.0 release
We’re super excited to announce the release of TestBox 6.1.0! This release introduces native support for BoxLang without the need for a compatibility mode, unlocking new possibilities for developers embracing BoxLang’s dynamic capabilities. Alongside this exciting update, we’ve added valuable features, improved functionality, and resolved key issues to ensure a smoother and more robust testing experience. Dive into the details and see how TestBox 6.1.0 makes your testing even more seamless and efficient!
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/testbox-v610-release

cbMockData v4
New name and new support for BoxLang!
https://forgebox.io/view/cbMockData

ColdFusion 2025 Prerelease
Adobe announced the opening of the beta a few weeks ago in a post on the CF Portal as well as in various social media. And you can request to join the prerelease program at Adobe prerelease site section for CFNext.
We're currently in the "beta 1" phase, but Adobe has announced that there is a "beta 2" due out early this month.
No news has been shared to indicate when the final version would be released. And while Adobe doesn't ever share info about pricing or editions before the release, but note that they did announce at CF Summit in Vegas (in Oct) that CF2025 would be sold only via subscription model (more below).
They've also shared (publicly) the details of what features will be deprecated or removed in CF2025 (and it's a list with some fairly significant changes). Again, for more see the resource list below.
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/8/coldfusion_2025_prerelease_resources
 
CFCasts Content Updates
https://www.cfcasts.com

ICYMI - All of the Into the Box 2024 videos are now available for paid subscriptions

Conferences and Training

Adobe ColdFusion Summit East 2025
​​Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 8 AM – 4 PM
Carahsoft Conference & Collaboration Center
11493 Sunset Hills Road,
Reston, VA 20190
Free
https://carahevents.carahsoft.com/Event/Details/566963-adobe

Unlock the full potential of ColdFusion with Adobe and Carahsoft! Join us for the Adobe ColdFusion Summit East 2025, the premier event for developers, professionals, and organizations. This exclusive event is your chance to explore groundbreaking advancements, enhance your skills, and build valuable connections with industry leaders.

In addition to networking with Adobe ColdFusion experts, domain leaders, and peers, attendees of the Summit will:

Discover how innovative teams are solving challenges and driving success with ColdFusion

Connect with ColdFusion experts, industry leaders, and fellow developers to share ideas and build relationships


ITB 2025

FREE 1 YEAR BOXLANG PLUS LICENSE FOR ALL ITB ATTENDEES

CFCamp 2025

May 22, 23rd - 2025
Atomis Hotel Munich Airport
https://www.cfcamp.org/
Call for Speakers open - https://www.papercall.io/cfcamp2025
Closes February 28, 2025 ( 4am PST )

More conferences
Need more conferences, this site has a huge list of conferences for almost any language/community.
https://confs.tech/


Blogs, Posts, and Videos of the Week

Shopify GraphQL
Robert Zehnder
https://kisdigital.com/posts/2025/01/shopify-graphql-query-example


1/8/25 - Blog - Charlie Arehart - ColdFusion 2025 Prerelease
Adobe announced the opening of the beta a few weeks ago in a post on the CF Portal as well as in various social media. And you can request to join the prerelease program at Adobe prerelease site section for CFNext.
We're currently in the "beta 1" phase, but Adobe has announced that there is a "beta 2" due out early this month.
No news has been shared to indicate when the final version would be released. And while Adobe doesn't ever share info about pricing or editions before the release, but note that they did announce at CF Summit in Vegas (in Oct) that CF2025 would be sold only via subscription model (more below).
They've also shared (publicly) the details of what features will be deprecated or removed in CF2025 (and it's a list with some fairly significant changes). Again, for more see the resource list below.
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/8/coldfusion_2025_prerelease_resources

1/9/25 - Blog - Charlie Arehart - Beware that ColdFusion 2021 end-of-life (and end of updates) is coming Nov 2025, and your options
Are you still running ColdFusion 2021? While it's still supported/updated by Adobe, did you know that its end-of-life is coming just several months from now, Nov 10, 2025? That's the date when "core" support for that release ends--meaning no more updates from Adobe after that, not even security fixes.
What about more recent releases, if you may wonder? CF 2023 (the current latest release) will get updates into 2028 (5 years after it was release). And there's the coming CF 2025 release, currently in pre-release (as I have recently blogged about), which is of course a great sign for the continued vitality of CF.

But this looming deadline for CF2021 is a reminder that as the years roll on, we not only get new versions but we must say good-bye to old ones.

Wondering what you can do? or when CF2023 or CF2025 support will end also? And what's the difference between "core" support and the available "extended" support which Adobe sells? (The extended support plan does NOT provide updates beyond this coming November.) For more on these, including official Adobe documentation that discusses such things, as well as my thoughts on migration, costs, various options to consider, and more, do read on.
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/9/coldfusion2021_end_of_life_nov_2025

1/17/25 - Blog - Charlie Arehart - Last chance to save 25% off CF2023, for those on CF2018 and earlier
Here's great news for those still running CF2018 or earlier, who may have been holding off upgrading to CF2023 (because you would have to pay full price for it). It's news I first shared back in July, and the deal has been extended one last time, thus this post.
TLDR; Now through Feb 28, 2025 those running CF9, 10, 11, 2016 or 2018 can upgrade to CF2023 for 25% off its full price. (Those running CF2021 can already/always could upgrade at 50% off the full price.)

This is a deal offered only by Intergral, makers of FusionReactor, who are also resellers of CF. Adobe doesn't even offer this deal themselves. For more, see their blog post at https://fusion-reactor.com/blog/news/save-25-on-adobe-cf2023-upgrades/.

Act now, it could save you hundreds or even thousands of $$s on a single license!
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/17/last_chance_for_cf_upgrade_discount_from_cf2018_or_earlier

1/18/25 - Blog - Ortus Solutions - ITB - Into The Box 2025 - Agenda Updates and Blind Tickets Last Days!
Into the Box 2025 is just around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be the most exciting conference Ortus Solutions has ever hosted! This event will spotlight cutting-edge technologies in CFML and BoxLang, providing a must-attend experience for developers, decision-makers, and students alike.

Don’t miss out—our Blind Ticket Deal is still available, offering savings of up to $200! Act fast, as this incredible offer won’t last much longer, available until January 22nd, 2025!

Blind tickets are no longer available, but early bird tickets are!
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/into-the-box-2025-blind-tickets-last-days

1/20/25 - Blog - Ortus Solutions - Into the Box Round 1 of Sessions and Workshops are now out!
Our first round of sessions and workshops for Into the Box 2025 is here! Get ready to dive into a world of modern web development with hands-on workshops and engaging sessions led by Ortus Solutions and Community CFML and BoxLang experts. Visit intothebox.org to explore what’s in store—this is just the beginning, with much more content coming soon!
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/into-the-box-round-1-of-sessions-and-workshops

1/21/25 - Blog - Ben Nadel - Getting Flattened Component Metadata In ColdFusion
Over the years, I've learned to favor composition over inheritance in my ColdFusion programming. To power this Inversion of Control (IoC) pattern, I use a simple component that provides a dependency injection (DI) container. This component has worked well until I recently tried to use inheritance in part of my ColdFusion data modeling. It turns out that ColdFusion's getMetadata() built-in function (BIF) returns data in a hierarchical structure that doesn't play nicely with my simplified injector mechanics.
https://www.bennadel.com/blog/4753-getting-flattened-component-metadata-in-coldfusion.htm

1/21/25 - Blog - Charlie Arehart - Java updates of Jan 21, 2025 for 8, 11, 17, 21, and 23: thoughts and resources
It's that time again: there are new JVM updates released today (Jan 21, 2025) for the current long-term support (LTS) releases of Oracle Java, 8, 11, 17, and 21, as well as the new short-term release 23. (The previous short-term release, Java 22, is no longer updated.)
TLDR: The new updates are 1.8.0_441 (aka 8u441), 11.0.26, 17.0.14, 21.0.6, and 23.0.2, respectively. Crazy that there are now 5 current Java releases, I realize. More below, including more on each of them including what changed as well as bug fixes and the security fixes each version contains (including their CVE scores regarding urgency of concerns), which are offered in Oracle resources I list below.
https://www.carehart.org/blog/2025/1/21/java_updates_jan_2025

1/24/25 - Blog - Ben Nadel - Overloading Error.ExtendedInfo As A Data URL In ColdFusion
For the most part, ColdFusion provides wonderful error handling functionality. Between the try / catch / finally blocks, the throw() statements, and the global error handler (in the Application.cfc), it's hard for any error to go unnoticed in a ColdFusion application. But, one thing that isn't so easy to do is provide additional complex data alongside a given error. Historically, I've overloaded the .extendedInfo property in order to provided such additional information. And, that's what I'm talking about in this post. But, this post is a refinement on the idea, making the technique significantly more robust and consumable.
https://www.bennadel.com/blog/4755-overloading-error-extendedinfo-as-a-data-url-in-coldfusion.htm

1/25/25 - Blog - Ben Nadel - Using Partial Component Paths As Argument Types In ColdFusion
When you define a User-Defined Function (UDF) in ColdFusion, both the argument types and the return type can reference a ColdFusion component path. In my code, I typically use any for such types because I find that including a long component path makes the code overly verbose. It turns out, however, that you don't have to include the entire component path. ColdFusion will happily validate component-based types even if you only use a partial path. And, the flexibility of the type reconciliation depends on the extent of the path provided.
https://www.bennadel.com/blog/4756-using-partial-component-paths-as-argument-types-in-coldfusion.htm

1/28/25 - Blog - Ortus Solutions - TestBox v6.1.0 release
We’re super excited to announce the release of TestBox 6.1.0! This release introduces native support for BoxLang without the need for a compatibility mode, unlocking new possibilities for developers embracing BoxLang’s dynamic capabilities. Alongside this exciting update, we’ve added valuable features, improved functionality, and resolved key issues to ensure a smoother and more robust testing experience. Dive into the details and see how TestBox 6.1.0 makes your testing even more seamless and efficient!
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/testbox-v610-release

BoxLang Corner

BoxLang Betas:

Beta 25: https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/boxlang-100-beta-25-launched
Highlights:

Beta 26: https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/boxlang-100-beta-26-launched
Highlights:

BoxLang FTP Support
We’re excited to announce the release of the bx-ftp module for BoxLang! This powerful module enables seamless interaction between your BoxLang applications and FTP servers. Whether you need to upload files, download content, or manage directories on an FTP server, the bx-ftp module has you covered.
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/boxlang-ftp-support-has-landed

A Year in Review - BoxLang 2024 Recap
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/a-year-in-review-boxlang-2024-recap

RCs coming soon!

BoxLang's QoQ Is Here, And It's 5x Faster Than Lucee, 17x Faster Than Adobe!

https://www.codersrevolution.com/blog/boxlangs-qoq-is-here-and-its-5x-faster-than-lucee-17x-faster-than-adobe


CFML Jobs

Several positions available on https://www.getcfmljobs.com/

Listing over 25 ColdFusion positions from 24 companies across 18 locations in 5 Countries.


2 new jobs listed

Full-Time - Senior ColdFusion Developer at Ashburn, VA - United States
Jan 14
https://www.getcfmljobs.com/jobs/index.cfm/united-states/SeniorCFDeveloper-at-Ashburn-VA/11653

Full-Time - ColdFusion Engineer at Maryland, Hyattsville - United States
Jan 08
https://www.getcfmljobs.com/jobs/index.cfm/united-states/coldfusion-engineer-at-hyattsville/11652
 
ForgeBox Module of the Week

BoxLang FTP

BoxLang FTP Support has landed
We’re excited to announce the release of the bx-ftp module for BoxLang! This powerful module enables seamless interaction between your BoxLang applications and FTP servers. Whether you need to upload files, download content, or manage directories on an FTP server, the bx-ftp module has you covered.
https://www.ortussolutions.com/blog/boxlang-ftp-support-has-landed

https://www.forgebox.io/view/bx-ftp

VS Code Hint, Tip, and Trick of the Week

JSON Package Upgrade

Shows available updates in package.json. Offers quick actions to guide you in your updating.
The available updates are shown as color coded decoration to the right of each line.
The extension adds code actions that are available through the quick fix-command. Default keyboard shortcut is "ctrl + ."

These quick actions can update the dependency, but also links to the homepage and, if found, the changelog.
The extension will pick up your npm configurations and use them, so it works with proxies, private npm registries and scopes.
The extension also adds a command to update all dependencies in the package.json file.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=codeandstuff.package-json-upgrade
 
Thank you to all of our Patreon Supporters (resplendent)

These individuals are personally supporting our open source initiatives to ensure the great toolings like CommandBox, ForgeBox, ColdBox, ContentBox, TestBox and all the other boxes keep getting the continuous development they need, 

Their Contributions fund the cloud infrastructure at our community relies on like 

You can support us on Patreon here https://www.patreon.com/ortussolutions

Don’t forget, we have Annual Memberships, pay for the year and save 10% - great for businesses everyone.

And many more Patreons - up to 62 now!!!!!

You can see an up to date list of all sponsors on Ortus Solutions' Website
https://ortussolutions.com/about-us/sponsors

Thanks everyone!!!