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Installation

How to install the BoxLang IntelliJ plugin — from JetBrains Marketplace, manual installation from disk, and post-installation configuration.

Install the BoxLang IDE plugin to add BoxLang language support to your JetBrains IDE.

Requirements

Before installing, ensure your system meets these requirements:

Requirement
Minimum Version

IntelliJ IDEA

2024.2 or later

Java

21 or later (for running BoxLang)

Operating System

Windows, macOS, or Linux

The plugin works with both IntelliJ IDEA Community and IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate.

Install from JetBrains Marketplace (Recommended)

Method 1: From Within the IDE

  1. Open IntelliJ IDEA

  2. Open Settings (Windows/Linux) or Preferences (macOS)

    • Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+, (macOS)

  3. Navigate to Plugins

  4. Click the Marketplace tab

  5. Search for BoxLang IDE

  6. Click Install next to the plugin

  7. Click Restart IDE when prompted

Method 2: From the JetBrains Website

  1. Visit the BoxLang IDE plugin page

  2. Click Install to IDE

  3. Select your IntelliJ IDEA installation

  4. Follow the prompts to complete installation

  5. Restart the IDE when prompted

Manual Installation from Disk

If you cannot access the Marketplace or need to install a specific version:

Download the Plugin

  1. Visit the GitHub Releases page

  2. Download the latest .zip file (e.g., intellij-boxlang-1.0.0.zip)

Install in IntelliJ

  1. Open IntelliJ IDEA

  2. Open Settings (Windows/Linux) or Preferences (macOS)

  3. Navigate to Plugins

  4. Click the gear icon ⚙️ in the top-right

  5. Select Install Plugin from Disk...

  6. Browse to and select the downloaded .zip file

  7. Click OK

  8. Restart the IDE when prompted

Post-Installation Setup

After installing the plugin, configure your BoxLang environment:

Step 1: Configure BoxLang Settings

  1. Open Settings → Languages & Frameworks → BoxLang

  2. Configure the following:

Runtime Configuration:

  • BoxLang Home — Directory for BoxLang configuration (default: ~/.boxlang)

  • Java Home — Path to Java 21+ installation (leave empty for system default)

  • Use .bvmrc — Enable to read version from .bvmrc files

LSP Configuration:

  • Max Heap Size — Memory for LSP server (default: 512 MB, range: 64-8192 MB)

  • LSP Modules — Additional BoxLang modules (e.g., bx-esapi, bx-pdf)

  1. Click Apply

Step 2: Download BoxLang Runtime

The plugin will prompt you to download the BoxLang runtime:

  1. Click Download next to BoxLang Runtime

  2. Select a version (recommended: Latest)

  3. Wait for the download to complete

  4. The plugin automatically downloads the LSP and debugger modules

Step 3: Create Your First BoxLang File

  1. Right-click in the Project view

  2. Select New → BoxLang File

  3. Choose BoxLang Script

  4. Name it HelloWorld

  5. Add this code:

  1. Click the green play icon ▶️ in the gutter to run it

Verify Installation

Check Plugin Status

  1. Open Settings → Plugins → Installed

  2. Verify BoxLang IDE appears in the list

  3. Check that it's enabled (checkbox is checked)

Check BoxLang Runtime

  1. Open Settings → Languages & Frameworks → BoxLang

  2. Verify the status panels show:

    • BoxLang Runtime: Installed (with version number)

    • LSP Module: Installed (with version number)

    • Debugger Module: Installed (with version number)

Test Code Intelligence

  1. Create a new BoxLang file

  2. Type array and press Ctrl+Space

  3. You should see completion suggestions like arrayAppend(), arrayLen(), etc.

Test Run Configuration

  1. Create a simple script:

  2. Click the green play icon ▶️ in the gutter

  3. Select Run 'filename'

  4. The Run tool window should show "Test successful!"

Troubleshooting Installation

Plugin Not Appearing in Marketplace

Symptoms: Cannot find "BoxLang IDE" in the Marketplace

Solutions:

  1. Verify your IntelliJ version is 2024.2 or later

  2. Check your internet connection

  3. Try installing manually from disk (see above)

  4. Visit the plugin page directly

Installation Fails

Symptoms: Error during installation or plugin doesn't load

Solutions:

  1. Check IDE logs: Help → Show Log in Finder/Explorer

  2. Verify you have write permissions to the plugins directory

  3. Try installing manually from disk

  4. Restart the IDE and try again

Plugin Loads but Features Don't Work

Symptoms: Plugin is installed but no code intelligence or run configurations

Solutions:

  1. Verify BoxLang runtime is downloaded in settings

  2. Check Java 21+ is installed and configured

  3. Restart the IDE

  4. Check IDE logs for errors

Java Version Issues

Symptoms: "Java 21 or later is required"

Solutions:

  1. Install Java 21 or later:

  2. Configure Java Home in BoxLang settings

  3. Or leave Java Home empty to use system default

Updating the Plugin

Automatic Updates

IntelliJ automatically checks for plugin updates:

  1. Open Settings → Plugins → Installed

  2. If an update is available, click Update

  3. Restart the IDE when prompted

Manual Updates

To manually check for updates:

  1. Open Settings → Plugins → Installed

  2. Click the gear icon ⚙️

  3. Select Check for Updates

  4. If an update is available, click Update

Downgrading

To install an older version:

  1. Uninstall the current version

  2. Download the desired version from GitHub Releases

  3. Install manually from disk (see above)

Uninstalling the Plugin

  1. Open Settings → Plugins → Installed

  2. Find BoxLang IDE in the list

  3. Click the gear icon ⚙️ next to it

  4. Select Uninstall

  5. Restart the IDE when prompted

Clean Up Cache (Optional)

To remove all cached BoxLang components:

Next Steps

After installation:

Getting Help

If you encounter issues:

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