Use this skill when configuring a ColdBox application in ColdBox.cfc, setting up environments, managing module settings, defining datasources, configuring logging with LogBox, setting up caching with CacheBox, or wiring dependencies with WireBox settings.

ColdBox Configuration

Name: coldbox-configuration
Author: ColdBox

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when configuring a ColdBox application via config/ColdBox.cfc — the master application configuration file.

Language Mode Reference

Examples use BoxLang (.bx) syntax by default. Adapt for your target language:

Concept	BoxLang (`.bx`)	CFML (`.cfc`)
Class declaration	`class [extends="..."] {`	`component [extends="..."] {`
DI annotation	`@inject` above `property name="svc";`	`property name="svc" inject="svc";`
View templates	`.bxm` suffix	`.cfm` / `.cfml` suffix
Tag prefix	`<bx:if>`, `<bx:output>`, `<bx:set>`	`<cfif>`, `<cfoutput>`, `<cfset>`

CFML Compat Mode: With BoxLang + CFML Compat module, .bx and .cfc files coexist freely. BoxLang-native classes use class {} (.bx files); CFML-compat classes use component {} (.cfc files).

Core Concepts

ColdBox.cfc contains sections for:

coldbox — core framework settings
environments — environment-specific overrides
modules — module settings per module
interceptors — registered interceptors
logbox — LogBox logging configuration
cachebox — CacheBox cache configuration
wirebox — WireBox DI configuration

Full ColdBox.cfc Template

class ColdBox extends coldbox.system.Coldbox {

    function configure() {

        // =============================================
        // COLDBOX SETTINGS
        // =============================================
        coldbox = {
            // Application name
            appName              : "My ColdBox Application",
            appMapping           : "root",

            // Application reloading
            reinitPassword       : getSystemSetting( "REINIT_PASSWORD", "supersecret" ),
            reinitKey            : "reinit",

            // Default handler and view
            defaultHandler       : "main",
            defaultAction        : "index",
            defaultLayout        : "Main",
            defaultView          : "main/index",

            // Request Defaults
            requestContextDecorator : "",
            controllerDecorator     : "",

            // Custom interception points
            customInterceptionPoints : [
                "onUserLogin",
                "onUserLogout",
                "onOrderPlaced"
            ],

            // Exception handler
            exceptionHandler     : "main.onException",

            // Invalid event handler
            invalidEventHandler  : "main.onInvalidEvent",

            // Request timeout
            requestTimeout       : 60,

            // ColdBox settings
            handlersIndexAutoReload  : true,          // Development only
            modulesExternalLocation  : [ "modules" ]
        }

        // =============================================
        // ENVIRONMENT DETECTION
        // =============================================
        environments = {
            development : "localhost,127.0.0.1,^local",
            staging     : "staging.example.com",
            production  : "example.com"
        }

        // =============================================
        // LAYOUTS
        // =============================================
        layoutSettings = {
            defaultLayout : "Main",
            defaultView   : "main/index"
        }

        // =============================================
        // MODULES
        // =============================================
        moduleSettings = {
            // CBSecurity settings
            cbsecurity : {
                userService    : "UserService",
                jwtSettings    : {
                    secretKey  : getSystemSetting( "JWT_SECRET", generateSecretKey( "AES", 256 ) ),
                    expiration : 60
                }
            },
            // CBAuth settings
            cbauth : {
                userServiceClass : "UserService"
            },
            // CBI18N settings
            cbi18n : {
                defaultLocale  : "en_US",
                resourceBundles : {
                    main : "#appMapping#/includes/i18n/main"
                }
            }
        }

        // =============================================
        // INTERCEPTORS
        // =============================================
        interceptors = [
            {
                class  : "#appMapping#.interceptors.AppInterceptor",
                name   : "AppInterceptor"
            }
        ]

        // =============================================
        // LOGBOX
        // =============================================
        logbox = {
            // Appenders
            appenders : {
                // Console appender (development)
                console : {
                    class      : "coldbox.system.logging.appenders.ConsoleAppender",
                    levelMin   : "DEBUG",
                    levelMax   : "FATAL"
                },
                // Rolling file appender
                rolling : {
                    class      : "coldbox.system.logging.appenders.RollingFileAppender",
                    levelMin   : "WARN",
                    levelMax   : "FATAL",
                    properties : {
                        filePath  : "#getDirectoryFromPath( getBaseTemplatePath() )#logs",
                        fileName  : "app",
                        fileMaxSize : 5000,
                        fileMaxArchives : 2
                    }
                }
            },
            // Root logger
            root : { levelMin : "WARN", levelMax : "FATAL", appenders : "rolling" },
            // Category loggers
            categories : {
                // App debug
                "root"   : { levelMin : "INFO", levelMax : "DEBUG", appenders : "console" }
            }
        }

        // =============================================
        // CACHEBOX
        // =============================================
        cachebox = {
            // Configuration file
            configFile : "#appMapping#.config.CacheBox"
        }

        // =============================================
        // WIREBOX
        // =============================================
        wirebox = {
            enabled      : true,
            singletonReload : true,
            binder       : "#appMapping#.config.WireBox"
        }
    }

    // =============================================
    // ENVIRONMENT-SPECIFIC OVERRIDES
    // =============================================

    function development() {
        coldbox.handlersIndexAutoReload = true
        coldbox.reinitPassword          = ""
        coldbox.customErrorTemplate     = "/coldbox/system/exceptions/debugPanel.cfm"
    }

    function staging() {
        coldbox.customErrorTemplate = "/coldbox/system/exceptions/customError.cfm"
    }

    function production() {
        coldbox.handlersIndexAutoReload = false
        coldbox.reinitPassword          = getSystemSetting( "REINIT_PASSWORD", "changeme" )
        coldbox.customErrorTemplate     = "/coldbox/system/exceptions/customError.cfm"
    }
}

CFML (.cfc):

component extends="coldbox.system.Coldbox" {

    function configure() {

        // =============================================
        // COLDBOX SETTINGS
        // =============================================
        coldbox = {
            // Application name
            appName              : "My ColdBox Application",
            appMapping           : "root",

            // Application reloading
            reinitPassword       : getSystemSetting( "REINIT_PASSWORD", "supersecret" ),
            reinitKey            : "reinit",

            // Default handler and view
            defaultHandler       : "main",
            defaultAction        : "index",
            defaultLayout        : "Main",
            defaultView          : "main/index",

            // Request Defaults
            requestContextDecorator : "",
            controllerDecorator     : "",

            // Custom interception points
            customInterceptionPoints : [
                "onUserLogin",
                "onUserLogout",
                "onOrderPlaced"
            ],

            // Exception handler
            exceptionHandler     : "main.onException",

            // Invalid event handler
            invalidEventHandler  : "main.onInvalidEvent",

            // Request timeout
            requestTimeout       : 60,

            // ColdBox settings
            handlersIndexAutoReload  : true,          // Development only
            modulesExternalLocation  : [ "modules" ]
        }

        // =============================================
        // ENVIRONMENT DETECTION
        // =============================================
        environments = {
            development : "localhost,127.0.0.1,^local",
            staging     : "staging.example.com",
            production  : "example.com"
        }

        // =============================================
        // LAYOUTS
        // =============================================
        layoutSettings = {
            defaultLayout : "Main",
            defaultView   : "main/index"
        }

        // =============================================
        // MODULES
        // =============================================
        moduleSettings = {
            // CBSecurity settings
            cbsecurity : {
                userService    : "UserService",
                jwtSettings    : {
                    secretKey  : getSystemSetting( "JWT_SECRET", generateSecretKey( "AES", 256 ) ),
                    expiration : 60
                }
            },
            // CBAuth settings
            cbauth : {
                userServiceClass : "UserService"
            },
            // CBI18N settings
            cbi18n : {
                defaultLocale  : "en_US",
                resourceBundles : {
                    main : "#appMapping#/includes/i18n/main"
                }
            }
        }

        // =============================================
        // INTERCEPTORS
        // =============================================
        interceptors = [
            {
                class  : "#appMapping#.interceptors.AppInterceptor",
                name   : "AppInterceptor"
            }
        ]

        // =============================================
        // LOGBOX
        // =============================================
        logbox = {
            // Appenders
            appenders : {
                // Console appender (development)
                console : {
                    class      : "coldbox.system.logging.appenders.ConsoleAppender",
                    levelMin   : "DEBUG",
                    levelMax   : "FATAL"
                },
                // Rolling file appender
                rolling : {
                    class      : "coldbox.system.logging.appenders.RollingFileAppender",
                    levelMin   : "WARN",
                    levelMax   : "FATAL",
                    properties : {
                        filePath  : "#getDirectoryFromPath( getBaseTemplatePath() )#logs",
                        fileName  : "app",
                        fileMaxSize : 5000,
                        fileMaxArchives : 2
                    }
                }
            },
            // Root logger
            root : { levelMin : "WARN", levelMax : "FATAL", appenders : "rolling" },
            // Category loggers
            categories : {
                // App debug
                "root"   : { levelMin : "INFO", levelMax : "DEBUG", appenders : "console" }
            }
        }

        // =============================================
        // CACHEBOX
        // =============================================
        cachebox = {
            // Configuration file
            configFile : "#appMapping#.config.CacheBox"
        }

        // =============================================
        // WIREBOX
        // =============================================
        wirebox = {
            enabled      : true,
            singletonReload : true,
            binder       : "#appMapping#.config.WireBox"
        }
    }

    // =============================================
    // ENVIRONMENT-SPECIFIC OVERRIDES
    // =============================================

    function development() {
        coldbox.handlersIndexAutoReload = true
        coldbox.reinitPassword          = ""
        coldbox.customErrorTemplate     = "/coldbox/system/exceptions/debugPanel.cfm"
    }

    function staging() {
        coldbox.customErrorTemplate = "/coldbox/system/exceptions/customError.cfm"
    }

    function production() {
        coldbox.handlersIndexAutoReload = false
        coldbox.reinitPassword          = getSystemSetting( "REINIT_PASSWORD", "changeme" )
        coldbox.customErrorTemplate     = "/coldbox/system/exceptions/customError.cfm"
    }
}

Environment Variables Pattern

// Using CFML/BoxLang environment variable helper
function configure() {
    vars.datasource = getSystemSetting( "DB_DSN", "myapp" )

    coldbox = {
        appName      : getSystemSetting( "APP_NAME", "My App" ),
        reinitPassword : getSystemSetting( "REINIT_PASSWORD", "" )
    }
}

Module Settings

// Override any module setting from ColdBox.cfc
moduleSettings = {
    // Override cbsecurity module settings
    cbsecurity : {
        firewall : {
            rules : [
                {
                    secureList : "admin",
                    roles      : "admin",
                    match      : "url"
                }
            ]
        }
    },
    // Override cborm module settings
    cborm : {
        eventHandling : true,
        autoEvict     : true
    },
    // Override your own module settings
    myModule : {
        apiKey     : getSystemSetting( "MY_MODULE_API_KEY", "" ),
        timeout    : 30
    }
}

Configuration Best Practices

Use getSystemSetting() for all secrets/credentials — never hard-code them
Use environment override methods (development(), staging(), production()) for per-environment settings
Configure environments regex patterns for automatic environment detection by hostname
Set handlersIndexAutoReload = true in development for instant handler discovery
Use moduleSettings to override module defaults instead of editing module code
Configure dedicated logbox appenders per environment (verbose in dev, file-only in production)
Store LogBox categories that match your application package structure for granular logging control