BoxLang on DigitalOcean App Platform

Overview

DigitalOcean App Platform supports BoxLang applications via a containerized starter kit. The starter uses BoxLang MiniServer inside a multi-stage Docker build and auto-deploys from GitHub on every push to main.

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Quick Start

1. Get the Starter Kit

https://github.com/ortus-boxlang/boxlang-starter-digitalocean

Fork or clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/ortus-boxlang/boxlang-starter-digitalocean.git myapp
cd myapp

2. One-Click Deploy

Use the "Deploy to DigitalOcean" button in the starter kit README to create the App Platform app automatically.

3. Connect Your Fork

In the DigitalOcean App Platform dashboard:

1. Create a new App
2. Connect your forked GitHub repository
3. Select the main branch
4. App Platform detects the Dockerfile and builds automatically

Every push to main triggers a new deployment (2–3 minutes build time).

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Architecture

The starter uses a multi-stage Docker build:

# Stage 1: Build dependencies
FROM ortussolutions/boxlang:latest AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY . .
RUN box install --production

# Stage 2: Runtime image
FROM ortussolutions/boxlang:miniserver
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=builder /app /app
EXPOSE 8080
CMD ["boxlang-miniserver", "--port", "8080", "--webroot", "/app/www"]

Component	Technology
Web server	BoxLang MiniServer (Undertow)
Build	Multi-stage Docker
Platform	DigitalOcean App Platform
Port	8080 (App Platform maps to 443/80)
Build time	2–3 minutes

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Environment Variables

Configure your app in the DigitalOcean dashboard under Settings → Environment Variables:

DATABASE_URL=...
API_KEY=...
BOXLANG_DEBUG=false

Access in BoxLang with getSystemSetting():

var dbUrl = getSystemSetting( "DATABASE_URL" )
var apiKey = getSystemSetting( "API_KEY" )

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Auto-Deploy Workflow

1. Fork starter → connect to App Platform
2. Develop locally with: boxlang-miniserver --port 8080 --webroot ./www
3. Push to main → App Platform builds + deploys automatically
4. Monitor build logs in the DigitalOcean dashboard

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Local Development

# Install BoxLang MiniServer
# (see miniserver skill)

# Run locally using the same config as production
boxlang-miniserver --port 8080 --webroot ./www

# Or with Docker (mirrors production exactly)
docker build -t myapp .
docker run -p 8080:8080 myapp

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Checklist

•  Fork boxlang-starter-digitalocean (don't clone into a new repo — fork to keep deploy button working)
•  Connect GitHub fork to DigitalOcean App Platform
•  Set environment variables in App Platform dashboard (not in source code)
•  Use getSystemSetting("KEY") for environment variable access in BoxLang code
•  Test locally with boxlang-miniserver before pushing to trigger a deploy
•  Check build logs in App Platform if deployment fails (builds take 2–3 min)