CommandBox : CLI, Package Manager, REPL & More
4.5.0
4.5.0
  • Introduction
  • About This Book
  • Authors
  • Overview
  • Getting Started Guide
  • Setup
    • Requirements
    • Download
    • Installation
    • Non-Oracle JREs
    • Upgrading
    • Common Errors
  • Usage
    • Execution
      • Recipes
      • CFML Files
        • Using a DB in CFML scripts
      • OS Binaries
      • CFML Functions
      • Exit Codes
    • Commands
    • Parameters
      • Escaping Special Characters
      • File Paths
      • Globbing Patterns
      • Piping into Commands
      • Expressions
    • Command Help
    • Environment Variables
    • System Settings
    • Ad-hoc Command Aliases
    • Default Command Parameters
    • REPL
    • Tab Completion
    • Interactive Shell Features
    • forEach Command
    • Auto Update Checks
    • Bullet Train Prompt
    • 256 Color Support
    • A Little Fun
  • IDE Integrations
    • Sublime Text
    • Visual Studio Code
  • Config Settings
    • Module Settings
    • Proxy Settings
    • Endpoint Settings
    • Server Settings
    • Misc Settings
  • Embedded Server
    • Multi-Engine Support
    • Offline Server Starts
    • Debugging Server Starts
    • Server Processes
    • Manage Servers
    • FusionReactor
    • Server Logs
    • Configuring Your Server
      • JVM Args
      • Server Port and Host
      • URL Rewrites
      • Aliases
      • Custom Error Pages
      • Welcome Files
      • Basic Authentication
      • Custom Java Version
      • Adding Custom Libs
      • GZip Compression
      • REST Servlet
    • Starting as a Service
    • Server.json
      • Working with server.json
      • Packaging Your Server
      • Using Multiple server.json Files
  • Package Management
    • Installing Packages
      • Installation Path
      • Installation Options
      • Advanced Installation
    • Private Packages
    • System Modules
    • Code Endpoints
      • ForgeBox
      • HTTP(S)
      • File
      • Folder
      • Git
      • Java
      • S3
      • CFLib
      • RIAForge
      • Jar (via HTTP)
      • Gist
    • Package Scripts
    • Dependencies
    • Updating Packages
    • Creating Packages
      • Editing Package Properties
      • Publishing Lucee Extensions to ForgeBox
    • Artifacts
    • Box.json
      • Basic Package Data
      • Extended Package Data
      • Package URLs
      • Installation
      • Embedded Server
      • Dependencies
      • TestBox
    • Managing Version
  • Task Runners
    • Task Anatomy
    • Task Target Dependencies
    • Passing Parameters
    • Using Parameters
    • Task Output
    • Task Interactivity
    • Shell Integration
    • Downloading Files
    • Running Other Commands
    • Error Handling
    • Hitting Your Database
    • Interactive Jobs
    • Watchers
    • Property Files
    • Running other Tasks
    • Loading Ad hoc Jars
    • Loading Ad-hoc Modules
    • Cancel Long Tasks
    • Progress Bar
  • Helpful Commands
    • Token Replacements
    • Checksums
    • Code Quality Tools
  • Deploying CommandBox
    • Docker
    • Heroku
  • TestBox Integration
    • Test Runner
    • Test Watcher
  • Developing For CommandBox
    • Modules
      • Installation and Locations
      • Configuration
        • Public Properties
        • Configure() Method
        • Lifecycle Methods
      • Conventions
      • User Settings
      • Linking Modules
    • Commands
      • Aliases
      • Using Parameters
        • Using File Globs
        • Dynamic Parameters
      • Command Output
      • Tab Completion & Help
      • Interactivity
      • Watchers
      • Shell integration
      • Running Other Commands
      • Error handling
      • Watchers
      • Loading Ad hoc Jars
    • Interceptors
      • Core Interception Points
        • CLI Lifecycle
        • Command Execution Lifecycle
        • Module Lifecycle
        • Server Lifecycle
        • Error Handling
        • Package Lifecycle
      • Custom Interception Points
    • Injection DSL
    • Example Project
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On this page
  • The DSL
  • task()
  • target()
  • params()
  • Named parameters
  • Positional parameters
  • flags()
  • inWorkingDirectory()
  • run()

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  1. Task Runners

Running other Tasks

When developing a task, you may find the need to run another task. To do this, we have provided you with a DSL you can use to call any task. The Task DSL is very similar to the Command DSL, but designed to delegate to the task run command for you.

The DSL

The DSL is a sequence of chained methods that will always start with task() and end with .run(). The run method tells the DSL that you are finished chaining methods and that the task should be executed. Here is the simplest possible example:

task().run();

This would run a task.cfc in the current working directory and the output would be flushed to the console.

Here are all the possible DSL methods that we'll unpack below:

task( ... )
    .target( ... )
    .params( ... )
    .flags( ... )
    .inWorkingDirectory( ... )
    .run( ... );

task()

This is required to be the first method you call. It creates an instance of the TaskDSL class and returns it. It accepts a single parameter called taskFile which is the path of the task CFC you wish to run. Just like the task run command, you can supply a full path or a relative path. The .cfc extension is also optional. If you don't pass in a task CFC name, it defaults to task.

task( 'build' )
    .run();

 task( 'C:/path/to/task.cfc' )
    .run();

target()

Use this method to override the default task target of run.

task()
    .target( '' )
    .run();

 task( 'C:/path/to/task.cfc' )
    .run();

params()

This method is used to pass parameters to your command. You can pass named or positional parameters to this method, and they will be pass along to the command in the same fashion. There is no need to escape parameter values like you would when running a command manually from the shell.

Named parameters

task( 'mytask' )
    .params( path='/my/path', newPath='/my/new/path' )
    .run();

Positional parameters

 task( 'mytask' )
    .params( '/my/path', '/my/new/path' )
    .run();

flags()

Just like when running a task manually, flags are an optional shortcut for specifying boolean parameters. Pass in each flag as a separate argument. It is not necessary to include the -- prior to the value, but it will still work.

 task( "mytask" )
    .params( 'coldbox' )
    .flags( 'force', '!save' )
    .run();

inWorkingDirectory()

Control the working directory that the task runs in if you don't want it to be the current working directory of the shell.

task()
.inWorkingDirectory( 'C:/' )
.run();

run()

Your DSL should always end with a run method. This executes the task. By default, the output will be sent to the console, however you can capture it by specifying returnOutput as true.

var output =  task()
      .params( "My name is Brad" )
      .run( returnOutput=true );

// You can optinally strip any ANSi formatting too
output = print.unANSI( output );

If you want to help debug the exact task that is being passed along to the shell for executing, set the echo parameter to true and the task will be echoed out prior to execution. The echoed text is not part of what gets returned.

task()
    .run( echo=true );
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Last updated 6 years ago

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