README

Java Interop Example

This example demonstrates calling Java classes and methods from BoxLang using MatchBox's experimental JNI bridge.

Important limitations:

• Java interop is available in native builds only (--target native).
  It is not available in WASM builds.
• A compatible JDK must be installed on the host machine at runtime.
• This feature is highly experimental. APIs may change between MatchBox releases.

Running

Build a native binary and run it:

cd docs/examples/java_interop
matchbox --target native main.bxs
./main

You can also run in interpreter mode (still requires a JDK):

matchbox main.bxs

What It Demonstrates

Import Syntax

// Import with an alias (recommended — avoids the java: prefix on usage)
import java:java.util.ArrayList as List;
myList = new List()
myList.add("item")

// Import without an alias (use the bare class name)
import java:java.util.HashMap;
myMap = new HashMap()
myMap.put("key", "value")

// Direct instantiation without an import
sb = java.new("java.lang.StringBuilder", "Hello")
sb.append(", World!")
println(sb.toString())

Limitations

See differences-from-boxlang.md for the full list of unsupported features across all build targets.