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Command Line Tools

wheels plugins install

Install a Wheels plugin from ForgeBox into the /plugins folder.

Terminal window
wheels plugins install <name> [--dev] [--version=<version>]

This command supports multiple parameter formats:

  • Positional parameters: wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt (plugin name)
  • Named parameters: name=value (e.g., name=cfwheels-bcrypt, version=1.0.0)
  • Flag parameters: --flag equals flag=true (e.g., --dev equals dev=true)
  • Flag with value: --flag=value (e.g., --version=1.0.0)

Parameter Mixing Rules:

ALLOWED:

  • Positional: wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt
  • Positional + flags: wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt --version=1.0.0
  • All named: name=cfwheels-bcrypt version=1.0.0

NOT ALLOWED:

  • Positional + named for same param: wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt name=other

Recommendation: Use positional for plugin name, flags for options: wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt --version=1.0.0

ParameterRequiredTypeDescription
nameYesstringPlugin name or slug from ForgeBox
devNobooleanInstall as development dependency (not used)
versionNostringSpecific version to install (default: latest)

The plugins install command installs cfwheels-plugins type packages from ForgeBox into your application’s /plugins folder. The command validates that the package is a valid cfwheels-plugin before installation.

  • Installs only cfwheels-plugins type packages
  • Validates package type before installation
  • Automatically places plugins in /plugins folder
  • Supports specific version installation
  • Beautiful, color-coded output
  • Helpful error messages

The command ensures that only packages with type cfwheels-plugins can be installed. This prevents accidental installation of non-plugin packages.

Terminal window
wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt

Output:

==================================================
Installing Plugin
==================================================
Plugin: cfwheels-bcrypt
Version: latest
Creating C:\Users\Hp\cli_testingapp\db_app\plugins\/api-tools-1.0.0.zip
------------------------------------------------------------
Creating C:\Users\Hp\cli_testingapp\db_app\plugins\/my-helper-1.0.0.zip
√ | Installing package [forgebox:cfwheels-bcrypt]
============================================================
[SUCCESS]: Plugin installed successfully!
CFWheels 2.x plugin helper methods for the bCrypt Java Lib
Commands
--------------------------------------------------
- wheels plugin list View all installed plugins
- wheels plugin info cfwheels-bcrypt View plugin details
Terminal window
wheels plugins install cfwheels-shortcodes --version=0.0.3

Output:

===========================================================
Installing Plugin
===========================================================
Plugin: cfwheels-shortcodes
Version: 0.0.3
[CommandBox installation output...]
===========================================================
[OK] Plugin installed successfully!
Shortcode support for Wheels content
Commands:
wheels plugin list View all installed plugins
wheels plugin info cfwheels-shortcodes View plugin details
Terminal window
wheels plugins install bcrypt

The command will find and install cfwheels-bcrypt from ForgeBox.

Terminal window
wheels plugins install commandbox-migrations

Output:

===========================================================
Installing Plugin
===========================================================
Plugin: commandbox-migrations
Version: latest
===========================================================
[ERROR] Failed to install plugin
Error: Only cfwheels-plugins can be installed via this command
Possible solutions:
- Verify the plugin name is correct
- Check if the plugin exists on ForgeBox:
wheels plugin list --available
- Ensure the plugin type is 'cfwheels-plugins'
Terminal window
wheels plugins install nonexistent-plugin

Output:

===========================================================
Installing Plugin
===========================================================
Plugin: nonexistent-plugin
Version: latest
===========================================================
[ERROR] Failed to install plugin
Error: Plugin not found on ForgeBox
Possible solutions:
- Verify the plugin name is correct
- Check if the plugin exists on ForgeBox:
wheels plugin list --available
- Ensure the plugin type is 'cfwheels-plugins'
  1. Display Header: Shows plugin name and target version
  2. Package Validation: Verifies the package is type cfwheels-plugins
  3. Download: Uses CommandBox’s PackageService to download from ForgeBox
  4. Installation: CommandBox installs the package
  5. Directory Move: If installed to wrong location, moves to /plugins folder
  6. Verification: Confirms installation success
  7. Display Results: Shows success message with helpful next steps

The command uses PluginService which:

  1. Calls ForgeBox API to check package type
  2. Uses packageService.installPackage() to download and install
  3. Checks common installation paths (/modules/, root)
  4. Moves plugin to /plugins/ folder if needed
  5. Returns success/failure status

The command only supports installing from ForgeBox:

Terminal window
# By slug
wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt
# By name (auto-finds slug)
wheels plugins install bcrypt
# Specific version
wheels plugins install cfwheels-bcrypt --version=0.0.4

The following sources are NOT supported:

  • ❌ GitHub repositories
  • ❌ Direct URLs
  • ❌ Local ZIP files
  • ❌ Local directories

To install plugins from these sources, use CommandBox’s native install command and manually move to /plugins folder.

[ERROR] Failed to install plugin
Error: Only cfwheels-plugins can be installed via this command

Solution: Verify the package type on ForgeBox is cfwheels-plugins

[ERROR] Failed to install plugin
Error: Plugin not found on ForgeBox

Solution: Check available plugins with wheels plugin list --available

[ERROR] Failed to install plugin
Error: Could not connect to ForgeBox

Solution: Check internet connection and ForgeBox status

  • Only installs cfwheels-plugins type packages from ForgeBox
  • Plugins are installed to /plugins folder
  • The --dev parameter is accepted but not currently used
  • Package type validation prevents installation of incorrect packages
  • If a plugin is already installed, it will be overwritten
  • After installation, use wheels plugin info <name> to view details
  • Restart your application to activate the new plugin
  • The command automatically handles directory placement