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wheels plugin update

Update a Wheels plugin to the latest or a specified version from ForgeBox.

Terminal window
wheels plugin update <name> [--version=<version>] [--force]
ParameterRequiredTypeDescription
nameYesstringName, slug, or folder name of the plugin to update
versionNostringSpecific version to update to (default: latest)
forceNobooleanForce update even if already at latest version

The plugin update command updates an installed Wheels plugin from the /plugins folder. It checks ForgeBox for the latest version, compares with the installed version, and performs the update if needed.

  • Smart version checking (prevents unnecessary updates)
  • Flexible plugin matching (by name, slug, or folder name)
  • Real-time version queries from ForgeBox
  • Clean removal and reinstallation process
  • Helpful success and error messages
  • Beautiful, color-coded output
Terminal window
wheels plugin update bcrypt

Output:

===========================================================
Updating Plugin: bcrypt
===========================================================
Plugin: bcrypt
Current version: 0.0.3
Latest version: 0.0.4
Target version: 0.0.4
===========================================================
Removing old version...
Installing new version...
[CommandBox installation output...]
===========================================================
[OK] Plugin 'bcrypt' updated successfully!
Commands:
wheels plugin info bcrypt View plugin details
wheels plugin list View all installed plugins
Terminal window
wheels plugin update bcrypt

Output:

==================================================
Updating Plugin: bcrypt
==================================================
Plugin Information
--------------------------------------------------
Plugin: CFWheels bCrypt
Current version: 1.0.2
Latest version: 1.0.2
[SUCCESS]: Plugin is already at the latest version (1.0.2)
[INFO]: Use --force to reinstall anyway
- wheels plugin update bcrypt --force
Terminal window
wheels plugin update bcrypt --version=0.0.3

Output:

===========================================================
Updating Plugin: bcrypt
===========================================================
Plugin: bcrypt
Current version: 0.0.4
Latest version: 0.0.4
Target version: 0.0.3
===========================================================
Removing old version...
Installing new version...
[CommandBox installation output...]
===========================================================
[OK] Plugin 'bcrypt' updated successfully!
Commands:
wheels plugin info bcrypt View plugin details
wheels plugin list View all installed plugins
Terminal window
wheels plugin update bcrypt --force

Output:

===========================================================
Updating Plugin: bcrypt
===========================================================
Plugin: bcrypt
Current version: 0.0.4
Latest version: 0.0.4
Target version: 0.0.4
===========================================================
Removing old version...
Installing new version...
[CommandBox installation output...]
===========================================================
[OK] Plugin 'bcrypt' updated successfully!
Commands:
wheels plugin info bcrypt View plugin details
wheels plugin list View all installed plugins
Terminal window
wheels plugin update nonexistent-plugin

Output:

===========================================================
Updating Plugin: nonexistent-plugin
===========================================================
[ERROR] Plugin not found
Plugin 'nonexistent-plugin' is not installed
Install this plugin:
wheels plugin install nonexistent-plugin
Terminal window
wheels plugin update bcrypt

Output (network error):

===========================================================
Updating Plugin: bcrypt
===========================================================
Plugin: bcrypt
Current version: 0.0.4
Error checking ForgeBox: Connection timeout
Unable to verify if update is needed
Options:
- Specify a version:
wheels plugin update bcrypt --version=x.x.x
- Force reinstall:
wheels plugin update bcrypt --force
  1. Find Plugin: Searches /plugins folder for matching plugin by name, slug, or folder name
  2. Read Metadata: Extracts current version and slug from plugin’s box.json
  3. Query ForgeBox: Uses forgebox show command to get latest version
  4. Version Comparison: Cleans and compares versions to check if update needed
  5. Skip if Up-to-Date: Exits early if already at target version (unless --force)
  6. Remove Old Version: Deletes the plugin folder
  7. Install New Version: Uses PackageService to download and install from ForgeBox
  8. Verify Location: Moves plugin to /plugins if installed elsewhere
  9. Confirm Success: Displays success message with helpful commands

The command uses a smart matching algorithm to find plugins by:

  1. Folder name (e.g., bcrypt)
  2. Slug from box.json (e.g., cfwheels-bcrypt)
  3. Name from box.json (e.g., bcrypt, CFWheels Bcrypt)
  4. Normalized variations (strips cfwheels- and wheels- prefixes)

This means you can update using any of these:

Terminal window
wheels plugin update bcrypt
wheels plugin update cfwheels-bcrypt
wheels plugin update "CFWheels Bcrypt"

The command cleans versions before comparison:

  • Removes all non-numeric characters except dots
  • Example: v0.0.4 becomes 0.0.4
  • Example: 0.0.4-beta becomes 0.0.4
  • Compares cleaned strings for equality

If versions match, the plugin is considered up-to-date.

Use --force to reinstall even when already up-to-date. Useful for:

  • Recovering from corrupted installations
  • Forcing cache refresh
  • Testing installation process
  • Reinstalling after manual modifications
[ERROR] Plugins directory not found
Plugin 'bcrypt' is not installed
[ERROR] Plugin not found
Plugin 'bcrypt' is not installed
Install this plugin:
wheels plugin install bcrypt
Error checking ForgeBox: [error message]
Unable to verify if update is needed
Options:
- Specify a version:
wheels plugin update bcrypt --version=x.x.x
- Force reinstall:
wheels plugin update bcrypt --force
[ERROR] Error updating plugin
Error: [error message]
  1. Check First: Use wheels plugin outdated to see which plugins need updates
  2. Update One at a Time: Test each plugin update individually
  3. Read Release Notes: Check ForgeBox for breaking changes
  4. Test in Development: Update in dev environment before production
  5. Keep Backups: Commit your code before updating plugins
  • Only updates plugins from /plugins folder
  • Only works with cfwheels-plugins type packages
  • Removes old version completely before installing new version
  • Uses ForgeBox slug for installation to ensure correct package
  • Requires internet connection to query ForgeBox
  • Version check is performed in real-time (not cached)
  • After update, plugin may require application reload
  • If installation fails, the old version is already removed (no automatic rollback)
  • The command uses CommandBox’s PackageService for downloading