Make Like a BIF and Get Outta Here: A Time-Traveling Guide to Creating and Using Built-In Functions in BoxLang

*"Alright, McFly… you’re gonna see some serious BIFs."*

BoxLang ships with a powerful set of built-in functions, but the real magic happens when you start creating your own. In this session, we’ll jump into the DeLorean and travel through time to explore how BoxLang BIFs work, how they’re designed, and how you can build custom BIFs that feel just as native as the ones that ship with the language.We’ll cover multiple ways to create BIFs. From simple utility functions to fully structured, reusable implementations and talk through when each approach makes sense. Along the way, we’ll dig into best practices, naming conventions, performance considerations, and common pitfalls that can send your code off into an alternate timeline.This is a code-forward talk with live demos, real examples, and practical takeaways you can use immediately. By the time we hit 88 MPH, you’ll know how to extend BoxLang cleanly, write less boilerplate, and future-proof your applications by letting BIFs do the heavy lifting.Whether you’re just getting started with BoxLang or looking to unlock more advanced capabilities, this session will help you stop reinventing the wheel, embrace the built-ins, and when needed create your own.

Where we’re going, we don’t need duplicated code.