# HotswapProjects/HotswapAgent

Java unlimited redefinition of classes at runtime.

Repository: https://github.com/HotswapProjects/HotswapAgent
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/hotswapagent
Language: Java
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-08-26T08:28:59+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4669, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 223, "gap_med": 252.5, "n_releases_24m": 3}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2611, forks 521 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:04.352415+00:00)

## What it is
HotswapAgent is a Java agent providing unlimited runtime class and resource redefinition, enabling real-time code changes without application restarts. It works with enhanced JVMs like DCEVM/JBR and integrates with frameworks via plugins.

## Use cases
- reload java classes without restarting the application
- speed up java development by avoiding redeploys
- hot reload spring hibernate classes at runtime
- live code changes inside a docker container
- set up hotswap with intellij and dcevm

## When to choose
- you want to eliminate the change-restart-check cycle in Java development
- you need framework-aware hot reloading (Spring, Hibernate, etc.)
- you develop inside restricted environments like Docker

## When to avoid
- you need production-grade hot patching with commercial support
- your JVM cannot use DCEVM/JBR variants
- you only need simple method-body hotswap already provided by IDEs

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: developer-tools, plugin-system
- domain: developer-tools, programming-languages, web-development
- platform: jvm, cross-platform
- tags: hot-reload, jvm-agent, dcevm, class-redefinition, java, developer-productivity, docker

## Member repositories
- HotswapProjects/HotswapAgent (main) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:04.352415+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:20:41.681721+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/HotswapProjects/HotswapAgent (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:04.352415+00:00, sha a35dce7e708e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.