# spring-projects/spring-loaded

Java agent that enables class reloading in a running JVM

Repository: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-loaded
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/spring-loaded
Language: Java
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2022-04-07T12:04:39+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 32/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5018, "days_push": 1609, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2717, forks 511 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:12.147839+00:00)

## What it is
Spring Loaded is a JVM agent that enables reloading of class file changes while a JVM is running, allowing methods, fields, constructors, annotations, and enum values to be added, modified, or deleted without restarting. It works on any JVM bytecode and is the reloading system used by Grails 2-4 on Java 8.

## Use cases
- hot reload java classes without restarting the jvm
- add or modify methods and fields in a running java application
- speed up development iteration for grails applications
- reload class file changes on the fly during development
- modify annotations and enum values in a live jvm

## When to choose
- you are developing on Java 8 and want richer hot-swapping than the JVM's built-in hot code replace
- you work with Grails 2, 3, or 4 and want its built-in reloading behavior
- you need to add, remove, or change methods, fields, or constructors without restarting the JVM

## When to avoid
- you are running Java 11 or later, which is not yet supported
- you need to change class hierarchies or certain constructor usage patterns
- you want an actively developed tool with ongoing updates

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: maintenance
- function: developer-tools, build-tool
- domain: developer-tools, programming-languages
- platform: jvm, cross-platform
- tags: jvm-agent, hot-reload, class-reloading, bytecode-transformation, grails, jvm

## Member repositories
- spring-projects/spring-loaded (main) score 32

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:12.147839+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 2026-08-30T02:15:20.519170+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-loaded (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:12.147839+00:00, sha 636f20bff5af)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.