Spring Tomcat Application auto reload Can be done in two days without using JRebel

  1. Tomcat Configuration
  2. By Adding Spring Boot DevTools Dependency

Tomcat Configuration

  1. Open your Tomcat Run/Debug Configuration

  2. In Tomcat Server Configuration Go To ‘Deployment Tab’ (2nd Tab) and add Artifact by clicking on + icon and select ‘somewarname.war exploded’ version

  3. Now Go To ‘Server’ Tab(1st tab) in the same Tomcat Configuration Popup and change the ‘on Update Action’ to Update Resources, ‘On frame Deactivation’ setting to either ‘Update resources’ or ‘Update Classes and Resources’

    • Update resources: All changed resources (that is, all application components other than the classes) will be updated.

    • Update classes: and resources. All changed resources will be updated; changed classes will be recompiled. Note that whether the actual classes will be updated depends on the capabilities web server. If I recall, Tomcat will reload html/xhtml and jsp files, but not Servlets or classes that JSPs or Servlets use. You need to modified Tomcat to use a dynamic classloader for that

  4. Click Apply and OK

Spring Boot DevTools Dependency

The spring-boot-devtools module provides inbuilt server auto restart/refresh whenever files on the classpath change. Add below steps in build.gradle

  1. Add Spring boot devtools gradle dependency

    dependencies { compile("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-devtools") }

  2. For Automatic Restart/Refresh on file changes
    bootRun { addResources = true }

  3. Once above steps done, restart server once if possible remove old war file and then build fresh war