Eclipse Hot Deployment: 3 Ways to Refresh Your Tomcat Server
Hot deployment is a game-changer for developers, allowing you to modify JSPs and Java classes without restarting the web server. However, this feature is often misunderstood, and its benefits are not fully utilized. In this article, we will explore three ways to enable hot deployment in Eclipse, making your development process more efficient and streamlined.
The Problem with Manual Hot Deployment
Hot deployment is often associated with manual changes to the project, but this approach can be tedious and error-prone. In a large company, it’s not feasible for developers to manually refresh the web server every time a change is made. Moreover, hot deployment is not just about refreshing the server; it’s also about ensuring that the changes are correctly deployed to the production environment.
Three Ways to Enable Hot Deployment in Eclipse
- Directly Accessing the Project Web Folder
To enable hot deployment, you can directly access the project web folder in the webapps directory. Set the development tools to compile the directory, and Tomcat will automatically refresh the page upon every compilation. This approach is simple and effective, but it may not be suitable for large-scale projects.
- Adding the
<Context>Tag toserver.xml
In the tomcat\conf\server.xml file, add the <Context> tag inside the <host> element. This tag enables hot deployment by reloading new or changed class files with associated debugging information. The docBase attribute specifies the project path, which can be an absolute or relative path. The reloadable attribute determines whether the server will automatically reload new or changed class files.
<Context debug="0" docBase="D:\demo1\web" path="/demo1" privileged="true" reloadable="true" />
The reloadable attribute is particularly important, as it determines the level of detail associated with debugging information. The larger the number, the more detailed the output. If not specified, the default is 0.
- Adding an XML File to the
CatalinaDirectory
The third way to enable hot deployment is to add an XML file to the %tomcat_home%\conf\Catalina\localhost directory. This approach is similar to the second method but does not require modifying the server.xml file. Create a new XML file with the following content:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Context docBase="D:\demo1\web" reloadable="true" />
This method is a more elegant solution, as it does not require modifying the server.xml file.
Conclusion
Hot deployment is a powerful feature that can significantly improve your development process. By enabling hot deployment in Eclipse, you can modify JSPs and Java classes without restarting the web server. The three methods described above provide a range of options for developers, from simple and straightforward to more complex and customizable. By choosing the right approach for your project, you can take full advantage of hot deployment and streamline your development process.