What is JRebel?

JRebel is:

  • A Java development-time tool. JRebel decreases turnaround by instantly reloading changes to your code. This is done without having to restart the container or redeploy the application.

  • A plugin for the JVM. The -agentpath command line option allows custom instrumentation plugins to be registered. JRebel uses this option for running.
  • A single JAR file. That pretty much says it all. There is no installation process: just unzip, copy, add options to the command line and enjoy! Even easier when using a JRebel IDE plugin.

JRebel is not:

  • An IDE plugin. JRebel comes pre-bundled with the plugins for Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, NetBeans and JDeveloper, however, JRebel agent is designed to be IDE-agnostic and can be used outside the IDE.
  • A framework. JRebel does not introduce any dependencies in your application. You can remove it at any moment and continue developing the way you did previously.
  • An application server. JRebel does work with all prominent application servers, but it is not one itself.
  • A custom JVM. JRebel does not require you to make any changes to the JVM. JRebel works with all prominent JVM implementations.

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