Hot Reload and Debugging
Katton is designed around short edit-reload-test loops. Put scripts in an enabled pack, edit the .kt or .java files, then reload without restarting the game or server.
Reload Commands
Use /katton reload for the normal workflow.
On Fabric and NeoForge, it reloads server scripts and, in singleplayer, also schedules a client script reload. On Paper, it reloads server-side script packs only.
Other reload paths still exist:
| Trigger | Effect |
|---|---|
/katton reload | Reloads Katton scripts and shows the progress overlay. |
/reload | Reloads datapacks; Katton hooks server script reload into that flow. |
F3 + T | Reloads Minecraft client resources only; Katton scripts are not invoked. |
| Script Pack UI Reload button | Reloads from the in-game pack manager on Fabric/NeoForge clients. |
What Gets Cleared
During reload, Katton clears script-owned state before running entrypoints again:
| State | Reload behavior |
|---|---|
| Event handlers | Cleared and re-registered by scripts. |
| Managed native listeners | Cleared by script pack scope. |
| Injection hooks | Reset on Fabric/NeoForge. |
| Reloadable registries | Ownership is cleared; objects are soft-retained to avoid holder crashes. |
| Datapack mutations | Cleared and re-applied during datapack apply. |
| Client render callbacks | Cleared on client reload. |
Lifecycle and Replay
Reloading does not mean every entrypoint runs again. Global packs never replay, world packs honor the annotation's replay value, and multiplayer SERVER_CACHE packs always replay after a server revision activates. The context's reason is HOT_RELOAD, while cause identifies the command, datapack reload, or server-pack sync that initiated it.
For the full phase matrix and context types, see Script Loading Lifecycle.