Play run in DEV mode and "ClassNotFoundException"

Play "~run" command makes development much easier. You can change the code and test it without building, packaging and deploying. But it also causes annoying "ClassNotFoundException".

Our application has a hbase filter. The filter will be packaged and deployed to HBase region servers, but it is also needed on the client side when you build a Scan. If we run the application in DEV mode, we will get "ClassNotFoundException". The java code of the filter is definitely compiled and "in the classpath" because I can find it in the output of "show full-classpath". This confusing issue forces us to use stage/dist again.

The issue is actually caused by the classloader when you start "run" command. If you use a customized filter, HBase will use "Class.forName" to load the class. Because the filter is NOT in the classpath of the classloader which loads HBase classes, "ClassNotFoundException" is thrown.

But Why the filter is NOT in the classpath? There are several classloaders when Play runs in DEV mode:

• sbtLoader, the loader loads sbt;
• applicationLoader, the loader loads the jar files in dependencyClasspath in Compile. it is also called as "SBT/Play shared ClassLoader".
• ReloadableClassLoader(v1), the loader loads the classes of the project

Because ReloadableClassLoader is a child of applicationLoader, the filter is in the classpath of ReloadableClassLoader rather than applicationLoader, and HBase library uses applicationLoader, the filter is indeed invisible to applicationLoader.

The simple workaround is to make the filter a separate project and a dependency of play. The only disadvantage is you have to build, publish, and update if you are developing the filter and the application code at the same time.

You can find the same issue: https://github.com/playframework/Play20/issues/822