understanding-hot-reload-limits

ART only allows method body changes at runtime; any class schema change forces a rebuild. Adding parameters, changing constructors, modifying interfaces, adding new resource ids, editing inline functions, or changing lambda counts all violate the schema constraint and trigger HotSwan's incremental build fallback.

HotSwan hot-reloads composable and non-composable function bodies, new composables, reordered composables (1.2.0+), resource value edits, extension functions, and data class property additions on API 30+. Only method bodies are mutable at runtime under ART class redefinition rules.

Inline functions are expanded at every call site at compile time, leaving no discrete unit to swap at runtime. Editing an inline body forces a full rebuild of every call site. Drop the inline modifier during iteration and restore it before commit.

No. Adding a new resource id grows the generated R class, which is a schema change ART cannot redefine in place. Editing the value of an existing string resource hot-reloads, but new ids require a rebuild on every API level.

Only on API 30 and above, where HotSwan supports adding data class properties. Below API 30 the constructor schema change forces a rebuild, so batch property additions together and accept one rebuild per batch.

Make body-only edits first to reach a working visual state, then batch signature, constructor, interface, or new-resource-id changes into a final save that accepts one rebuild. Introduce new parameters once with default values, then iterate on bodies.