How to use the command goreload (with examples)

The goreload command is a live reload utility for Go programs. It allows developers to automatically reload their Go programs whenever changes are made to the source files, making the development process faster and more efficient.

Use case 1: Set the name of the binary file to watch

Code:

goreload -b path/to/binary path/to/file.go

Motivation: Setting the name of the binary file to watch can be useful when working with multiple Go projects or when the binary file name is different from the default “.goreload”. By specifying the path to the binary file, goreload will monitor this file for changes and trigger a reload whenever it is modified.

Explanation:

• -b: This argument is used to specify the path to the binary file to watch. By default, goreload looks for a file named “.goreload” in the current directory. However, by using the -b argument, you can specify the path to a different binary file.

Example output:

Watching file: path/to/binary
Listening on http://localhost:8080...

Use case 2: Set a custom log prefix

Code:

goreload --logPrefix prefix path/to/file.go

Motivation: The custom log prefix allows developers to personalize the log messages generated by goreload. By specifying a custom prefix, you can easily identify log messages related to goreload in a console or log file.

Explanation:

• --logPrefix: This option is used to set a custom log prefix. By default, the log prefix is set to “goreload”. However, by using the --logPrefix option, you can specify a different prefix of your choice.

Example output:

[INFO] [prefix] Watching file: path/to/file.go
[INFO] [prefix] Listening on http://localhost:8080...
[INFO] [prefix] File changed: path/to/file.go

Use case 3: Reload whenever any file changes

Code:

goreload --all

Motivation: The --all option allows goreload to monitor and reload the Go program whenever any file in the project directory is modified, not just the specified file. This can be useful when working on a larger project with multiple files that depend on each other, ensuring that any change made in any of the files triggers a reload.

Explanation:

• --all: This option instructs goreload to reload the Go program whenever any file in the project directory is modified. By default, goreload only monitors the file(s) specified in the command, but using --all expands the monitoring to all project files.

Example output:

Watching all files in the current directory...
Listening on http://localhost:8080...
[INFO] File changed: path/to/file1.go
[INFO] File changed: path/to/file2.go
[INFO] File changed: path/to/file3.go

Conclusion:

The goreload command is an essential tool for developers working on Go programs. By providing features like setting the binary file to watch, customizing the log prefix, and monitoring all project files, goreload helps developers save time and effort by automatically reloading their Go programs whenever changes are made.